Subjectivist on retrieval mission in Dubai Gold Cup

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Mark Johnston has placed Subjectivist among the best three horses he ever trained but confesses it is a “wing and a prayer job” as to whether he will ever return to his very best.

The 2021 Ascot Gold Cup winner will line up in Saturday’s Dubai Gold Cup, a race he won prior to his career highlight, but to repeat that success he will need to step up markedly on what he achieved in Saudi Arabia.

Making his first start for 618 days following a tendon injury, Subjectivist was understandably keen early on, giving himself no chance, and Johnston, who handed over the licence to his son Charlie recently, admits that following such a setback it may be difficult for him to return to his best.

He said: “He’s just gone round the training track once this morning with Joe Fanning on him. Since he’s come back from his injury he’s been a bit keen, as you may have seen at Saudi.

“He was too keen for his own good there, as he is on the gallops at home, so the main thing for us is to try and get him relaxed and settled. I don’t think we’ll work him on the grass at all as Charlie said he got very wound up in Saudi by being on the track every morning.

“It’s brilliant to have him back but it’s a wing and a prayer job. When you have a tendon injury like he did, you’re always thinking ‘when does the end come?’ – it will come at some point.

“As he was too keen on the night in Saudi and the event and build up proved to be a bit much for him, Charlie was keen to go to the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot and then the Gold Cup. We debated about it with John, our senior vet, and he said just to see really, who knows whether he’ll still be going come Ascot Gold Cup time so we thought we’d come here. The money is fantastic and makes a huge difference.”

Saturday’s contest is a strong one but rather than worry about the opposition, Johnston feels that Subjectivist will take all the beating if he can get back to the form he showed two seasons ago.

He went on: “It’s a very good race on Saturday, but there’s been no better staying races than the Ascot Gold Cup he won two years ago and it’s probably no better than the Gold Cup he won here. It’s down to whether he’s able to come back and perform as he used to.

“I put him in the category of our best three ever, because with the other two horses I never looked at the opposition. Those two horses were Shamardal and Attraction and it’s the same with this horse, we don’t look at the opposition.

“We look at whether he can run to his best and if he does that he’ll be tough to beat. We firmly believed that in 2021 he was the best stayer in the world and it’s just going to be whether he can get back to that.”

Hero’s welcome for Galopin Des Champs, as locals salute Gold Cup winner

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Galopin Des Champs was given the reception he so richly deserved as the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero enjoyed a homecoming parade through the village of Leighlinbridge on Tuesday evening.

For a long time it looked like Willie Mullins – the most successful trainer in Festival history – was destined to never claim the showpiece meeting’s most prestigious prize after saddling the runner-up on no less than six occasions.

Al Boum Photo put that to bed with victory in 2019, though, and for good measure successfully defended his crown 12 months later.

Galopin Des Champs lined up for this year’s renewal as a red-hot favourite, with his only defeat in six previous outings over fences coming at last year’s Festival when he came to grief at the final fence with the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at his mercy.

Galopin Des Champs along with trainer Willie Mullins during the homecoming parade through the village of Leighlinbridge in County Carlow
Galopin Des Champs along with trainer Willie Mullins during the homecoming parade through the village of Leighlinbridge in County Carlow (Niall Carson/PA)

Following previous wins this season in the John Durkan at Punchestown and the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the seven-year-old stamped his class on his return to Prestbury Park with a comprehensive defeat of King George winner Bravemansgame under an ice-cool ride from Paul Townend.

Just as they did after Al Boum Photo’s first triumph four years ago, the Leighlinbridge locals turned out in force to give Galopin Des Champs a hero’s welcome, with Mullins, Townend and owner Audrey Turley also on hand to receive the acclaim of the crowd.

Mullins said: “We’d had six seconds before (Al Boum Photo), and I was resigned to never winning it.

“Al Boum Photo did that job for us, then he won another one it was fantastic to get Galopin Des Champs for Audrey and Greg Turley.

“We thought when he won the Martin Pipe (at the Festival in 2021) that we had a really good horse and he could be Gold Cup material. It was more hope we had a Gold Cup horse than thought we had one.

Galopin Des Champs and his owner Audrey Turley with Willie Mullins
Galopin Des Champs and his owner Audrey Turley with Willie Mullins (Niall Carson/PA)

“His novice hurdling career went very well and his novice chasing career went very well, albeit the slip-up at the last fence in Cheltenham last year. He came back and won the Grade One Ryanair at Fairyhouse – every time we asked him a bigger question, he answered it.

“He’s a horse who was improving all the time and at his age we knew there was a lot more improvement to come.”

The three and a quarter miles of the Gold Cup was unchartered territory, but Mullins said: “I didn’t (doubt his stamina), he showed me as a novice hurdler over three miles at Punchestown – if a horse of that age can do that over three miles, there’s every chance he will go further as an older horse.

“I had faith in the horse, that he wouldn’t burn himself off too early – he was inclined to over-race a little bit as a younger horse, but we’ve concentrated on settling him and Paul has done a great job.

“We had a lot of things going for us going into the race, we (just) needed a bit of luck – everyone needs that.”

Maximilian all set for Stay Away Fay rematch at Aintree

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Donald McCain will relish the challenge of taking on Stay Away Fay again at Aintree as Maximilian bids to frank the form of his Doncaster victory.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Stay Away Fay impressed when taking the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last week, having previously been beaten a length by McCain’s charge in the River Don Novices’ Hurdle on Town Moor.

Winner of three of his four stats over hurdles for the Owners Group 099 syndicate, the seven-year-old bypassed Cheltenham in favour of the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle on day two of the Aintree Grand National Festival.

“It’s a great form boost,” McCain said of Stay Away Fay’s success.

“Obviously Paul and everybody thought they should have won on the day (at Doncaster) – we’ll see if he’s right.

“We are running at Aintree. I don’t care who’s running against us!

“Paul’s horse won well. It was nice to see. He was good and Harry (Cobden) gave him a good ride and he won very well.”

McCain is happy for Maximilian to play the underdog again at Aintree and he goes there a fresh horse, having last run in January.

He added: “We didn’t want to go to Cheltenham as we always wanted to go to Aintree.

“Touch wood at the moment he gets there in once piece and everything is good at the moment. I’m very happy with him.

“I don’t think Maximilian will ever be impressive in anything he does, but he keeps winning and that’s very important.

“He saves a bit for himself and those kind of horses go under the radar a bit, but that’s fine – that suits us.”

Ayr raid for Notlongtillmay if Aintree deemed to come too soon

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Laura Morgan could bypass Aintree and run Notlongtillmay at Ayr next month after his gallant runner-up effort to Stage Star in the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last week.

Sent off an unconsidered 40-1 chance, despite winning all three of his previous runs over fences, Adam Wedge’s mount just fell short to Paul Nicholls’ runner in his first attempt in Grade One company.

Morgan’s burgeoning and in-form Leicestershire operation did gain a measure of compensation with Big Changes winning a Doncaster handicap chase on Friday, followed by Whistleinthedark downing the Nicholls-trained Cap Du Mathan at Kempton on Saturday.

“It was a great week,” said Morgan. “Notlongtillmay well deserved to be there after what he’d gone and done.

“I suppose some people will think ‘smaller trainer’, and he has won around tracks like Musselburgh and Wetherby, so there was a question mark about going there in their minds.

“But he ran a screamer, especially off level weights, so we are delighted with him.”

Notlongtillmay, owned by former Nottingham Forest and Leicester City defender Alan Rogers, could head to the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, the opening race at Aintree’s Grand National Festival.

However, the promising seven-year-old may instead be held back for the Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices’ Chase at Ayr on April 22.

Morgan added: “He seems to have come out of it really well. I’m really pleased with him. He’s squealing and bucking in the field. He’ll have an easy week of it this week and then back to it again next.

“Aintree or Ayr will be the plan. One or the other. It depends. He’ll tell me, I think. We won’t rush anything. If I don’t think he is on the form he was going into Cheltenham, then he won’t go to Aintree.

“We will just give him an extra week for Ayr and he will tell us.”

Nicholls was one of the first to congratulate Morgan following Whistleinthedark’s success under 3lb claimer Patrick Cowley.

“We got our revenge on Saturday,” added Morgan. “Paul came up to me and said, ‘Ah well, you beat us today!’.

“I thought, ‘I’d sooner have beaten you on Thursday!’, but it was brilliant.”

Whistleinthedark has won all three of his starts over fences and the eight-year-old could have his sights set a little higher now.

“He looks very progressive and very exciting,” said Morgan. “He will either go to Aintree or maybe Ayr.

“It is nice to have a few to be going to these bigger meetings with. It’s nice to give the big boys a bloody nose once in while, otherwise it gets boring!”

Lord North leading Gosden team on glittering World Cup night card

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Thady Gosden is under no illusions about the task facing Lord North in his bid for a Dubai Turf hat-trick at Meydan on Saturday.

The seven-year-old was a clear-cut winner of the nine-furlong Group One in 2021 and last year dead-heated with subsequent Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa after a thrilling duel.

The Dubai World Cup-bound Panthalassa will not be in opposition this weekend, but Lord North will nevertheless face a strong Japanese challenge, with Do Deuce and Serifos both formidable rivals.

Gosden, who trains in partnership with his father John, got the chance to cast his eye over Lord North on the Meydan training track on Tuesday morning and is looking forward to the weekend.

He said: “It was very tight last year. The form of that win was franked pretty nicely in the Middle East when Panthalassa won the Saudi Cup last month.

“The Japanese horses have been doing exceptionally well over here for the last few years and they bring their best horses over here. They’re going to be hard to take on, so we’ll see.”

Last year Lord North finished second in the Winter Derby en route to Meydan, whereas this year he ran out an impressive winner of the Lingfield Group Three.

“It’s the same route he took to Meydan as last year and he was a lot more impressive this year, winning well on the back of a long break,” Gosden added.

“It was nice to see him do that under hands and heels and do it well.”

Mostahdaf on the Meydan training track
Mostahdaf on the Meydan training track (Dubai Racing Club/Liesl King)

Lord North is one of three planned runners on World Cup night for the Gosden team, with Mostahdaf being readied for the Dubai Sheema Classic and Trawlerman poised for a tilt at the Dubai Gold Cup.

Mostahdaf was a runaway winner of the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh last month, while Ebor victory Trawlerman finished eighth in the Red Sea Turf Handicap on the same card.

Gosden said: “This is their first day out of quarantine, so they’ve just had a nice stretch to ease them into things.

“Both Mostahdaf and Trawlerman ran in Saudi last month, but they have been back home since for a couple of weeks and then all three travelled over here on Saturday.

“For the rest of the week we’ll do a mixture between the training track and the main track and we’ll canter them on the grass to allow them to get a feel of things. Hopefully everything goes smoothly.

“All three of them have travelled before which is a plus and this is Lord North’s third season here, so he knows the place well. All three of them seem to be adapting well since arriving here.”

Tributes paid to Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King

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Cheltenham Gold Cup and dual King George hero Kicking King has died at the age of 25, the Irish National Stud has announced.

Trained by Tom Taaffe, Kicking King enjoyed six Grade One wins over fences in all, with his brilliant victory in the 2005 Gold Cup sandwiched by back-to-back successes in the King George VI Chase at Kempton and Sandown respectively.

He spent over two years on the sidelines with a tendon injury following the latter victory and having failed to rediscover his best form, he was retired in 2008 and took up residence at the Irish National Stud alongside other ‘Living Legends’ including Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly and Faugheen.

“Kicking King was a natural, athletic horse with balance – a great horse for Conor Clarkson (owner), Barry Geraghty and all our staff,” said Taaffe, speaking on the stud website.

“He was an ambassador for racing and was fortunate to have a second life in the exceptional care of the Irish National Stud.

“He gave the Taaffe family many special moments, but I particularly recall the day he won the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown. John was a great friend to us all and that day Kicking King put up a special performance of jumping and galloping.

“The Gold Cup was what you dream of. We were lucky to have him.”

Barry Geraghty celebrates winning the Punchestown Gold Cup on Kicking King
Barry Geraghty celebrates winning the Punchestown Gold Cup on Kicking King (Haydn West/PA)

Geraghty rode Kicking King in all but two of his 28 career starts.

“It is very sad news to hear Kicking King has passed away. He was a real star, a big powerful horse who loved his racing,” he said.

“He provided me, Conor Clarkson and Tom Taaffe with some special days. He put in brilliant performances winning the Gold Cup and two King Georges and gave us many more great days to remember.

“As a family we enjoyed visiting him in the National Stud where he had a lovely retirement and was so well cared for by everyone, especially Leona Harmon.”

Kicking King with Tom Taaffe
Kicking King with Tom Taaffe (Haydn West/PA)

For Clarkson, Kicking King was the horse of a lifetime. He said: “Kicking King brought my family, friends and I on an odyssey in horse racing few are privileged to enjoy.

“My thanks to Tom Taaffe and his team for their magnificent handling of Kicking King that enabled him with the wonderful Barry Geraghty on board to achieve so much.

“I am so pleased that he spent so many happy years providing enjoyment to the public in the unparalleled care of the Irish National Stud.”

No obvious reason for Thyme Hill’s Festival disappointment

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Connections of Thyme Hill are scratching their heads to find a reason for his lacklustre run in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last week.

The nine-year-old, who had finished runner-up to Flooring Porter in last season’s Stayers’ Hurdle, went into the Grade One chase on the back of victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

Having his first run since, the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White-trained gelding finished a laboured eighth to The Real Whacker, coming home under Micheal Nolan some 35 lengths behind the winner in the extended three-mile contest.

“He was disappointing,” admitted White. “He jumped a little bit slowly and at Cheltenham that obviously puts you on the back foot between the fences.

“It just never really panned out for him. We scoped him afterwards and there was a little bit of muck there, but probably not enough to suggest that was any excuse for his below-par performance.”

The Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree opens day two of the Aintree Grand National Festival and has been pencilled in for Thyme Hill’s next run.

However, he must show he has overcome his exertions before representing the Somerset yard at the Liverpool track.

“He has come back and seems in great form and looks well,” added White. “He just didn’t travel and jump as you need to to win races at Cheltenham.

“Hopefully we can move on and get him back on a winning thread.

“It’s early days to make plans, but we will have a look at Aintree and see. Most importantly it is to ensure he’s OK.

“He’s back cantering and seems well, and a decision will be made within the next week or 10 days, but that is certainly the plan at the moment. We will discuss it with his owners and see how his well-being is and go from there.”

No National tilt for Conflated this year, with Bowl the plan at Aintree

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Conflated will attempt to go one place better than last year’s second in the Aintree Bowl following his fine performance to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Taking part in the blue riband for the first time, Gordon Elliott’s Irish Gold Cup and Savills Chase hero ran a stormer in the hands of Sam Ewing – still well in the mix at two out and only giving way to the high-class front two of Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame in the closing stages.

The nine-year-old holds an entry for the Randox Grand National on April 15 with his Cullentra House handler stating he would love to have a crack at the £500,000 contest with what he believes is “one of the best-handicapped horses in the race.”

However, owners Gigginstown House Stud are preferring to hold fire on a National tilt for this year in favour of another attempt at the opening day three-mile Grade One in which Conflated finished a length second to Clan Des Obeaux 12 months ago.

“It was a fantastic run (in the Gold Cup), we were thrilled with the performance and it was a great ride,” said Gigginstown racing manager Eddie O’Leary.

“He’s a very nice horse and two very good horses beat us. But we know we have a nice horse and we’ll enjoy him while he’s around.”

When asked about the possibility of running in the National, he added: “I would say maybe next year and this year all being well he will go back to Aintree for the Bowl.

“I know Gordon says he’s well handicapped and he may well be, but if he goes back to the Bowl, hopefully we won’t meet the Gold cup first or second there. He’s better going left-handed so we would rather go to Aintree than Punchestown.”

Conflated may have to bide his time to represent the leading owners in the world’s most famous steeplechase, but one assured of his place on the teamsheet is last year’s third Delta Work.

Cheltenham Festival 2023 – Festival Wednesday – Cheltenham Racecourse
Delta Work ridden by jockey Keith Donoghue on their way to winning the Glenfarclas Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival (Tim Goode/PA)

He was sent off at 10-1 in last year’s race and despite being slowly away, took well to the challenge and was smuggled into the race under a patient ride from Jack Kennedy to stay on for a place on the podium.

The 10-year-old will now return to Merseyside off a 1lb lower mark and with one of his spring targets already secured, having defended his Glenfarclas Chase title at the Cheltenham Festival.

“The plan all year was the cross-country and then Grand National,” continued O’Leary.

“They were his two main targets and he’s got one in the bank. Now we’ll have a go at the second one all going well and as long as Gordon is happy.

“He missed the start last year which is really important for him as he doesn’t like horses around him. He had a ruck of horses around him, but ran a fantastic race to be third and hopefully he will get away better this year and give himself a chance.”

Fellowes hoping sky is the limit for Atrium in the Lincoln

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Charlie Fellowes is looking to get the Flat season off to a flying start as Atrium takes aim at the Lincoln on the opening day of the campaign.

The four-year-old looked to be on the up last season, hitting his stride in a series of one-mile handicaps and signing off at the end of the term with back-to-back wins at Newbury and then Doncaster.

The latter success, a half-length triumph at the St Leger meeting, was against a field of 15 rivals over the Lincoln distance.

The big handicap is therefore naturally the Highclere-owned gelding’s immediate target, a race for which he is presently a 12-1 shot off a rating of 100.

“He’s really well, this has been the plan for a very long time,” Fellowes said.

“We wanted to run him in the Balmoral at the end of last year but he just missed out so we took the decision to call it a day, protect his handicap mark and aim for the Lincoln first thing this year.

“He won over course and distance so it seemed a very obvious move.

“He’s in good order at home, he worked on the grass on Saturday and looked great. He’s got another big piece of work to go and that should put him spot on for Saturday week.

“He’s not a difficult horse to get fit, he’s not a big, gross horse, he’s a light-framed horse and he’s not one that’s going to need a run or a racecourse gallop or anything like that.

“He keeps himself very fit at home anyway. I’m very happy with where is and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Atrium looked versatile with regards to ground last season, winning on good and soft, but Fellowes noted his best performances came on a surface with slightly more ease in it and that was another factor that pointed to an early-season Lincoln bid.

“What we worked out halfway through the year is that he is clearly a lot better when he can get his toe in,” he said.

“He’s a beautiful mover and you’d have no problems running him on quick ground, he’d never get jarred up but he just seems much happier with a bit of ease in the ground.

“You wouldn’t get that from looking at him because he’s a very good mover and he is happy on all grounds, but there is a definite correlation between his performances and being able to get his toe in.

“That was another really attractive reason for putting him away and going straight for the Lincoln.”

Fellowes is also formulating plans for Vintage Stakes winner Marbaan.

Marbaan winning the Vintage Stakes
Marbaan winning the Vintage Stakes (Adam Davy/PA)

That victory came over seven furlongs, but two beaten runs at the latter end of the term have caused the trainer to ponder a return to a sprint distance of six furlongs.

In the early stages of his career Marbaan ran twice over the trip, finishing third on debut and then winning by five lengths in a Nottingham novice last June.

Though a Guineas entry has been made and could still be pursued, Fellowes is expecting the Oasis Dream colt to instead drop back in trip and is thinking of races like the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot as a first port of call.

He said: “Marbaan is good, he looks really well and he’s done well over the winter. He’s not a small horse and what he did last year was very good because he’s quite a big boy, not massive but definitely not small.

“We’re in no rush because there’s nothing much for him, he’s in the Guineas but we put him in that just in case and I don’t think he’s really a Guineas horse.

“I’m hoping that we actually end up coming back to sprinting, I just felt, especially in Ireland (sixth in the National Stakes), he finished his races very tamely.

“Although he won a Group Two over seven (furlongs) at Goodwood, he was stone cold that day over the sharpest seven in the country and he was smuggled into the race.

“We had the Greenham pencilled in for him as possible starting point, but I think we could end up starting with something like the Pavilion at Ascot and see where we go from there.

“It depends how he’s working through April, if he isn’t showing me the speed I’m expecting then we could end up in the Greenham and then think about an English Guineas or a French Guineas, but I think we might end up coming back to six furlongs.”

Options open for McConnell’s Cheltenham hero Seddon

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John McConnell has a multitude of options for Seddon after his Cheltenham Festival success.

The 10-year-old ran a fine race to land the Magners Plate Handicap Chase at 20-1, carrying 5lb claimer Ben Harvey to a one-length victory over Richard Hobson’s Fugitif.

The triumph was a first at the meeting for Meath-based McConnell, who has trained the horse to win three of his five starts since taking over the reins from previous trainer Harry Whittington.

“We were over the moon, he’s done so much for us already and anything else was a bonus and what a bonus it is, to get a winner at the Cheltenham Festival,” said McConnell.

“He’s really well now. He came out of the race fine, we got him home and he’s good, he’s fresh.”

Seddon on his way to Cheltenham Festival glory
Seddon on his way to Cheltenham Festival glory (Tim Goode/PA)

Seddon used to run in the silks of the McNeill family before changing hands last summer, with former owner Max McNeill quick to offer genuine congratulations when the horse triumphed for new connections.

“I’m sure there were mixed emotions, but Max is a pure gentleman and he was very happy for the guys involved and for myself,” said McConnell.

“I’m sure he was a little bit gutted that they weren’t his colours, but that’s understandable and no one expected that rejuvenation.

“Not anyone, not even ourselves, so who’s to know?”

Seddon is likely to run again before the end of the season and there are a handful of paths McConnell could now take, with a return to hurdling not ruled out before his campaign comes to a close.

Seddon with winning connections
Seddon with winning connections (Mike Egerton/PA)

The trainer said: “There are so many options for him, from graded chases to big handicap chases and hurdles as well.

“He probably looks on a nice enough mark over hurdles I suppose, so that might be where we go next with him.

“We’ll let him wind down for a week or two and see, but I’m sure he’ll have a run before the end of the season.”

In the aftermath of his Cheltenham heroics there was praise for Seddon not just as an athlete, but as a character too, and those were sentiments McConnell repeated when saying: “He’s just an angel.

“He’s an angel on the ground to deal with, with the kids he’ll just stand there and get patted and eat his carrots. He just loves being a racehorse as well, you couldn’t ask for a nicer horse.

“If you wanted a perfect racehorse, it’s probably him.”