Twiston-Davies team targeting more Trial success with Move It

/by

I Like To Move It will attempt to follow in the footsteps of a previous Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate by winning the New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

The race, registered as the Champion Hurdle Trial, was won by former Grand Farm inhabitant The New One for four successive years between 2015 and 2018.

Twiston-Davies and his son Sam also teamed up to win the race in 2020 so are searching for a sixth victory in 10 years in the Grade Two.

With testing ground assured, I Like To Move It will be looking to bounce back after finishing only sixth in the Relkeel Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs last time out.

Prior to that he had won the Greatwood Hurdle under top weight of 12st.

Sam Twiston-Davies said: “Obviously, it didn’t work out in the Relkeel at Cheltenham last time. He has come out of it fine and we have learned a good deal more about him.

“We are looking forward to Saturday. Haydock and soft ground will suit him, hopefully, all being well.”

Chaldean will be Dettori’s ride if he wants it, say Juddmonte

/by

The Juddmonte team are keeping everything crossed that leading 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean can give Frankie Dettori a Classic winner in his final year before retirement.

The popular Italian teamed up with Andrew Balding’s Frankel colt twice in the autumn, steering him to success in both the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

Speaking on a Zoom call to reveal the classifications for last season’s two-year-old crop, Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon confirmed Dettori will keep the ride on Chaldean, whose rating of 119 makes him the joint second-highest rated juvenile of 2022 along with Blackbeard.

Little Big Bear was crowned Europe’s champion juvenile with a mark of 124.

“He’s definitely Frankie’s ride if he wants him and he’s available and hasn’t any other commitments,” said Mahon.

“I spoke with Andrew last week about it and he was of the same mind that Frankie seemed to click well with the horse and in their two starts they built up a good rapport, so we definitely wouldn’t look to be changing anything there unless Frankie has a commitment anywhere else.

“Frankie has been a phenomenal jockey for so many years. He’s been phenomenal for the sport and is loved and adored all around the world.

“We’re very much looking forward to the next 12 months. Hopefully we’ll be able to retain his services plenty as we’ve a few nice horses in the Gosdens and elsewhere and Frankie is always top of our list when he’s available.

“Hopefully he has a good season and goes off into retirement on a good note.”

Nostrum is another exciting prospect
Nostrum is another exciting prospect (Mike Egerton/PA)

Chaldean is one of two leading Guineas contenders for Juddmonte along with Sir Michael Stoute’s Nostrum, who was beaten two and a half lengths into third place in the Dewhurst.

While Mahon is not ruling out the possibility of the pair renewing rivalry over the Rowley Mile in the 2000 Guineas, connections could instead opt to split their aces.

He added: “It’s a nice position to be in having a number of nice two-year-olds heading into the winter and looking forward to their three-year-old campaigns.

“I suppose we might be a bit far away to be making plans about keeping them apart. In an ideal world I suppose we would like to keep them apart, with possibly one running in the English Guineas and the other go to France or Ireland.

“But there’s a lot of work to be done yet and if something had a little setback along the way it would be nice to have a replacement to fill in for the English 2000 Guineas.

“I think we’ll aim for both of them to head towards Newmarket for the time being and get a bit closer and sit down with the Abdullah family and see what they’d like to do.

“In fairness they were gallant enough to let both of them run in the Dewhurst, which was a brave call, and it was the right call in hindsight.

“Maybe it’s the case that they would like both of them to run (at Newmarket).”

A horse viewed as a possible Derby runner for the team is John and Thady Gosden’s Arrest.

Placed behind Nostrum on his introduction, he went on to win his next two starts before being narrowly denied by Dubai Mile in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Mahon said: “John and Thady were always very bullish about him from July onwards. I happened to be there in July and they said to me that he was the colt that was standing out to them at the time.

“He’s a very nice horse and ran a good race on his debut, the form of which has worked out very well with Nostrum finishing in front of him, and then he went on and won his two novices nicely.

“It was a big jump up from him at Saint-Cloud. He was a very immature horse and unfortunately the ground that day was horrendous – the jockeys said it was as deep as you would ever get ground.

“He ran a good race and I think his weakness maybe caught him out in the last 50 yards when Mark Johnston’s horse came past him.

“He’ll start off in a Derby trial and could go to Sandown and follow the Westover route from last year – Sandown, Epsom and the Curragh.

“He’s a nice prospect and I hope he can make up into a nice middle-distance three-year-old.”

Mahon also gave mention to two maiden winners who have not yet tested their powers at the highest level, but could do before the year is out.

He added: “We have a filly called Bluestocking who won her maiden at Salisbury for Ralph Beckett, she’s a filly we like a lot. She’s very much a three-year-old type and being by Camelot she’s bred to want 10 or 12 furlongs.

“Then there is a filly called Coppice for John and Thady Gosden. She won her maiden first time out on the all-weather and she’s a sister to Calyx.

“I think John and Thady are taking her along nice and slow. It all depends how she winters and how she is in the spring, but I think if John and Thady feel that she’s in good form and her work is forward enough, there’s every chance she’ll start off in a Guineas trial.

“If she’s a little bit slow to come to hand we’ll be conservative and might go for a novice and aim towards bigger prizes in the summer, rather than pushing her to go to the Guineas.

“I think she’ll stay well. She broke her maiden over seven furlongs and hit the line very strong that day, so I don’t think she’ll have any problem with the mile.”

Little Big Bear crowned top juvenile in Europe for last year

/by

Aidan O’Brien’s Little Big Bear has been crowned Europe’s champion juvenile for 2022.

Narrowly beaten on his racecourse debut at the Curragh, the son of No Nay Never went on to win each of his four subsequent starts, including the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

But it was his scintillating display on what proved to be his final juvenile appearance in the Group One Phoenix Stakes that saw him top the charts with a rating of 124.

Little Big Bear, who missed a planned step up to seven furlongs in the National Stakes, is O’Brien’s 12th European Champion Juvenile and is ante-post favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Little Big Bear with connections at the Curragh
Little Big Bear with connections at the Curragh (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

O’Brien said: “We always thought from day one he was very good and we were very surprised the first day that he got beat, but with two-year-olds that can happen.

“Every run after that we did what we thought he would do. We always thought he was a very smart horse.

“We were looking forward to the National Stakes. He always showed plenty of speed, but when he stepped up to six furlongs he did really improve and I remember Ryan saying he’d get seven on his ear after the Phoenix Stakes.

“He’s by No Nay Never who is a big influence on speed, but there’s a good chance that a mile could be within his compass this year. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.

“That (2000 Guineas) is what we’re thinking at the moment.”

Reflecting on Little Big Bear, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board handicapper Mark Bird said: “His dominant performances in taking the Group Three Anglesey Stakes and the Group One Phoenix Stakes propelled him clear of his rivals in the race to be Europe’s top two-year-old from an early stage of the season and whetted the appetite for what promises to be an exciting three-year-old career.”

Not for the first time O’Brien made a significant impact on the upper echelons of the rankings, with Little Big Bear 5lb clear of stablemate Blackbeard (119), who in turn finds himself 1lb ahead of another potential Ballydoyle star in the impressive Vertem Futurity Stakes winner Auguste Rodin – clear favourite for the Derby at Epsom.

O’Brien said: “We think Auguste Rodin is a very good horse. We were nearly not running him in the Vertem Futurity as he’s a lovely, big, slick horse and we were worried about the ground.

“He’s a very good mover with a good mind, we always thought he’d be a better horse at three and we think he’ll get middle distances, so the plan with him is he’ll probably start in the Guineas and see where we go from there.”

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road also features in the top 10 with a mark of 115, while O’Brien feels there is more to come from 114-rated Juvenile Fillies’ Turf heroine Meditate.

Meditate in action at the Curragh
Meditate in action at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

“With Meditate, the twice she got beat it was probably our fault,” he added.

“When she got beaten in the Moyglare, she’s a filly that has plenty of speed and we made the running with her over seven furlongs in soft to heavy ground, so that didn’t make a lot of sense when you look back.

“Then we might have panicked a little bit and ran her back in the Cheveley Park a bit too quick. She ran very well, but was probably a little bit flat.

“We were very happy going to America that she’d had a bit of time to freshen up and we knew the way we wanted to ride her this time. We always thought she was a very high-class, high-quality filly.

“It was only when we stepped Victoria Road up in trip that we started to get the best out of him.

“He could be a French Classic-type horse – French Guineas/French Derby-type horse.”

As far as the fillies were concerned, it was Meditate’s Moyglare Stud Stakes conqueror Tahiyra, with a mark of 118, who provided another major milestone in the career of the legendary Dermot Weld, ending the season as the trainer’s first ever European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

Bird said of Tahiyra: “She set off impressively in the illustrious hoofprints of her half-sister and Breeders’ Cup heroine Tarnawa, when winning at Group One level on just her second start.

“Providing Dermot Weld with his inaugural European Juvenile Champion filly, she is owner H.H. Aga Khan’s first juvenile female champion since Zarkava in 2007.”

O’Brien also gave mention to Justify filly Statuette, who was two from two last season but has not been seen in competitive action since landing a Group Two at the Curragh in June.

He said: “She’s a massive filly and I was surprised she came as quick as she did. We tried to back away from her and when we did she started to grow more.

“We’re very happy with her and we’ll take our time with her. We’ll train her for the Classics and see where we go, but we won’t force her.

“If it comes too quick for her we can go to Ascot, but I’m very happy with how she’s done physically.

“She’s going to be a filly to look forward to.”

O’Brien: Luxembourg is exciting for next year

/by

Aidan O’Brien is confident Luxembourg will make his mark at the highest level again this season.

Unbeaten in three juvenile starts in 2021, the Camelot colt kicked off last term with a third-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in April but did not run again until mid-August.

He was workmanlike on his comeback in the Royal Whip Stakes when needing the run and raised his game significantly to see off the French challenge Onesto and Vadeni in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown the following month.

Luxembourg could finish only seventh on his most recent appearance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but O’Brien is in no doubt he will be a force to be reckoned with as a four-year-old.

He said: “We were very happy with his first run back at the Curragh and delighted with him in Leopardstown.

“We trained him very hard for Leopardstown and a combination of that and the very soft ground in France for the Arc, it might have just been all a little bit too much for him.

“We think he’s going to be very smart this year.”

Luxembourg looks set to follow a tried and tested route, with the Tattersalls Gold Cup already identified as his first Group One objective before a potential appearance at Royal Ascot.

Aidan O'Brien has high hopes for Luxembourg in 2023
Aidan O’Brien has high hopes for Luxembourg in 2023 (Brian Lawless/PA)

O’Brien added: “We’ll start him at a mile and a quarter and look at a couple of those Irish mile-and-a-quarter races on the way to the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“Then we could go from the Tattersalls on to maybe Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s and we can go up in trip then after that.

“I didn’t think he’d get back for the Irish Champion the way he did, his run in the Arc was a respectable run and we thought there was plenty more to come from him.

“We think he’s going to be a very exciting horse.”

Skeltons chasing more weekend headlines at Haydock

/by

Harry and Dan Skelton have their eyes on another fruitful day on Saturday following a dream weekend at Warwick and Kempton.

A Grade Two double at Warwick courtesy of Grey Dawning and Galia Des Liteaux was supplemented by the mare West Balboa winning the Lanzarote Hurdle under Bridget Andrews, who is Harry Skelton’s wife.

The brothers have now set their sights on Haydock with the exciting Pembroke entered in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle, old favourite Blaklion in the Peter Marsh Chase and Lac De Constance in the Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices Chase.

“Lac De Constance was good first time, but just a bit novicey second time,” said Harry Skelton.

Blaklion could be out again this weekend
Blaklion could be out again this weekend (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I think the step up to two and half (miles) will help him. The softer the ground, the better. He has Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chase entries (at the Cheltenham Festival), but nothing is set in stone for him.

“If Blaklion goes, he loves it round Haydock, loves the heavy ground. He seems in really good form at home and he seems to have much the same enthusiasm.

“Pembroke will be up in class and it was a good performance at Ludlow last time. We hope he can cope with going up in class.

“He is a nice, progressive horse. He is a lovely horse, long-term, who we think will be really good.”

Cold spell beginning to hit racing hard

/by

Freezing temperatures are beginning to take a toll on the racing programme with Chepstow on Tuesday and Newbury on Wednesday abandoned due to frost.

With temperatures falling dramatically across the country for the second big cold snap of the winter, Chepstow and Newbury were added to Fontwell on Monday as meetings lost this week.

Chepstow were due to inspect at 7.30am but the decision to abandon was taken before then after it reached -6C overnight at the Monmouthshire venue.

Conditions at Newbury were already testing after over 60 millimetres of rain in the past week.

However, it was frost that put the nail in the coffin, with a -4C on Monday night and another hard frost forecast for Tuesday, with -5C possible.

Clonmel’s meeting in Ireland on Tuesday did survive an inspection, though.

Plumpton will inspect at 2pm on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

Frost covers are down but it reached -6C on Monday with temperatures not getting above freezing until 10am with a possible high of 3C.

Tuesday evening is not set to be as cold with -2C forecast.

The going report read: “Temperatures dropped much lower than forecasted overnight. With frozen areas will inspect at 2pm hoping to see improvement, with the feeling if the frozen areas come out today we would have a good chance with temperatures not forecasted to drop as low tonight.”

Lingfield’s Winter Million meeting on Friday looks in some doubt, however.

The entire track was covered on Monday but it is frozen under the covers after a -6.7C last night.

The going report states: “Highs of +1/+3C today. Cold spell continues with averaging -2/-5C overnight and day time highs of between +3/+5C. Will need some good luck from what the latest forecast states.”

Ascot’s Clarence House Chase card on Saturday is being protected by frost sheets on the take offs and landings and the shaded area in the home straight.

While temperatures are due to be below freezing every night this week, daytime temperatures of of 4C offer encouragement.

Haydock reports that temperatures in the Merseyside area are due to rise towards the end of the week, although there is a risk of snow on Wednesday.

Hollie Doyle to see specialist following Wolverhampton spill

/by

Hollie Doyle is due to see a specialist in a bid to discover the extent of an arm injury she suffered in a fall at Wolverhampton on Monday.

The record-breaking jockey was riding the Archie Watson-trained 4-7 favourite The Perfect Crown in a seven-furlong claimer at Dunstall Park when her mount broke down on the home bend.

Doyle walked away from the incident, but will not take up her booked rides at Kempton this afternoon.

She said: “Dr Jerry Hill (chief medical adviser for the British Horseracing Authority) has got me in to see a specialist today to get my arm checked out, so I will know more after that.

“I can’t bend my arm at the minute and I’m trying to get into Oaksey House today hopefully to see if a physio can sort it out.”

Sherwood monitoring weather ahead of Queens Gamble run

/by

Oliver Sherwood hopes to run exciting prospect Queens Gamble at Market Rasen on Friday, but is keeping a close eye on the weather forecast.

The dual Cheltenham bumper winner is entered in the Listed Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race as part of her preparation for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, for which she is currently a 12-1 chance with Coral.

However, with temperatures due to plummet, the Upper Lambourn handler will keep his powder dry if conditions are unsatisfactory.

He said: “I’m as happy as Larry with her. I am just a bit nervous about this ground. I want to run and we will probably end up declaring and going up and seeing what it is like, but it is a long way to go to take (her) out.

“It wouldn’t bother me if she didn’t run and go straight to Cheltenham, because she takes no getting ready. So I’d be happy with that and if we didn’t run, I’d take her to an away-day to Kempton or something, for a bit of a spin.”

Aintree could also be on the radar for the Getaway mare, who powered to an eight-length success over Bonttay when making a return to action in November.

“I’m very much keeping an eye on things to have a spring campaign, because this year there is a four-week gap between Cheltenham and Aintree,” said Sherwood.

“If things didn’t work out at Cheltenham, she could go for the mares’ race at Aintree. I don’t want to go and burn my bridges too early on. God willing she’ll run.”

Chief in charge for Henderson at Hereford

/by

Nicky Henderson is going through a quiet spell with few runners, so it is notable when they do run in testing conditions.

Punters would have taken the hint at Hereford when City Chief lined up in the three-runner Go Racing With Vickers.Bet Limited Handicap Chase – and the Nico de Boinville-ridden six-year-old did not disappoint.

Up in trip after finishing runner-up to Gelino Bello on his seasonal bow at Exeter, the evens favourite went the shortest route, tracking Jet Plane, and took it up between the last two fences before going on to score by five and a half lengths.

De Boinville said: “It was hard work out there. There was no life to the ground. It’s fine. He jumped a lot better the further he went and he stays all day, so it’s good.

“The mistake he made last time knocked the stuffing out of him. But he has come on leaps and bounds for that run and I’m sure he will come on for that again.

“We need to get his confidence really high and his jumping will get good.”

Kerry Lee is always a standing dish at her local track and she gained winners eight and nine for the season courtesy of Greenrock Abbey and Fay Ce Que Voudrais.

The former gained a second course-and-distance success with a 13-length victory in the two-mile Download The Vickers.Bet App Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Greenrock Abbey/Hereford
Greenrock Abbey sparked a double for jockey Richard Patrick and trainer Kerry Lee (Simon Milham/PA)

Lee said: “It was a really bad race. We were lucky to get him in at 12st 1lb, but when you see loose horses falling at the second-last, you know it is an awful race!

“He did very well to stand up at the ditch and the ground was sticky and hard work, but they are running generally quite well in their grade.

“It is a 0-100 novice handicap chase, but that is what my job is, to win races. The point is, he is in the right grade making it look easy, but I’m sure when we go up to a 110 next time, it will be more difficult.”

Jockey Richard Patrick completed his and Lee’s brace with one of the rides of the season. He lost both irons aboard Fay Ce Que Voudrais (16-5) in the Cazoo Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, but still managed to record a two-and-a-half-length success over Crem Fresh.

“She is still learning. She had such a look around and ploughed through the last. Thank goodness I stayed on. I tried to shift my weight the other way. I managed to get the job done, anyway,” said Patrick.

Jaminska/Hereford
Jaminska kept up the good form of trainer Jane Williams and jockey David Noonan (Simon Milham/PA

Jane Williams has her string in fine fettle and Jaminska underlined the potential shown on her hurdling debut when runner-up at Ludlow, by taking the Hereford Motor Group Fillies’ Junior “National Hunt” Hurdle in the hands of David Noonan.

Williams said: “The juveniles have done really well this year. She is just brave. It was hard work and however she felt about it, she’ll go through with it.

“She will just lay down her life for you. She is growing and has grown quite a bit recently, which was worrying, as when they are growing, they are a little bit weaker. Today was the plan.”

Missed Tee/Hereford
Missed Tee dug deep for Harry Skelton (Simon Milham/PA)

Missed Tee and Leading Theatre showed plenty of guts to fight out a thrilling finish in the Cazoo Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

The former, who is trained by Dan Skelton, just got back up to score by half a length under former champion jockey Harry Skelton.

The winning rider said: “She was just idling out in front. I’ve always thought she was quite good, but she hasn’t had much racing and has a bit to learn. She stays on well.

“Stepping up in trip helped but she is a little bit fast in the brain – her brain goes a little bit faster than her legs at the moment.”

Harry Cobden was on the mark with Kingcormac, who took the Black Mountain Botanicals Handicap Chase for trainer Joe Tickle, and Lilly Pinchin gained her 21st winner of the season when guiding the Charlie Longsdon-trained Zestful Hope to success in the Download The Vickers.Bet App Handicap Hurdle.

Escaria Ten to start National preparations with Thyestes test

/by

Escaria Ten is set to take his chance in the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on January 26 – the starting point on a tried-and-tested route to the Randox Grand National on April 15.

The Gordon Elliott-trained nine-year-old finished eighth when making his reappearance in the Gowran feature 12 months ago and went on to finish a nose second to National runner-up Any Second Now in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse before showing up well for a long way at Aintree to come home ninth.

He was second to Darasso on his return in a Thurles Listed event in December and connections are hoping the benefit of a run will see him primed for a strong showing in the Thyestes Chase, which could be run in ideal conditions for the soft-ground loving son of Maresca Sorrento.

Escaria Ten (left), jumps the last in the Sam Vestey National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) during day one of the Cheltenham Festival in 2021
Escaria Ten (left), jumps the last in the Sam Vestey National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) during day one of the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 (Michael Steele/PA)

“It was unusually quick ground in the Thyestes last year,” said Iain Turner, racing manager for Escaria Ten’s owners the McNeill Family.

“Normally it is soft or heavy sort of ground and last year it was yielding, so it wasn’t optimum conditions and looking at the weather they have had in Ireland, you are suspecting it will get quite testing.

“Last year we were going to go to the Becher and he just wasn’t quite right the day before declarations so we shelved that and it almost forced us to go straight to the Thyestes, whereas this year we got the run in at Thurles.

“It was probably on ground that was quick enough for him over a trip that might be a bit on the short side up against a race-fit Darasso.

“He ran well that day so hopefully we’ve had our blow-out there and can go to the Thyestes and go closer than we did last year.”

On big-race aspirations for later in the season, Turner added: “It will hopefully be a nice stepping stone for some targets in the spring and if all goes well and he does run well, I think we would probably be going Thyestes, Bobbyjo, Aintree.

“It was the way we went last year and we just got nutted by Any Second Now in the Bobbyjo.”

Escaria Ten is one of 11 entries for Elliott in the €59,000 contest as he bids for a third win in the race and he could also be represented by the likes of 2021 winner Coko Beach, dual Grade One victor Death Duty and Pencilfulloflead.

Death Duty is one of 11 entries for Gordon Elliott in the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park later this month
Death Duty is one of 11 entries for Gordon Elliott in the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park later this month (Brian Lawless/PA)

Willie Mullins has won this race eight times and is responsible for eight entries amongst the initial 31 contenders.

The Closutton team could include last year’s runner-up Franco De Port, Saturday’s Warwick Classic Chase runner-up Mr Incredible and Carefully Selected.

Last year’s fourth and recent Paddy Power Chase second Diol Ker is one of four possibles for Noel Meade, while an intriguing entrant is Bob Murphy’s Darren Hope, who was a shock winner of the Florida Pearl Novice Chase when last sighted.