The Shunter seeking Premier renaissance on Kelso return

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The Shunter takes on four rivals in the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday with trainer Emmet Mullins hoping he can return to something like his best.

Two years ago, the JP McManus-owned gelding took the Morebattle Hurdle on his way to landing a £100,000 bonus for following up with a win in the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Subsequently runner-up in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree, his form has been patchy since, winning just once in 11 starts.

Mullins feels the 10-year-old, who has been given a break since finishing fourth of 20 in a two-mile Naas Flat handicap in November, is nicely handicapped on his return to the Scottish track.

“These races are all hard to win, but it looks a good spot for him,” said Mullins.

“Fingers crossed he can run his race. Let’s hope he can repeat the magic.”

Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos is favourite to land the Listed contest and complete a hat-trick for the Dan Skelton yard.

He has not run since taking the race formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup and runs off a 6lb higher mark, albeit in a slightly weaker contest.

Le Milos and jockey Harry Skelton (centre) bid to follow up their Coral Gold Cup victory
Le Milos and jockey Harry Skelton (centre) bid to follow up their Coral Gold Cup victory (John Walton/PA)

Skelton said: “We could not have been more delighted with his run at Newbury.

“We understandably gave him a bit of time off to get over that, and this looked an obvious spot for him.

“He is fresh and well and we are hopeful that he will run well.”

Sandy Thomson has the Scottish National in mind for Empire Steel should he bounce back to his best on a track he likes.

The nine-year-old has won two and finished runner-up on his three starts at Kelso, although the Berwickshire handler is happy to draw a line under his two runs this season, as his horses were not firing.

He said: “Obviously the horses didn’t look like they were right just after Christmas, which was frustrating.

“Hopefully, we have got them sorted out and he will bounce back and run his race.

“He likes Kelso, it will suit him. It is a very funny race, because if you look historically, some of the winners have never won another race.

“It is a funny kind of race, because you get some horses who are looking at it as a prep for the National or something and that is more important than winning the Premier Chase.

“But if he bounces back and runs a nice race, we’ll be delighted and the Scottish National would be in the offing if he did.”

Shropshire trainer Mel Rowley feels she has nothing to lose by running Wishing And Hoping following his 50-1 shock win in the Veterans’ Chase Series Final at Sandown.

Wishing And Hoping caused a 50-1 shock at Sandown last time
Wishing And Hoping caused a 50-1 shock at Sandown last time (Steven Paston/PA)

The consistent 13-year-old has won five and finished runner-up on as many occasions in his 18 chase starts, and showed plenty of zest when accounting for Ramses De Teillee last time.

Rowley said: “He is very, very well and we thought ‘why not’, as we are slightly restricted where we can go with him.

“This seemed a good a place as any, as there are only five in it. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“I suppose we might have the advantage, as if our horse never won a race again, because of his age, it wouldn’t matter.

“His last run is what dreams are made of. That’s why we do it, isn’t it?”

Zanza brought up Philip Hobbs’ 3,000th winner when beating Hitman by seven lengths in the Grade Two Denman Chase at Newbury three weeks ago.

Should he not take up his first preference, which is in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap at Newbury, he will complete the line-up.

Sounds Russian going for Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham

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Sounds Russian is Boodles Gold Cup-bound after connections made the decision to veto Kelso in favour of the Cheltenham Festival.

The eight-year-old has been in good form all season, winning the Edinburgh Gin Chase at Kelso on debut before placing fourth behind reigning Grand National hero and leading Gold Cup contender Noble Yeats in the Many Clouds at Aintree.

He was then second in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and second again in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham – a trial for the Gold Cup in which he was beaten just a length a half by Ahoy Senor but reversed the form with the third-placed Noble Yeats.

Sounds Russian held an entry for Kelso’s Listed Premier Chase on Saturday and connections were pondering whether to aim for that or the Gold Cup, eventually deciding on the latter and not declaring for this weekend.

“The owners came on Tuesday and were quite keen to let him take his chance in the Gold Cup, so that’s where we’re going,” said Jefferson, who is the daughter of the late Malcolm Jefferson.

“I’ve never had a runner (in the Gold Cup) myself, I suppose we ran a couple in it (when her father was training), so it’ll be nice to have a crack.

“I’m realistic about his chances, but he’s a versatile, straightforward horse and he doesn’t do a lot wrong.

“Sean Quinlan will ride him, he’s ridden him round there now and so he should know what to do as the situation presents itself.

“I don’t think they’ll let the ground get quick, but it’s going to be challenging for them. He’s not ground dependent though, let’s be honest.”

Breeders’ Cup a long-term possibility for Saudi scorer Mostahdaf

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Connections of Mostahdaf may target the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the end of the year should he continue to sparkle this summer.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt took his earnings to over £1million with a seven-length demolition of a strong Neom Turf Cup field in Riyadh on Saturday.

Jim Crowley’s mount was one of the easiest winners over the two-day Saudi Cup meeting and following his eighth victory in 13 career starts, the son of Frankel may now head to Dubai for the Sheema Classic.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owners Shadwell Estate Company, said plans for Mostahdaf could involve working back from the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November.

“He hasn’t got back to England yet, so we haven’t sat down to discuss plans,” said Gold. “Obviously, we want to see that he is in good shape and take it from there, but the Sheema Classic is the obvious route.

“I’d be silly if I said anything other than I was very impressed by him. On his day, he is a pretty high-class horse. He seems to go well fresh.

“I thought they did brilliantly to prepare a horse like that through an English winter, to go out and run a race like that first-time out.”

Very soft conditions did not suit when last of 20 in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October.

Jim Crowley/Riyadh
Jim Crowley gives the post-race de-brief to Thady Gosden (left) and Shadwell’s assistant racing manager Richard Hills (Simon Milham/PA)

Yet the five-year-old looked in great shape ahead of the Group Three Neom Turf Cup and from an ideal draw at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Crowley had the race won turning for home, before he was eased down at the end of the extended mile-and-a-quarter race.

“He was in a perfect spot and all went his way,” said Gold.

“The one thing we do know about him is he loves proper fast ground. He moved beautifully on that fast ground on Saturday.

“Jim said to me that something like aiming him backwards at the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year on fast ground, the mile-and-a-half race, might be an option.

“We haven’t sat down to make any long-term plans, though. With these sort of horses, it is fairly obvious sort of races. If he goes back to the Sheema, he is going to need a break then, so there will be nothing early.

“Depending on how he comes out of it all, you’d obviously look at Royal Ascot.

“I would say anything mid-summer onwards, anything from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half would suit.

“He had plenty of speed on Saturday, but we know he stays a mile and a half.

“The options are varied, but we know he goes well fresh and so I think we will pick and choose our spots, but get him through Dubai first in one piece, hopefully.”

Stage Star’s Cheltenham role yet to be cast

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Connections are still open minded about a Cheltenham Festival target for talented novice chaser Stage Star.

The seven-year-old was a Grade One-winning hurdler who made a great start to his career over fences when landing a Warwick novice on debut by 13 lengths for trainer Paul Nicholls.

He was the runner-up next time out in a Newbury Grade Two in November, but won once again at Plumpton in early January and then secured a third chasing success at Cheltenham on Trials day.

Stage Star pictured at Ditcheat earlier this week
Stage Star pictured at Ditcheat earlier this week (Adam Davy/.PA)

A return to Prestbury Park is next on the agenda for the gelding, who holds entries for the Brown Advisory and Turners Novices’ Chases.

The latter is over his proven two-and-a-half-mile-trip, whereas the former would involve a step up to three miles and half a furlong.

Connections are yet to decide which path the bay will take, with the ground likely to be a factor in the decision.

Dan Downie of Owners Group said: “I spoke to Paul this morning and we haven’t decided what we’ll do yet.

“He’s in good form and we’re very happy with him, we’ll have a discussion next week and make a plan with him.

“There’s a possibility it could be ground dependent, we haven’t had much rain and we’re not likely to get any, so we’ll have to see where that leaves us.”

Either way, Stage Star’s most recent win provided valuable evidence of his ability to perform at Cheltenham, with his only previous run at the track being a pulled-up effort in the 2022 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Stage Star won the Challow Hurdle
Stage Star won the Challow Hurdle (David Davies/PA)

“He jumped really well, he relaxed and it was similar to how he jumped round when he won at Warwick earlier in the season,” Downie said of the Trials day run.

“It was really good to see him in form, he’s a great jumper and he’s got loads of scope.

“It was good to see him perform on that track as well because that was previously a bit of a question mark – whether or not Cheltenham would really be his track.

“His previous best runs have been at places like Newbury, but I think he coped with it beautifully.”

Maximilian team to skip Festival date in favour of Aintree

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Donald McCain’s classy hurdler Maximilian will skip the Cheltenham Festival in favour of an Aintree outing.

The chestnut was a point-to-point winner and has looked highly promising since starting out under rules, winning two bumpers and his first two starts over hurdles.

Then stepped up in class for the Grade Two Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown in December, the gelding was beaten for the first time in his career when third to Henri The Second.

He bounced right back to form the next time, however, tackling an extended three miles to win the Grade Two River Don at Doncaster at the end of January.

After that victory McCain suggested Cheltenham would not be a priority despite the horse holding an Albert Bartlett entry, with Aintree the preferred option later in the season.

Maximilian at Sandown
Maximilian at Sandown (Steven Paston/PA)

Dan Downie of Owners Group echoed that idea as the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade One run over three miles and half a furlong, looks to be the ultimate target.

He said: “He’s been going very well, everything is good with him and he’s come out of his race well.

“The plan will be to hopefully run at Aintree in April. That’s a little way away and we might find something in between, but Cheltenham is not happening and we know he won’t go there.

“We were really pleased with him at Doncaster. He’s a horse we’ve always liked but he’s a bit of a enigma in some ways, he’s not very flashy at home and he races quite lazily.

“You never quite know and at Sandown he was a bit disappointing, but I think that tacky ground just didn’t suit him and he was obviously much happier at Doncaster.

“I think he is a real stayer and that will be his game.”

Classic tilt next target with Mawj following impressive Meydan success

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Mawj will be aimed at either the English or French 1000 Guineas after a highly successful spell in Dubai.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly had a fruitful two-year-old season, winning on debut and then finishing second to current 1000 Guineas favourite Meditate in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A victorious step up to Group Two level followed in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket’s July course, after which she was fourth in the Lowther and third in the Cheveley Park.

Over the winter the bay headed out to Dubai, making her first start at Meydan when stepping up to seven furlongs in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic in late January.

That run resulted in a short-head victory over Dream Of Love, also Godolphin owned, making Mawj the 11-10 joint-favourite when she returned to the track for the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas the following month.

Again she was the winner, routing a field of eight rivals to prevail by an unchallenged eight and a half lengths over an extended trip of a mile.

Bin Suroor said: “She ran really well. She won over six furlongs in England and she came back here over seven furlongs, the way she worked in the morning I thought she could stay the mile.

“It was worth a try and she was really impressive, she won it easily.

“She’s a tiny filly but she has plenty of speed, she’s by Exceed And Excel.”

There are now two clear next steps for the three-year-old, with Bin Suroor planning on sending her to Newmarket in May or for the French version, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, at ParisLongchamp during the same month.

“There are options to run her in the French or the English Guineas, one of those will be the next target with her,” he said.

“The way she’s done it, she’s definitely improved, she did it so well. She’s grown a little bit out in Dubai and she’s a better filly now.

“To run her in the Guineas is a bigger step, but we will have a chance.”

De Bromhead’s Gold Cup contenders thriving as big day looms

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Henry de Bromhead believes A Plus Tard is on the right track as he continues preparations for a Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup defence.

The Cheveley Park-owned runner reversed the 2021 result with stablemate Minella Indo when powering to an impressive 15-length verdict in the blue riband last March.

A Plus Tard has had just one run since that triumph, when pulled up as an odds-on favourite at Haydock, with a planned Christmas outing at Leopardstown scuppered by a last-minute setback on the day of the Savills Chase.

De Bromhead reports A Plus Tard to be well over that knocked joint and feels the nine-year-old is showing all the right signs, although he admits his lack of recent action is not ideal.

He told talkSPORT2: “The first half of the season has been really frustrating. Haydock just didn’t happen at all, we thought we were all set to go at Christmas and he banged himself, he just wasn’t right and we couldn’t (run), so we had to commit to going straight there (Cheltenham).

“It’s a tough ask. He’s a very good horse, he was extremely impressive last year and we feel he’s coming all the time for us. Hopefully he will arrive on schedule.

“I suppose there’s probably not many that go into it without a run, so the numbers would be against him. Last year he ran at Christmas, so that was still a fair old break. You’d love to have had one good run under your belt this season, unfortunately we haven’t but he seems to be really coming to himself and hopefully we’re being led this way for a reason.”

Minella Indo beat A Plus Tard in 2021
Minella Indo beat A Plus Tard in 2021 (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Minella Indo is set to be in opposition once again, with the 10-year-old having kicked off his campaign with victory in Tramore’s Savills Chase on New Year’s Day.

While A Plus Tard is as low as 11-2 for the Gold Cup, Minella Indo is a general 20-1 shot – but De Bromhead is not ruling him out of the equation.

He added: “He seems in great form, that was a fantastic day for us at Tramore and we’re really happy with him.

“Obviously he’s a bit older now, but he loves Cheltenham and he always comes to life at this time of year. We’re really excited to get him there.”

Rachael Blackmore celebrates aboard Honeysuckle last year
Rachael Blackmore celebrates aboard Honeysuckle last year (David Davies/PA)

De Bromhead has won the last two Champions Hurdles with Honeysuckle and he is anticipating a huge swell of emotion should she sign off her exceptional career with another Festival win.

While she is set to tackle the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle rather than take on Constitution Hill in the main event, De Bromhead thinks the 10-year-old will still face a stern test.

Honeysuckle surrendered her unbeaten record when third in the Hatton’s Grace on her return, while Champion Hurdle-bound State Man was too good at Leopardstown last time. But judged on the reception she received at the Dublin track, the Kenny Alexander-owned mare is likely to be cheered to the rafters whatever the result.

De Bromhead said: “There won’t (be a dry eye in the house). I think a lot of people would love to see it happen, it’s great she’s getting the opportunity. But we have to win it first, so that’s still a long way away.

“It’s a tough task, it’s a very competitive Mares’ Hurdle, there’s plenty in it, but we just feel it’s a better option for us now.

“She’s in great form, she loves it there and she’s won the race before. She’s a year older and we will have to see. We look forward to getting there on the day hopefully and taking our chance.

“In an ideal world, if I could have changed the ground for Fairyhouse and Leopardstown, better ground over two and a half and soft over two, she probably would have finished a lot closer in both, but there you go, it’s not an ideal world and we couldn’t.”

Now Where Or When in frame for Irish National bid

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Now Where Or When could return to Fairyhouse for the BoyleSports Irish Grand National following his fine performance in the Bobbyjo Chase.

Stuart Crawford’s eight-year-old – who was sent off 33-1 for the Grade Three contest – was rated some 30lb inferior to the winner Kemboy but ran a career best to finish just a length and a half behind Willie Mullins’ ever-popular Grade One winner in third.

The son of Where Or When holds an entry for the Bar One Racing Leinster National at Naas on March 12, but having shown a real liking for Fairyhouse throughout his career, Crawford suggests the Easter Monday marathon that is the feature of the track’s Easter Festival on April 10 is a more likely target.

He said: “The horse has been a wee bit unfortunate this season – he’s had one or two targets and for whatever reason he’s ended up missing them. So he’s kind of been on the go for a little while and crying out for a run.

“We knew he was a wee bit wrong at the ratings, but Fairyhouse is a track he has won at a couple of times and always ran well so we were happy to let him take his chance.

“We were maybe a little bit unfortunate at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival, he missed the start and never really got into the race there, but hopefully there is a big day in him.”

Now Where or When ridden by jockey Sam Ewing on their way to winning the Start Your Free Trial Now at racingtv.com Handicap Chase at Down Royal
Now Where or When ridden by jockey Sam Ewing on their way to winning the Start Your Free Trial Now at racingtv.com Handicap Chase at Down Royal (Brian Lawless/PA)

On future plans, he continued: “He has an entry for there (Leinster National), but ultimately we would love to come back to Fairyhouse at Easter and that would probably be the target.

“He’s on the verge of whether he would make the cut for that, but he will definitely be given an entry and we will see where we are.

“So far he has proven to be a good jumper and he stays well so it will be worth giving him a shot at it anyway.”

Cheltenham Festival in mind for Endless Escape

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Cheltenham is on the horizon for Ben Clarke’s unbeaten hurdler Endless Escape.

The seven-year-old placed in an Irish point-to-point before joining Clarke’s yard and making a winning hurdles debut at Lingfield in November.

That victory was followed by a 22-length success at Wincanton on Boxing Day and then a Ffos Las win in late January sealed the hat-trick.

As a result the daughter of Getaway was the 8-11 favourite at Newcastle on Saturday and her winning streak continued when she landed the Break From The Herd With Vertem Novices’ Hurdle under Ben Jones by three and a quarter lengths.

“She’s been great, she was odds-on at Newcastle the other day and people may have expected her to do it a bit easier but I was very happy and Ben Jones was very happy,” Clarke said.

“She hated that ground, it was very tacky, and she’s never a horse that’s going to go and offer it up and win by 30 lengths. She’s a horse that’ll only do as much as she has to do.

“We were very happy, Ben said she just needed a little bit of company out in front.”

Endless Escape is entered for the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and is likely to take her chance if the conditions at Prestbury Park prove suitable.

Clarke said: “We’re going to look at Cheltenham and if we get a bit of dig in the ground, we’ll go.

“I think she deserves a crack at something nice now, if she doesn’t go there then we’d perhaps look at Kelso or Fairyhouse later in the month.”

Either way, the mare has more than paid her way so far as she was a bargain purchase via the online sales site ThoroughBid, through which she was bought for just £6,500 in June.

“We bought her through ThoroughBid for £6,500 and she’s progressed and progressed,” said Clarke.

“She’s very straightforward at home, we don’t do an awful lot with her, just tick her along and keep her happy.

“I say to the owners that she spends most of her life asleep but the rare moments when she’s awake she really does deliver on the racetrack, so we don’t mind.

“I wouldn’t mind a few more, especially at that price!”

Ga Law could tackle Gold Cup before Grand National

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Ga Law could bid to secure his Randox Grand National ticket by having a run in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

A faller when looking poised to win the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, the Jamie Snowden-trained Ga Law is still not qualified for the Aintree spectacular.

The seven-year-old, who won the Paddy Power Chase at Cheltenham in November, would need to finish in the first four in the Gold Cup to get into the National.

Snowden has something of a dilemma, as the seven-year-old is much better fancied for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival in two weeks’ time.

Speaking at the Cheltenham handicap weights launch, Snowden said: “He won the Paddy Power here through stamina over two and a half miles.

“We were keen to go up in trip, and went to the Sky Bet Chase. He came to win the race and he fell at the last.

“He got a nasty cut on the leg that day, so has taken his time to get over that.

“We are very keen to try and qualify him for the National if we could. The handicapper put him up 2lb for the Sky Bet Chase fall, which suggests he’d shown improved form over three miles.

“It is obviously a little bit frustrating that you have to finish in the first four in order to qualify for the National, so we had him in at Kelso at the weekend over three miles. I think that might come just a little bit too soon, so we are still in the dilemma of trying to chase Shishkin home for a bit of prize-money in the Ryanair, or whether we go for Gold and try to pick up fourth and qualify for the National.”

Ga Law was a talented novice chaser whose upward trajectory was cruelly halted by a tendon injury just before the spring festivals in 2021.

A dejected Johnny Burke after Ga Law fell at Doncaster
A dejected Johnny Burke after Ga Law fell at Doncaster (Richard Sellers/PA)

That season, he won the Rising Star Novices’ Chase and was third behind Allmankind when tested at the top level in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase in December.

Back after 603 days off, he showed plenty of ability when third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree before his win in the Paddy Power.

“As a novice chaser, he was borderline championship class,” added Snowden. “He has got form with Envoi Allen, Hitman, Allmankind, all those horses in the Henry VIII, Rising Stars’ and Pendil and the likes as a novice chaser.

“He was mixing it with the very best, but obviously had a year out and on the back of that it meant he was quite nicely handicapped going into races like the Paddy Power.

“He definitely has the ability to run in these kind of races, we just have to got to plot a route.

“I was kind of thinking he might be one for the Gold Cup next year as opposed to this year, but with the Grand National weights as they are, I think he’s nicely handicapped for that, if we can get the qualification in time.”

He added: “Michael Wainwright of Boodles, who is part-owner, wants to go for the Gold Cup, so it would be quite fitting if he ran in and won the 100th Gold Cup.”

Snowden also had news of You Wear It Well, runner-up in the Challow Hurdle before winning in great style at Sandown and on course for the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in preference to the Albert Bartlett or Ballymore.

He said: “She is doing really well. She is a classy mare and has won three of her four novice hurdles this season and just got beat by Hermes Allen over two and a half miles. We held her up that day, but she is a quite keen going and free sort. She finished second and it was a great run.

“Had we gone forward who knows what might have happened. At Sandown we went forward with her and she won that pretty impressively. Luccia is obviously favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and we have some form lines that tie in closely with that, but she is a nice mare and we will go for that race.”