Rebel strikes Newlands Gold at Naas

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Rebel Gold claimed a hard-fought success for trainer Patrick Foley in the Newlands Chase at Naas.

A 5-2 chance under Denis O’Regan, the 10-year-old was stepping up to Grade Three level after some good handicap efforts of late – including a nine-length victory in the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase.

After running prominently, the gelding jumped the last in the lead but was headed by 1-2 favourite Coeur Sublime on the approach to the last.

The two horses jumped the final obstacle almost in unison, but it was Rebel Gold who then toughed it out to cross the line a neck to the good.

“That’s brilliant, I’m absolutely delighted with him,” said Foley.

“Denis said he probably even improved and he was more impressed with him today than he was in the Dan Moore.

“Not having to make it (the running) today, for a while, was a big help to him. He doesn’t mind making it but it’s easier when you have something to fire at.

“He beat him (Coeur Sublime) off level weights today, if the ground had been soft I would have been more confident to take him on.

“I thought he might have done us for gears on that ground but Denis said he was fine on that today. It might open more options for us.

“The Grade Two at Fairyhouse at Easter, over two-three, is a realistic option for him now. Our handicap days were finished after the Dan Moore anyway and we wanted to step him up in class and see.

“The owners are brilliant to leave things to me and I’d be happy to go for the Grade Two and then maybe let him off.

“The horse will tell us, he’s taking his races super but I do want to give him a little bit of a break now after having a few runs in a short space of time.

“I’ll give him a few weeks, get him spot on for Fairyhouse and then make our minds up then. We got a Grade Three today and I couldn’t be happier with that.”

Willie Mullins has both Flat and jumps engagements in mind for Bialystok (2-1 joint-favourite) after he got off the mark for the yard in the Expert Air Farewell Antoinette Maiden Hurdle.

A three-times winner in France for Jean-Claude Rouget, Bialystok had performed with credit in two previous hurdle runs but produced late by Paul Townend, he edged victory by a head.

“We completely changed tactics, he has a lot of speed and I said to Paul to lock him up and don’t let him out until near the last. As it was I think he appeared in front too soon and was probably lucky to hold on in the end,” said Mullins.

“It was a good tactical ride from Paul at the end of the day.

“I’m looking forward to going back on the Flat with him. I got him from Jean-Claude Rouget and he was very sorry to lose him.

“As the ground gets better in the spring time, he’ll find it easier to get that trip, so there will be a nice race in him over hurdles as well.”

The Mullins team were denied a double in the closing Nursery Of Champions as 2-5 favourite Ile Atlantique was headed in the final stride by Gordon Elliott’s Stellar Story (100-30).

Shared firing Festival dream for Harry Derham

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Harry Derham is dreaming of saddling his first runner at the Cheltenham Festival following Shared’s victory at Doncaster recently.

Previously assistant to Paul Nicholls before setting up base at Frenchman’s House in Lambourn and taking out his own training licence, he has sent out six winners from just 27 runners since Seelotmorebusiness got his training career up and running in style at Huntingdon on Boxing Day.

A third of those victories have been provided by Shared, who has won two of his three starts for the young handler since being bought for a mere 16,000 guineas in the autumn.

In between those two triumphs – firstly at Wetherby and then when striking late in the hands of Paul O’Brien at Town Moor – he was a creditable fifth in Listed company at Musselburgh and Derham hopes he has done enough for the handicapper to allocate him a mark high enough to ensure a spot in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle – also known as the Fred Winter – at Prestbury Park.

“That (the Boodles) is the ambition and dream and you would like to think after winning two and only beaten four lengths in a Listed race, you would get in,” said Derham.

“He’s the type of horse that is tough and hardy, has experience off the Flat and jumps slick, you would like to think he would run a nice race.

“He travels really well which helps in a race like that. He’s a tough little horse so I don’t think he would be worried by plenty of runners. I think he is going to keep progressing – he came to us when he was just going the wrong way on the Flat and was maybe not enjoying it, but he’s really enjoying his life and his job now and I would like to think with another win and more confidence, he can keep progressing.”

Not only has Derham tasted plenty of Festival success while assistant to the 13-times champion trainer, he also guided Salubrious to success in the 2013 edition of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle during his short career in the saddle.

Now he has the chance to join the exclusive list of men to both ride and train a winner at National Hunt racing’s flagship event and hopes Shared is able to reward the support given to him by owner Colm Donlan in the early stages of his fledgling training career.

Harry Derham celebrates winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Salubrious at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013
Harry Derham celebrates winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Salubrious at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013 (David Davies/PA)

He continued: “Obviously he has to get in and then he has to get there, but to have my first Cheltenham Festival runner in my first season would be pretty cool and also for his owner Colm who is a great owner, great friend and a very, very nice man.

“He bought the horse with me in October with a crazy dream of trying to sneak into a Fred Winter and I’m absolutely delighted for Colm, because he’s such a lovely man and for him to support me in my first season is incredibly good of him and appreciated. It’s great to have a little bit of success for him.”

Givega expected to get Imperial Cup call up

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Givega is poised to return to Sandown for a crack at the Betfair Imperial Cup having shown his true colours when bouncing back to his best at the Esher venue recently.

Gary Moore’s seven-year-old, who is out of a sister to the great six-time Cheltenham Festival winner Quevega, created a real buzz when winning his first two hurdling outings in the manner of a top-class operator and by a combined 18 lengths.

However, he blotted his copybook when sent off favourite, upped in both trip and grade, for the Grade Two Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick in January and was left with somewhat of a point to prove.

Returned to calmer waters at Sandown earlier this month, Givega was back on form as he made all in the hands of Niall Houlihan while giving 9lb and a seven-and-a-half-length beating to runner-up Immortal.

Raised 4lb to a mark of 133 for that victory – and with connections keen to swerve the Cheltenham Festival – Moore is now eyeing a tilt at the prestigious £100,000 handicap hurdle on March 11 that precedes the Prestbury Park showpiece the following week.

“He’s a horse I like a lot, he’s a good horse,” said Moore.

“I was really happy with him (at Sandown). He got a fairly soft lead in front and jumped well, he’s a chaser in the making. I know he’s already seven years old, but he’s next year’s horse really and he will stay further than two miles, he will definitely get further.

“He definitely won’t go to Cheltenham. The plan is to go back to Sandown for the Imperial Cup.

“It’s a shame he went up (in the handicap) for the other day, but if he hadn’t have gone up, he might not have got in I suppose.”

Festival winner Indefatigable bows out

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Indefatigable, winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, has been retired.

The 10-year-old began her career by finishing third to Champion Bumper winner Relegate at Punchestown before switching to Paul Webber and struck a total of seven times in 31 appearances under Rules.

Her finest hour undoubtedly came at Prestbury Park during the 2020 Festival where having missed the break and then niggled along throughout, she showed the tenacity that has been a hallmark of her career to work her way into contention then storm home in the hands of Rex Dingle – getting up by a short head in the dying strides.

Fortunate to escape relatively unscathed from a heavy fall in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle at the Festival and having failed to sparkle this term, connections have decided to call time on the daughter of Schiaparelli’s on-track career, with her final outing an honourable third in the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle.

“She’s been a wonderful mare,” said owner Philip Rocher.

“She has always been strong-willed and we always said the minute she didn’t want to do it anymore, we would know. I hope I’m not jumping the gun but we’re getting the feeling she has done enough and I wouldn’t want to have her in training or racing one second longer than she wanted to.

“It’s sad but she has had an absolutely brilliant career and has given me far more excitement than I thought I would get from any horse. I hope she has a pleasant retirement.”

Indefatigable is set to head back to Ireland in retirement, where future plans could include a date with Walk In The Park, and Rocher was keen to pay tribute to Webber’s stewardship of his star mare during her time in training at the handler’s Banbury base.

He continued: “Paul did a great job with her and is a fabulous trainer. It shows if you give him the ammunition, he will get the best out of it and if he has good horses, he will get good results.”

As well as her Cheltenham Festival triumph, Indefatigable provided Rocher with many great days and her CV also lists a victory in the Grade Two West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby, two successes in Listed company and a further six placed efforts in black-type contests.

“I don’t think I have ever got as excited as I did at Wetherby when she won the Grade Two, because I really didn’t expect it up against Paisley Park and a host of great horses,” said Rocher.

ndefatigable ridden by jockey Daryl Jacob (left) clears a hurdle on their way to winning the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby racecourse in October 2021
Indefatigable ridden by jockey Daryl Jacob (left) clears a hurdle on their way to winning the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby racecourse in October 2021 (Tim Goode/PA)

“But that Cheltenham race watching her carve through the field and thinking she could finish perfectly respectably, then thinking actually she could place and then ‘blimey, she is going to win’ was just brilliant. It’s all great memories.

“She also had a couple of brilliant runs at Sandown in Grade Twos where she was less than a length second and looked like she might snatch the win but didn’t. They gave me a lot of fun. One of them was just as lockdown was ending and there was no crowd but owners were allowed and I went with my son Tom and it was exciting – you couldn’t be miserable about it and as always she ran a great race.”

Indefatigable’s trainer echoed those sentiments, saying: “Cheltenham was a remarkable moment.

“To win the last race of the Festival – how lucky were we to get in the winner’s enclosure?

Cheltenham Festival 2020 – Gold Cup Day – Cheltenham Racecourse
Jockey Rex Dingle and trainer Paul Webber celebrate winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle with Indefatigable at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 (Tim Goode/PA)

“She missed the break because she was more interested in eating her competitors than racing against them at that stage and how she came from last to first was extraordinary. Rex (Dingle) certainly threaded her through the eye of a needle.

“She’s been a fairy tale really. John O’Connor who bred her was a great friend of mine and Philip Rocher said he wouldn’t mind owning a filly one day. Three weeks later John O’Connor rang up saying he would like a partner for her after her bumper at Punchestown and it’s there for all to see what she has done since.

“She’s been our flagbearer and I could do with a few more like her.

“I’m sure we will keep in touch with her and it’s wonderful that she will now head back to Ireland to John O’Connor, where she was bred, and we look forward to seeing what happens next.”

Snowden favouring Mares’ Novices’ contest for You Wear It Well

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Jamie Snowden is leaning towards the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with his star six-year-old You Wear It Well.

The talented mare has won three of her four starts over obstacles this term, with her only defeat coming when a gallant second to the highly-regarded Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle favourite Hermes Allen in a red-hot running of the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.

She was shortened to a general 8-1 for the mares’ event on the back of a commanding victory in the Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown recently, but also holds entries for both the Ballymore and Albert Bartlett at the Festival and connections were unwilling to pin their colours to a particular mast in the immediate aftermath of victory in Esher.

However, she now appears destined to follow the same route as last year’s Festival hero Love Envoi, who triumphed in the Sandown Grade Two before following up at Prestbury Park.

“I would say we will probably go to the Mares’ Novices’,” said Snowden.

“It’s on the New Course, so there is more of a need for stamina on the New Course than the Old Course and I think it makes sense to keep her amongst her own sex.”

The Folly House handler went on to analyse the claims of his charge in respect of the challenge presented by Nicky Henderson’s Luccia – using Dan Skelton’s Sandown runner-up She’s A Saint as a vital reference point.

He added: “Luccia has obviously achieved a great deal by winning a couple of Listed races. We’ve obviously beaten She’s A Saint by further than Luccia did.

“So you could say she is probably bang up with the best hurdle form on this side of the Irish Sea and deserves to take her chance at Cheltenham.”

Bradley outlines sprint aspirations for Marshman

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Marshman will be campaigned as a sprinter when he returns to the track to kick-off his three-year-old campaign – with a trip to France for Chantilly’s Prix Sigy highlighted as the speedster’s early-season target.

A relatively inexpensive £38,000 breeze-up buy, the Karl Burke-trained son of Harry Angel created a deep impression in his first two outings before going down by less than two lengths to the well-regarded Noble Style when sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Gimcrack at York.

That signalled a trip to Newmarket for a tilt at the Group One Middle Park Stakes and although popular with punters once again when sent off the 15-8 favourite, he proved far too keen before hanging under pressure as Aidan O’Brien’s Blackbeard recorded an impressive victory.

He plugged on for fifth but returned lame from his run on the Rowley Mile in what was to be his final outing of the campaign.

“He came out of the Newmarket race lame in front,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of owner Nick Bradley Racing.

“He was suffering with sore shins throughout his two-year-old campaign, which is just something that can happen with two-year-olds, particularly ones which come from the breeze-ups.

“So when he went downhill in the Middle Park I expected him to hang, but he hung more than I thought he would. He was keen at the beginning of the race as well and everything went wrong – but we still managed to finish fourth in a Group One.”

Trainer Karl Burke could have a smart sprinter on his hands in Marshman
Trainer Karl Burke could have a smart sprinter on his hands in Marshman (Mike Egerton/PA)

Now connections have resisted the temptation to take in a 2000 Guineas trial in the early stages of the campaign and have set their sights on all of the major sprinting prizes throughout the season – starting with the Chantilly Group Three on April 17.

“He’s been back in since December time,” Bradley continued. “Karl was raving about the horses in general and Marshman was kind of top of the pile. He has not done any serious work as yet though.

“We’re not going to be drawn into stepping him up in trip for the Guineas or anything like that, we very much see him as a sprinter. I find a lot of those breeze-up horses run over a shorter distance than their pedigrees suggest due to the way they have been trained early in their careers.

“He is probably going to start over in France in the Sigy. It’s a Group Three over five and a half furlongs and that will be his target at the moment.

“Our aim last year was to make him a stallion and he was second in the Gimcrack when he looked to have it won. That itself would have been enough.

“But hopefully we are going to win the Group Three in France then we can look at races like the Sandy Lane (Haydock), Commonwealth Cup (Royal Ascot) and the July Cup (Newmarket). Those sorts of races will be his targets and the aim is to win as many Group races as we can.”

Mostahdaf apart, Saudi Cup day proves hard work for British runners

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The British flag was gloomily lowered in a sunlit corner of the globe yet again on Saturday when long-absent 2021 Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist began his comeback in a noble yet unequivocal defeat.

He came only 12th of 13 in the $2.5million Red Sea Turf Handicap, beaten 10 lengths by Japan’s Silver Sonic.

The British contingent began to have a sinking feeling as soon as Joe Fanning rounded the bend at the end of the back straight. There was no burst of brilliant acceleration as in many of his other races, no hint of the imperiousness shown in his finest hour at the royal meeting two years ago.

Subjectivist could not even get close to Get Shirty, who came third, while the real battle was fought between Silver Sonic and Enemy who had finished 14th in the Ebor before winning a Dubai handicap, but not a horse on any previous reckoning in Subjectivist’s division.

Silver Sonic strode away to win by two and a half lengths. Subjectivist did not add to his bank-balance, although his owner, Scottish-born, Hong Kong-based economist Dr Jim Walker will survive.

After winning the Group One Prix Royal-Oak, Dubai Gold Cup and Ascot Gold Cup, Subjectivist’s winnings have just squeezed over the £750,000 mark. A win would have given him an additional £1.25m.

After the race came one of those jockey-trainer conversations between Fanning and Charlie Johnston which consist mostly of gesticulations, shrugs and quiet pauses. The significant sign language consisted of Fanning drawing his hands in to indicate the horse did not respond enough to his restraint.

Johnston has learned plenty from his father, for he was philosophical and consoling; it may be imagination, but one felt that the saddest figure in the tableau was Subjectivist, who could not utter an explanation.

A total of 618 days have passed since he cantered all over his rivals in the 2021 Ascot Gold Cup. Johnston, quite understandably, felt the lay-off with a near-fore tendon injury – which, but for mastery, patience and possibly wizardry, almost ended his career – made the difference.

“He was just too keen and I said to Joe this morning when we walked the track, that the couple of days he’d been on the track that he was just a bit too full of himself,” he said.

“The main thing now is he comes back in one piece and he’s shown that the enthusiasm for it is still there. We’ll lower our sights and we’ll go a bit closer to home, then find out where we are.

“I’m not too disappointed. I knew four out he was in trouble, because at that stage in Dubai and Ascot, that’s when he starts putting others to the sword and that wasn’t there.”

The trainer had a touch of triskaidekaphobia when the draw was made. Unlucky 13 it certainly was, leaving Fanning no choice but to go forward from the gate in the mile and seven-furlong contest.

Sunjectivist was lit up early and Fanning, himself recently coming off a lengthy injury, will doubtless feel a little sore in the shoulders after battling in vain for restraint.

Although a few months to go, Subjectivist’s defeat may be especially bad news for Royal Ascot’s marketeers, with Kyprios now almost certain to repeat his Gold Cup success and maintain his position as one of the finest stayers in history. For time is on the youngster’s side. Though only a year older at six, time lost has been an enemy of the Johnston team.

His trainer was philosophical, however, and added: “We knew what we are asking him to do was a big, big ask, but at the same time, where do you take the horse that won the Ascot Gold Cup last time out?”

This may have not been a day to extol European racing – the Brits were the ones who were defeated in every race bar one they entered, the gallant Mostahdaf, under an imperious ride from Jim Crowley, took the Group Three Neom Turf Cup in which George Boughey’s Missed The Cut was disappointing.

It was the same, too, for the Americans, with Bill Mott’s Elite Power finally giving the fans what they wanted – an armchair ride from Frankie Dettori, who scored by the proverbial country mile on the Juddmonte-owned “aeroplane” in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

Aside from that, the American horses were a little disappointing, the deeper dirt surface – which Dettori extolled as perhaps the best in the world – not playing to their strengths.

Yet it was still one heck of a day’s racing. Over 20,000 good-tempered local racegoers turned up at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

In the £20m Saudi Cup, the most valuable in the sport, Dettori stormed home late to take second on Country Grammer behind the Japanese-trained Panthalassa – the Bob Baffert-trained challenger finishing in the same spot as he did 12 months ago when ridden by Flavien Prat.

It was Japan’s third success of the evening – thanks to a brilliant ride from Yutaka Yoshida in a race where the Japanese-trained horses filled the first five places except the runner-up spot. There were also two victories for locally-trained horses, whose owners pocketed a combined $1.5m.

The people trying to turn the Saudi Cup event into something akin to a transglobal Super Bowl still have some way to go, but they are making this an established fixture on the international racing calendar – even though this was not a day for the Brits to truly celebrate.

Panthalassa holds on to deny Dettori and Country Grammer in Saudi Cup

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Frankie Dettori and Country Grammer just missed out as Panthalassa produced a remarkable front-running performance to strike gold for Japan in the $20million Saudi Cup.

The Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer was narrowly denied in the world’s most valuable race 12 months ago when ridden by Flavien Prat, before providing Dettori with a fourth Dubai World Cup success at Meydan a few weeks later.

Following a readying win in California on Boxing Day, the six-year-old returned to Riyadh as one of two leading contenders for the Baffert team along with multiple Grade One winner Taiba – but Panthalassa set a strong gallop from the off at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse and could not be reeled in.

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Yutaka Yoshida, Panthalassa dead-heated in last year’s Dubai Turf with Lord North who earlier in the day had landed a far less lucrative Winter Derby at Lingfield.

Such was the pace Panthalassa set, Baffert’s pair were under pressure before the home turn and it briefly looked like it could be a Japanese one-two-three-four with a trio of compatriots chasing Panthalassa up the straight.

But Dettori conjured a storming late rally out of Country Grammer, with the line coming just too soon as he was narrowly denied once again.

Yahagi – who also on the mark with Bathrat Leon in the Turf Sprint – said: “It is unbelievable. I have no words. I am very, very happy. He was in stall one, so I said it was OK to go to the front. I was happy when he went three wide off the rail. The ground was a little bit faster and he needs it fast.

A day never to be forgotten for trainer Yoshito Yahagi
A day never to be forgotten for trainer Yoshito Yahagi (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley)

“This win is higher than any other I have had – of course it is the best feeling, because the prize-money is the best, too!

“I really can’t believe it at the moment. It does not feel real, but I’d like to say thanks to my staff and the horse.

“Winning this is not easy. Japanese racing tries everything to improve and develop and (make) Japanese horse racing to become more international – and we have done that.”

He added: “I will discuss with my owner and then we will decide if we go to Dubai for the World Cup, which is of course a possibility.

What a finish to the Saudi Cup
What a finish to the Saudi Cup (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley)

“If my owners let me go to Europe, I would love the challenge. When I started training, no one knew me and when I wore a hat they knew who I was. Today, I wore the same hat I wore at the Breeders’ Cup. I have between 200 and 300 hats. I don’t count. It would be fun if they started a game where they bet on the colour of my hat.”

A jubilant Yoshida said: “He sometimes doesn’t jump well, so I concentrated on giving him a good start and he did it. When he took an early lead the others did not give too much pressure to him. The pace was not too strong for him, it was another factor for him to keep finding until the line.

“I did break well and then it was straightforward. Mr Yahagi said to me to ride my race and I would get a good result. I didn’t think about the surface. I just rode my race and thought if he adapts to the track, it would be all right. Of course, they were coming for me in the straight, but Panthalassa always found another gear and so I kept riding.

“It is an unforgettable moment and I am very happy to have ridden the winner.”

Dettori, meanwhile, is hopeful Country Grammer can repeat his heroics of last year in the Dubai World Cup, with an extra furlong in his favour.

Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori after winning the Dubai World Cup
Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori after winning the Dubai World Cup (Neil Morrice/PA)

He said: “He ran a super race. I was outpaced all the way. I travelled to stay and thought I would be sixth really, then they all died and bless him, he’s got so much heart.

“I stayed on well, but his game is a mile and a quarter and we go back to Dubai.

“I was way back because I couldn’t lay up. I pushed him all the way. It was a super run. Like I said, at the quarter pole, I’m sixth here and thought ‘I’m not going to get any money’.

“In fairness, it was a bit like last year and he was closing all the while.

“It has been a great experience, this meeting. I’m always smiling!”

Elite Power is a special winner for Dettori in Dirt Sprint

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Frankie Dettori brought Elite Power with a devastating run down the centre of the track to win the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

Slightly taken off his feet in the early stages, the Eclipse Award winner engaged overdrive inside the final two furlongs and ran out a wide-margin scorer.

Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last time out, Elite Power was simply in a different league to his rivals – but this was a poignant success for Dettori.

He was sporting the silks of the famous Juddmonte operation, founded by the late Saudi prince Khalid Abdullah and worn to many big-race wins by Dettori on the likes of Enable and most recently in the Dewhurst on Chaldean.

“The first word that comes to mind is ‘aeroplane’,” said Dettori of the Bill Mott-trained five-year-old.

“As soon as I asked him to get a little bit closer he just took off and the race was over.

“The Abdullah family has been so good for the sport and I love the colours. It’s given the locals something to cheer about.”

Dettori, riding the horse for the first time and still breathless from the victory, added: “That is his style of racing, he took me by surprise, I did not want to give them too much rope and needed to lay up and he just took off, he rocketed off, like the turbo kicked in.

“They went hard early on, so I laid off them and went a bit wider to give him some clean air.”

A special victory for Frankie Dettori
A special victory for Frankie Dettori (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley)

Mott’s assistant, Neil Poznansky, said: “He’s a big, strong animal. He shows nothing but class. He shipped over here like he was here his whole life. He’s a good horse, a very good horse. His turn of foot is incredible, he’s just incredible to watch, a magnificent animal.

“He’s really coming into himself and getting better as he was really slow to mature. Now he’s putting it all together. Bill doesn’t come here without reason, but bringing a horse like Elite Power is a good reason to come.

“For Frankie and Juddmonte it was like a whole dynasty thing.”

Kitty’s Light fantastic for Williams in Eider Chase

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Kitty’s Light secured the big-race victory he has long promised with a determined display in the Vertem Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle.

The Christian Williams-trained seven-year-old was unfortunate not to land the 2021 bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown after controversial finish and he has since been placed in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby, the Coral Trophy at Kempton, the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and the bet365 Gold Cup for a second time.

Having fallen down the weights following a disappointing run of form so far this season, Kitty’s Light was the 7-4 favourite to bounce back at Gosforth Park – but his supporters were made to sweat before eventually collecting their winnings.

Jockey Jack Tudor was hard at work in the saddle at various stages of the four-one-mile-furlong contest, while Kitty’s Light was far from convincing at a number of fences on the way round.

But to his credit, the Nathaniel gelding managed to keep himself in contention and his huge reserves of stamina kicked in from the home turn and he kept on dourly from the final fence to get up and beat The Galloping Bear by two and a half lengths.

Williams, claiming back-to-back Eider wins following the comfortable success of Win My Wings 12 months ago, said: “I’m delighted. It was a great ride for good owners. The ground was a bit messy and he made hard work of it, but we’ve got plenty of faith in him and you can never write him off.

“He does his best work in the latter stages of a race. He’s got a Flat pedigree and is not bred to be jumping fences and running over four miles!

“He’s a brilliant little horse. All the stats said he couldn’t win with his age and this and that, but he’s a freak so I didn’t take much notice.

“We know how hard it is to win that type of race. We won it with Win My Wings last year, who probably had 20-odd pounds in hand. We thought we had Kitty’s Light mapped out for it, but you don’t just go up there and win that type of race, so I’m proud of the horse and Jack everyone who travelled up there.”

Christian Williams was thrilled with the victory of Kitty's Light at Newcastle
Christian Williams was thrilled with the victory of Kitty’s Light at Newcastle (Simon Marper/PA)

Kitty’s Light was cut to 5-1 from 10-1 for the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on March 18, but appears unlikely to take his chance.

“I think we’ve got two options now, the Scottish National and the bet365 Gold Cup. We’ll have a sit down and speak to the owners and see which race will suit him,” Williams added.

“He ran in both races last year, but this year they’re only a week apart so I think we will target one or the other.

“We left him in the Midlands National at the first stage as we were worried about the ground at Newcastle, but I would have thought he’ll be taken out of that now.”