Clan Des Obeaux on course to defend Aintree title

/by

Dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux is making good progress from a suspensory tendon injury, leaving trainer Paul Nicholls “very pleased” as he builds up to a return at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

The 11-year-old, owned by Paul Barber, Ged Mason and Sir Alex Ferguson, is being aimed at the Betway Bowl on April 13.

The five-time Grade One winner was last seen finishing second to Allaho in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April.

Nicholls is expected to give him a racecourse gallop ahead of his return, providing the ground eases sufficiently.

He said: “Clan Des Obeaux has been coming on beautifully. He has been doing a lot of work and the plan is to go straight to Aintree.

“I’m very pleased with him. It was touch and go at Christmas as to whether we’d carry on, but he’s done a lot of work and he’s been fine.

“He has improved enormously. We are not wrapping him in cotton wool – he has got to be ready.

“He’d have run at Newbury, but he skipped that and he will go to Wincanton one day on some good ground. It has been so fast.

“We will get a nice gallop into him and then go to Aintree.”

Clan Des Obeaux will bid to add to his haul of over £1million in prize-money in the Grade One race he won in 2021 and 2022.

Nicholls added: “We are going to have a huge team at Aintree. It is just the way it works out with some of the horses we’ve got.

“And I love Aintree as much as I love Cheltenham – it is a great meeting. It is not ducking and diving from Cheltenham – if we have horses good enough, we’ll be there. It will be the same with Aintree.”

Harrington refutes claims BHA pandering to racing’s critics with whip changes

/by

British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington has responded to criticism of the sport’s leadership amid continuing outcry over the introduction of the new whip regulations.

Thirteen-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls said on Friday he was “livid” with the timing of the changes ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, which starts on March 14, and that the BHA needed to show “a bit of backbone” to stand up for the sport.

No less than 19 jockeys were given whip suspensions in the first week that the new rules came into force on February 19. A further 12 riders were suspended when the whip review committee convened for a second time.

Nicholls accused the BHA of “appeasing” critics of the sport rather than standing up for its participants.

Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme, Harrington said: “Obviously I’m disappointed to hear those comments, but actually it does take backbone to make some unpopular decisions. We know there is huge passion on either side of the debate about the whip and I have to be strong in that we are not pandering to those people who will never love the sport.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure the sport is fair and also that it’s as attractive as possible to those people who don’t have a strong opinion either way on the sport.

“I think everybody would agree there’s different sides and different schools of thought on whether the whip is a welfare issue, but I think everybody does agree that it is a perception issue for the sport. I think it would be negligent of us to know that and just sit and do nothing about it.

“The whip review panel on our behalf was filled with people who work really closely with horses and it was their strong recommendation to continue to keep the whip for encouragement, because they believe it is not a welfare issue.

“Let me be clear, I do not believe it is an issue of welfare, but I am also leading a sport where I know there is a huge, passionate debate on both sides and difference of opinion there.”

Lorcan Williams will miss the Cheltenham Festival after being suspended for overuse of the whip on Prestige Novices' Hurdle winner Makin'yourmindup last month
Lorcan Williams will miss the Cheltenham Festival after being suspended for overuse of the whip on Prestige Novices’ Hurdle winner Makin’yourmindup last month (John Walton/PA)

The changes to the whip regulations see a reduction of one strike. It can now be used six times on the Flat and seven over jumps, with a disqualification for the horse if riders go four or more times over that threshold. Suspensions for jockeys are also more severe.

Harrington added: “It’s also a fairness issue, to make sure we have fair results – if you are connections of a horse that is ridden within the rules but you lose out to a horse that is ridden outside the rules, there needs to be sufficient deterrent to make sure that is fair and there isn’t a win at all costs mentality.

“There’s never a good time to make changes and making changes is difficult.

“There will always be people who disagree, but there is a clear understanding that those rules are in place now and it’s up to the jockeys to ride within those rules.”

Indiana Jones scoops Flyingbolt glory

/by

Indiana Jones made the leap to Grade Three glory as he claimed the PS Supplies Doors & Floors Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan.

Mouse Morris’ charge had taken nine attempts to get off the mark over fences, failing to complete on three occasion in the 2021-22 season.

However, he struck gold at Punchestown last month and supplemented that 10-length verdict with a game success over Ha D’Or in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.

Ha D’Or, one of two runners for Willie Mullins along with third-placed Flame Bearer, relinquished the lead to Indiana Jones at the last fence, with both producing less than fluent leaps. But it was Indiana Jones who recovered best of the pair to win by two lengths at odds of 15-2.

Morris said: “He’s a huge horse. I’m not sure where he goes now, the race at Thurles (Grade Three Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase, March 18) would be an option and is probably more than likely where he’ll go.

“He took some purlers of falls last season and ‘Puppy’ (Robbie Power) did a great job with him, he went up to his for a while. The girls in the yard also did a lot of ground work at home with him.

“It’s an unbelievable family (Indiana Jones is a half-brother to Mighty Potter and French Dynamite) and there are still two young ones running around.

“It was hard to work out Mullins’ horses today as they ran so bad the last day. I thought if they might not be on song, we might have a squeak.

“I know we had a bit to find on ratings, but a graded race is a graded race and it was a nice pot.”

Earlier on the card, We Got This recorded a shock 100-1 win when making a successful debut in the Wesco Electrical Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Representing local trainer Finbar Hand, the five-year-old grabbed the lead in sight of the post and held off Broomfield Bijou for jockey Paddy O’Brien.

Hand said: “I really fancied her, all her work has been really good. I’m absolutely delighted for the owner/breeder Maura (McGuinness), who is a long-time friend of mine.

“We might look at something at Fairyhouse over Easter for her, over maybe two and a half mile. Paddy said not to go two again and they went plenty fast enough early there.

“We might go the novice route, there is a lot of improvement in this mare. I wouldn’t be happy with her coat today, with a bit of heat coming she’ll turn inside out.

“I’ve just four in training, but they are four nice horses.”

Sparkling Suhail headlines Appleby’s Super Saturday double

/by

Al Suhail showed his rivals a clean pair of heels as he sprinted clear in the Ras Al Khor, highlighting a Super Saturday double for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.

The six-year-old had been off the track since winning the Al Fahidi Fort in January, but he showed that absence presented few problems with a smooth success.

Settled behind the pace-setters early on, Al Suhail found a perfect split in the straight and when Buick gave the signal, the 4-6 favourite shot away under hands and heels riding to win by four lengths in a new course record time for the seven furlongs.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “We were obviously delighted with Al Suhail, who has put up another good performance to break his own track record.

“We will most likely bring him back to the UK and look at the nice seven-furlong races in Europe over the summer.”

Global Storm (100-30) led home a one-two for Appleby in the Dubai City Of Gold.

The trainer was forced to rule out likely favourite Rebel’s Romance with a late setback, but Global Storm stepped into the breach with a cosy triumph in the hands of Buick.

Global Storm was in command turning for home in the 12-furlong heat and while stablemate and 2-1 favourite Kemari tried to challenge in the straight, the winner kept finding for pressure and eventually came home two and a half lengths to the good.

Appleby said: “Global Storm has been working with Rebel’s Romance and the one thing I took from the result was that if Rebel’s Romance had been in there, it would have been an easy race for him.

“Global Storm is a solid campaigner out here – he ran well in this race last year behind Hukum – and it was a race that we thought could set up well for him. William gave him a lovely ride on the front end and was able to dictate.

“Realistically, I do not see him being here on Dubai World Cup night. As solid as he is, we know we will be taking on a different kettle of fish on Dubai World Cup night. He will go back to England with that Group Two penalty, which will make him a bit trickier to place.”

George Boughey got on the Super Saturday scoresheet with Al Dasim (4-1 favourite), who registered his third Meydan win in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.

Winner of two three-year-old conditions events at the Carnival, Al Dasim was ridden with confidence by Mickael Barzalona in the six-furlong Group Three contest.

Content to track the early pace, he switched out to challenge with two furlongs to run and Al Dasim really asserted his authority inside the distance, winning by two and a quarter lengths.

Barzalona said: “It was a big question mark today against the older horses, we were unlucky to have a bad draw but he just put his head down and tried his best. He deserved it.

“He had to perform today, but now he can go ahead for the Al Quoz Sprint and we’ll see against the best horses in the world.”

All eyes were on Real World as he returned to action in the Group One Jebel Hatta, but Saeed bin Suroor’s charge never looked like taking a hand in the finish.

Real World failed to fire on his Meydan return
Real World failed to fire on his Meydan return (David Davies/PA)

Roger Varian’s El Drama race prominently throughout in the nine-furlong heat but he had no reply to the late thrust of Alfareeq (25-1), who sprung a surprise and grabbed the glory for a second successive year by a neck under Dane O’Neill.

The James Doyle-ridden Discovery Island (11-2) won the Burj Nahaar, while the rider was just denied aboard Bendoog in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3, as last year’s victor Salute The Soldier (11-4) swooped late to take the Group One honours.

Go Soldier Go (6-1) won the Al Bastakiya and the closing Mahab Al Shimaal marked a double for Barzalona as he steered Sound Money (5-1) to victory.

Steel toughs it out in Premier Chase prize

/by

Empire Steel capped a fine day for local handler Sandy Thomson and jockey Ryan Mania when hunting down Le Milos in the dying strides to seal the bet365 Premier Chase.

The race was supposed to put the finishing touches to the Randox Grand National preparations of Dan Skelton’s 10-11 favourite, but it was the locally-trained nine-year-old who bolstered his spring credentials – with a trip to the Scottish National rather than Aintree now likely.

With Le Milos and Wishing And Hoping disputing things on the front end, the chances of the course-and-distance winner looked to have gone when he made a mistake five out and was again sticky at the fourth last.

Victory looked a formality for the race favourite and Harry Skelton was searching for dangers clearing the last. But the Lodge Hill raider start to look weary and with Mania having had time to fill up Empire Steel’s tank, the dashing grey could sense a struggling target was in reach.

He stuck his neck out and responded resolutely to his rider’s urgings and with Le Milos waning with every stride, Empire Steel collared him in the shadow of the post to score at odds of 4-1 and seal a 59-1 double for the Lambden Racing operation following Benson’s win in the Morebattle Hurdle.

“I’m delighted for the horse that he’s won a decent race, we’ve always thought a lot of him,” said Thomson.

“He was very unlucky at Wetherby (Rowland Meyrick, 2021) a year and a half or so ago and it hasn’t quite gone right gone for him since. But he seems to run to get a rating of around 152 whenever he runs round here and has done it again.

“You are always delighted when a horse who has ability gets one in the bag and no one can ever take it away from him.”

The Borders handler was winning the Listed event for a second time following Seldom Inn’s success in 2017 and having taken advantage of those with the Grand National at Aintree in the back of their mind, Empire Of Steel will try to break Thomson’s duck in the Scottish equivalent at Ayr.

“I’ve been lucky Seldom Inn won it, Seeyouatmidnight was third and Hill Sixteen was second, so it was nice to get another winner in the race,” continued Thomson.

“The Shunter won his money and I’m not sure he’s the horse he used to be and although the Skeltons will be annoyed they got beaten, they will be delighted with the Grand National trial that their horse ran.

“If we get 4lb or 5lb and up to around 146, then I would be quite happy and the Scottish National would be the aim.

“The great thing today is he has won on good to soft ground, whereas in the past his better performances were on soft and heavy ground, so I’m absolutely delighted with him and I don’t think you will see him before the Scottish National. There’s nothing really at Aintree that fits the bill and I think the Scottish National will be his sort of race.”

On the big-race double at his local track, he added: “It’s been an unbelievable day. To have one winner is great but to win the two big races here is incredible.”

Moroder flashes home in tight Grimthorpe finish

/by

Moroder showed plenty of tenacity to cause an 18-1 shock in the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster.

The Seamus Mullins-trained nine-year-old strung a four-race winning run together last season but had failed to figure in two outings so far this term.

It was the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Undersupervision who looked the most likely victor when jockey Sam Twiston-Davies kicked for home as the runners came round the final bend.

However, as the action unfolded up the straight – and the stamina reserves of the challengers started to run empty – the eye was drawn to the white noseband of Moroder who was keeping on in the hands of James Best.

Having joined Undersupervision approaching two out, Moroder knuckled down gamely on the run in to outstay the 3-1 runner-up, with only a neck separating the pair at the finish of the £70,000 event.

As well as being a big Saturday winner for his trainer, it was also a welcome success on the big stage for Best, who was not lacking for strength in the saddle when the race was in the balance in the closing stages.

Mullins said: “He had an injury in the autumn which curtailed his campaign and he probably needed the comeback run, as he always does, at Newbury and then we had the frosty weather. He’s a big, gross kind of horse and I’m not a big fan of taking them off for racecourse gallops and things.

“We try to get them ready at home and he probably had come on a lot for his Wincanton run and we thought we had a live chance. We knew we weren’t deserving the long odds that he went off at. He’s a great stayer, a galloper, jumps accurately and he did well today because it would have been plenty quick enough for him, but he seemed to chop with it well.”

Doncaster Races – Saturday 4th March
James Best salutes the Doncaster crowd aboard Moroder (Richard Sellers/PA)

The Town Moor contest often serves as a Grand National trial, but not amongst the entrants for Aintree, the winner holds a Midlands National entry and Betfair and Paddy Power both go 20-1 from 50s for that Uttoxeter event on March 18, although Mullins expressed doubts about that contest.

He added: “It might come a bit quick after today.

“We will have a sit down with the owner and it was kind of more desperation really to find a race where we could run, the way it was going. I would say probably less likely than likely to go to Uttoxeter.

Doncaster Races – Saturday 4th March
Winning connections at Doncaster (Richard Sellers/PA)

“We will probably look for later in the spring, I will have to discuss it with the owner. Anything from three miles up, I might even think of the Scottish National or something like that. That could be more his line than Uttoxeter.”

Mullins was not at Doncaster, instead saddling a runner at Newbury and relying on his son to take care of operations in South Yorkshire.

He said: “My son did all the officiating up at Doncaster today, he took a day off his holiday to go and saddle him and help me out.”

The Big Bite digs deep to secure Greatwood Gold

/by

The Big Bite rolled back the years to edge his way to BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase glory at Newbury.

Third in the race behind Umbrigado in 2021, he was without a victory since his debut for trainer Henry Oliver in November 2020 and was sent off the 12-1 outsider in first-time cheekpieces for a contest which delivered a thrilling finish.

The new headgear seemed to spark some life into the 10-year-old who moved up to challenge long-time leader Gemirande as the field exited the back straight.

A good jump at the third last saw the veteran move to the front and it briefly looked like Jonathan Burke was going to quickly sail clear of the field.

But Gemirande proved a tough nut to crack and Venetia Williams’ game seven-year-old was giving The Big Bite plenty to think about all the way up the Newbury home straight – still only a head in arrears as the pair flashed past the winning post.

“We were delighted with him,” said Oliver.

“The owners have been superb and incredibly patient because he isn’t a horse who runs every week. He is quite a light-framed horse and he doesn’t take a lot of racing.

“He didn’t stay three miles at the start of the season and then we ran him over two and a half on deep ground at Chepstow which wasn’t for him.

“He had some tidy form last year – he was second, beaten a length, behind a horse who was second in a Champion Chase (Funambule Sivola) and he is more of a spring ground type horse these days.

“Johnny Burke gave him a lovely ride and he had dropped to a nice mark.”

On the impact of the cheekpieces, he added: “To be fair, he just needed sharpening up because he was quirky here two years ago, looking around and being the (son of) Scorpion that he is. I think he is genuine when he puts his mind on the job and they just help put his mind on the job.

“He was quite sharp when I tried them on him Thursday and I thought that’s going to help him keep his mind on the job. Johnny had suggested them at the end of last year and we decided to save them for a day like today.”

The victory brought up a half-century of winners for the successful rider Burke, who can look forward to partnering the likes of Love Envoi and Queens Gamble at the Cheltenham Festival later this month.

Nemean Lion roars to Premier victory for Kerry Lee

/by

Sandown third Nemean Lion gave the Tolworth Hurdle form a boost as he got the better of the fourth on that occasion, Colonel Harry, to pick up the bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso.

The Kerry Lee-trained six-year-old was the best part of three lengths ahead of Colonel Harry when they clashed on deep ground in January and Richard Patrick was content to bide his time in mid-division aboard the 4-1 winner as Jamie Snowden’s 7-2 favourite attempted to make all.

Gavin Sheehan upped the tempo after three out as the pack began to swarm and he did a good job of putting the field under pressure and beating off most of the opposition as he swung into the straight still in command of the contest.

However, old adversary Nemean Lion was still travelling and having jumped the last matching strides, a slight error from Colonel Harry allowed the Will Roseff-owned gelding to strike the front and it was he who roared loudest at the finish to come home the best part of two lengths clear.

Lee said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the horse. It took us seven hours to get here, but it was absolutely worth it.

“He came here with a good performance under his belt and we were hopeful. It was a good, solid performance from him.

“Colonel Harry was one of the big dangers, I know they were sweet on their horse, and it was interesting that the Grade One horses did come to the fore.

“We’ve clearly got a very nice horse on our hands. I think he appreciated the track. I don’t think the distance was an issue, I just think he didn’t relish the hill at Sandown and Kelso is a little bit kinder in that respect.”

The winner holds an entry for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with Betfair going 25-1 from 50s for the Prestbury Park opener, but Lee admits that looks unlikely at present.

She added: “I would say on two levels that Cheltenham is not very likely. First of all the ground, he’s quite a fragile horse and we have to be very careful – we came to Kelso for that reason, for the ground.

“I don’t think the ground at Cheltenham will suit and it would be very quick on him.

“I won’t be pushing for Cheltenham but that said, if it came up soft and he was bouncing, then we might consider it.

“We will be looking to Aintree, Fairyhouse and Punchestown, keeping our options open.”

Benson swoops late to bag Morebattle honours

/by

Benson pounced late to deliver a telling blow for local handler Sandy Thomson in the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso, setting up a potential tilt at a £100,000 bonus if able to quickly follow up at the Cheltenham Festival.

Heading into the contest on the back of clear-cut victory at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, the eight-year-old was sent off at odds of 11-1 to reward those who follow the Lambden-based handler at his local track.

Kept quiet in rear by jockey Ryan Mania as Irish raider Wajaaha set some hot fractions, he was smuggled into the contest and loomed large as the Lorna Fowler-trained Colonel Mustard hit the front and set for home after two out.

Mania was still to produce Benson as Colonel Mustard’s stride began to shorten jumping the last, but he soon edged past the game Irish challenger with the winning post approaching and the victory was arguably worth a more than the official verdict of two lengths.

Victory now offers connections the chance to add an extra £100,000 to the pot if able to add to this victory at Prestbury Park later this month.

The winner holds entries in both the Coral Cup and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, with Coral making the horse a 20-1 shot for both contests.

However, Thomson is willing to bide his time before naming Benson’s Festival assignment.

He said: “The great thing is he has only been out of his box for about four hours, which can make a great difference when you are thinking of going again and we will obviously have to go. You have got to try – how good he is, nobody actually knows.

“I’ve got to speak to the owners and chat about it. He will get into the Coral Cup now – on 134 he was perhaps on the brink and what weight he has and what Ryan can do could influence it. Ryan obviously struggles a bit with his weight, but if he gets 10st 9lb or 10st 10lb hopefully he would be able to do that.

“But firstly we will enjoy today then go home, get all the forms filled in for Cheltenham and take it from there.”

Cairo delivers at Dundalk – setting up UAE Derby and possible trip to Kentucky

/by

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore teamed up at Dundalk on Friday evening, as the Classic-entered Cairo got Ballydoyle off the mark domestically for 2023 at the first time of asking.

A smart juvenile who finished his campaign with victory in the Group Three Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown, the Quality Road colt was sent off the 30-100 favourite for this assignment in the Listed Patton Stakes over a mile – a race that forms part of the ‘European Road to the Kentucky Derby’.

Matching strides with News At Ten for much of the journey, the market leader asserted down the straight to get on top and ultimately score by a comfortable two lengths.

The Patton Stakes was won by O’Brien and Moore with Mendelssohn in 2018 – and Cairo could follow in his footsteps by going for the UAE Derby and possibly to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “It was a nice start for him. Aidan felt coming here that he was just ready to start. He’ll come on plenty for the run.

“Ryan was happy with him, he said he will come on plenty as well, experience and fitness-wise. Ryan couldn’t get cover and he probably did a little much early against others that had a race. He gave Ryan a nice feel.

“The plan is, all being well and if he comes out of this well, he will go off to Dubai for the UAE Derby and we will see how we go.

“He’s an exciting horse to have and hopefully he has a good season ahead of him.”

Cairo has exciting targets on the horizon
Cairo has exciting targets on the horizon (PA)

Armstrong added: “He came to hand quick enough and Aidan felt fitness-wise he was just ready to start. It is worth a try on the dirt in Dubai. If it went well over there, we could possibly look at Kentucky (Derby). He has the Triple Crown entry.

“It is good have the Group One entries here as well as looking overseas.

“Ryan felt he took a good blow and he’ll come on plenty.

“He’s a son of Quality Road, very good pedigree. Plenty of speed in the pedigree and a very good mover. An athletic horse with a lovely attitude and he is exciting. He’ll step up in trip in Dubai.

“Plenty of options.”