Tag Archive for: Andy Edwards

Edwards keeping the faith with ‘magnificent’ L’Homme Presse

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Connections have hailed L’Homme Presse’s effort in the King George VI Chase as “magnificent” after subsequent tests found he was carrying an injury.

Having jumped markedly left throughout the Kempton feature on Boxing Day, the Venetia Williams-trained eight-year-old unseated Charlie Deutsch at the last fence when a close-up second to Bravemansgame.

He returned stiff and sore and having been given a little time to recuperate, the Diamond Boy gelding underwent a thorough veterinary examination last week, the results of which saw connections draw stumps on the idea of running in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“There are a couple of issues, both temporary,” said Andy Edwards, who owns the horse under the DFA Racing banner in partnership with Pam Edwards and Peter and Pat Pink.

“He had a few days off in his paddock and has been trotting up fine.

“He has been walking and trotting under saddle, but we decided to give him a full MOT, because he did jump so far to the left at Kempton.

“He moves soundly and you would not think there was anything untoward, but when we got the results, they were not what we were expecting.

“He needs some time and, talking to the vets, it would not be an ideal preparation to rush him into a Gold Cup. Our horse’s health and happiness comes above everything. He is only eight, he can go to the Gold Cup next year.

“The most important thing is doing right by our horse.”

Andy Edwards/Hereford
Andy Edwards remains upbeat despite L’Homme Presse missing Cheltenham (Simon Milham/PA)

A dual Grade One winner as a novice, L’Homme Presse took the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown and the Brown Advisory at last year’s Festival.

He then recorded a comfortable victory in his comeback run under Deutsch in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.

Things did not go according to plan at Kempton, with conditions not ideal and the track’s configuration playing to his main rivals’ strengths, as connections had stated beforehand.

Edwards added: “I watched him going to the start and I thought he didn’t quite look right behind – he didn’t go down as smoothly as he normally does.

“When he jumped the third fence, I said ‘he’s not right’. When he jumped the fourth, I said ‘he’s definitely not right’.

“So it was very hard to watch the race in the stands, as I could feel he was in pain. So, for him to do what he did, to be a close second jumping the last, is absolutely phenomenal considering he was carrying an issue that we were unaware of.

A bitter blow for Venetia Williams and the team at the Kings Caple yard
A bitter blow for Venetia Williams and the team at the Kings Caple yard (Mike Egerton/PA)

“My immediate emotion after the race was one of humility. I was completely humbled by the fact that he had given so much.

“Afterwards, I went into the box with him and stayed with him for some while, and could not help but think how amazing he was and what a magnificent horse he was, to be able to achieve what he did, given the adverse situation.

“The fact that he was carrying an issue, for him to run as well as he did, makes him an incredible racehorse.”

Edwards concedes that for Williams and the rest of the team at the King’s Caple yard, it is a huge disappointment.

“Emotions are running high,” he said. “It is hard for all of us. It is hard for Beth (Baldwin) the groom, Kevin (O’Keeffe), who rides him out every day, Jess (O’Keeffe) the head lass – it is a big blow for all the yard, for us as owners and for Venetia.

“At the same time, by making this decision to give him the time he needs, it will hopefully lead to even greater things in the future.

“He was magnificent in the King George and he will be magnificent again.

“Cheltenham isn’t the be-all and end-all. There are other races and we will see how he is in a few weeks’ time, however Aintree is not a consideration.

L'Homme Presse unseated Charlie Deutsch at the last in the King Georg
L’Homme Presse unseated Charlie Deutsch at the last in the King George (John Walton/PA)

“The issues he has are not life-threatening nor career-ending. He is a young horse and there is so much to look forward to.

“There is another Gold Cup next year, there are other great races to come.

“Sometimes the consequence of something you may believe is bad, may well be good. We are are doing the right thing by him.

“I truly believe he will become an even better horse for this. We are not in any rush. He will be given the time, patience and care he needs. He’ll tell us when he’s right and ready – keep the faith.”

Presse camp conceding ‘home’ advantage to Bravemansgame at Kempton

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Connections of Ladbrokes King George VI Chase favourite L’Homme Presse admit they are “playing away” when taking on Bravemansgame in the mouthwatering Boxing Day feature at Kempton.

The Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse recorded a comfortable victory in his comeback run under Charlie Deutsch in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.

Though the winning margin was a length, the manner of the weight-carrying performance makes him a general 6-1 chance for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Last season he powered to success in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and suffered his sole defeat in seven chase starts when Ahoy Senor turned the tables in the Mildmay at Aintree.

Similarly, that was also the race in which the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame tasted his only fencing defeat and that rival opened this campaign in style, scoring readily in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby under Harry Cobden.

Now the pair are set to lock horns again in the three-mile showpiece at the Sunbury circuit.

“I was at Taunton on Tuesday with a runner and I walked the course,” said co-owner Andy Edwards, who runs his horses under the DFA Racing banner.

“Harry Cobden was coming off the course and we had a little chat in general.

“I said to him it is very simple. If this was a football match, we’d say you were playing at home and we are playing away from home.

“If the match was at Cheltenham, we’d be playing at home, and you’d be away from home.

“That doesn’t mean teams don’t win away from home, but that is the edge they have on us.”

Kempton’s flat track could play to the strengths of Bravemansgame as he bids to give the champion trainer a record 13th success in the Grade One event.

However, Edwards, who owns the seven-year-old with Pam Edwards and Peter and Pat Pink, is just pleased to have a runner in the illustrious race.

L'Homme Presse, Hereford
L’Homme Presse with co-owner Andy Edwards (Simon Milham/PA)

He added: “We are massively excited. It is like a drawn out version of Countdown with the clock ticking.

“We are looking forward to a fantastic King George – there is only one King George – and it is an absolute honour and privilege to not only have a horse with a chance in it, but a favourite’s chance in such a prestigious race.

“All four of us have come from a similar place as racehorse fans and for us to be on this stage is wonderful and amazing, and very, very humbling. That’s how we all feel.

“Pam worked for the Tote for 30 years before Betfred bought it out. She started in the Putney office and started as a Saturday girl before that in the East End of London.

“And for Peter and Pat, the four of us to be on that stage, with our horse that we adore, it really is a fairytale story.”

Venetia Williams will hope Kempton sees plenty of rain ahead of the big Boxing Day date
Venetia Williams will hope Kempton sees plenty of rain ahead of the big Boxing Day date (Mike Egerton/PA)

Recent rain – with the potential for more to come – has led to the ground easing and L’Homme Presse was imperious in the mud when dispatching Ahoy Senor over an extended three miles at the Cheltenham Festival, looking every inch a Gold Cup horse.

Bravemansgame, meanwhile, has already won over the sharper three miles at Kempton, taking the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on the same card last year. All of which sets up a potentially titanic clash.

“I have faith in everything,” said Edwards. “I have complete faith in the horse, complete faith in the trainer and complete faith in the jockey. So when people ask if I’m getting nervous, I’m not. I’m getting excited.

“It will be what it will be, and I truly hope it will be a magnificent spectacle for everyone involved.

“That is for the people watching, people involved with their horses – that is what racing needs, magnificent spectacles.

“And if we can be part of creating a magnificent spectacle, may the best horse on the day win, may they all come back happy and safe and that everyone has had a great day out watching sport – because that is what it is. It is sport. Let’s all be sporting about it.

“Let’s all cheer the winner, the second, third and fourth, whoever wins any race. Let’s all be sporting about it, which is what DFA Racing is founded upon.”