Tag Archive for: Ben Brookhouse

Brookhouse harbouring Champion aspirations for Sarsons Risk

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Ben Brookhouse has full confidence in Sarsons Risk and is already plotting a path to the 2024 Champion Hurdle with his talented son of Caravaggio.

The four-year-old was Newmarket-based Brookhouse’s first winner in the training ranks when bolting up at Doncaster earlier this month and the handler’s belief in his charge was demonstrated by pitching him straight in amongst Grade Two company for the Adonis Hurdle.

Sent off 10-1 at Kempton on Saturday, he was in the process of running a huge race on the front end before taking a crashing fall at the third last.

However, Brookhouse – who previously served as assistant to Ian Williams – reports Sarsons Risk to have escaped the fall unscathed, with the performance only reinforcing the lofty regard in which he holds the horse.

He said: “Sarsons Risk has been a revelation since having his wind done and my very bold statement is I think he is the best juvenile we have in the UK at the minute.

“He was setting very bold fractions when he came down at Kempton and someone said to me he hit the ground doing around 37 miles per hour.

“If he had fallen at the last there would be a lot of people talking about him, but Robbie (Dunne, jockey) was doing his best to get a breather into the horse and that is the reason he was only a length and a half clear and once he had landed at the back of the third last, he would have skipped clear.

“We know he can sustain a gallop off a strong pace – he showed that at Doncaster – and for me the horse seems to have improved since Doncaster.”

He went on: “In my mind he is probably the best juvenile in the UK and although it would have been nice to get a Grade Two on the board with just my third winner, I’m not massively disappointed.

“I feel sorry for the horse that people didn’t get the chance to see how good he is, because I think he is very special and we will be training him to be something very special.”

Sarsons Risk will now be aimed at the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree on April 13, although Brookhouse is already looking ahead to next season, when he hopes his charge can develop into a Champion Hurdle contender.

“He’ll have a small break now and go home and have some grass and just enjoy himself,” continued the Saville House Stables handler.

“He deserves a bit of time off following the two big efforts he has put in. Then we will probably be going to Aintree with him.

“We did talk about running him on the Flat this summer, but I expect we will see him in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham in October. That will hopefully show his potential to be a Champion Hurdle prospect for next year.

“He resembles a Constitution Hill type of horse in that he can travel at speed and gallop at speed. His jumping wouldn’t be as good as Constitution Hill, but it is only because he is so confident and so slick and so quick. He is still a big baby and his jumping will improve and maybe in a years time we might look back and think the fall is the best thing to happen to him as he won’t want it to happen again.

“I think he’s pretty special and if he was rated 20lb higher on the Flat, I would be considering the Chester Cup. But you only get so many miles after a wind op before it is a case of refreshing and retouching.

“He could be Champion Hurdle quality and my aim for him next year is to go for a Champion Hurdle.”

Brookhouse eyeing Aintree prep for Aslukgoes

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Ben Brookhouse is keen to give Aslukgoes some more experience as he works towards his main spring target at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Unbeaten in three starts, the son of Yorgunnabelucky scooped Listed honours at Newbury in his most recent outing – a performance that brought big-race targets in the spring into the equation.

On that occasion the Roger Brookhouse-owned five-year-old stayed on strongly in the hands of Jack Quinlan and his handler is confident he is one of the best bumper horses in the UK.

However, with Cheltenham quickly ruled out in the aftermath and still remaining unlikely – and a trip to Ireland for the Punchestown Festival also dismissed – it is the Grade Two Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race on Grand National day where Aslukgoes will get the opportunity to prove his quality on the big stage.

“I haven’t noticed a bumper horse yet in the UK which travels at the speed he does and can also produce a finishing effort like him,” said the Newmarket-based handler.

“Jack (Quinlan) was very confident on him at Newbury and he was nowhere near finished at the line. He idles when he gets to the front, as he showed at Worcester and at Fontwell, hence why we are keeping him in bumpers for a long time, just to help his mentality and educate him.

“He is a horse with a lot of ability and a very good attitude. Three days after Newbury he was back to his old self which is unbelievable.

“We straight away ruled out Cheltenham, but when he was bouncing after Newbury I had a conversation with dad and said ‘look, I’ve got to train this horse for Cheltenham’ because I have to maintain and manage his mentality.

“So we are training him for Cheltenham, but he probably won’t get entered for Cheltenham.”

He continued: “He might go to Uttoxeter for the bumper on Midlands National day. He will have a penalty and Daire McConville will probably take 7lb off him, or there is a bumper at Kelso (March 25) on a big day that is worth quite a lot of money he could go to.

“We toyed with the idea of Punchestown, but that probably won’t be the place to take him because it is a trip away and it is all about maintaining his mentality and energy levels.

“He is a horse with lots of natural ability, a good moving and, touch wood, a very sound horse.

“Aintree is the goal for him and it would do the stallion good. I would like to think we would finish the season unbeaten with him as a bumper horse and then we will focus on getting him jumping and making some nice shapes before worrying what trip he would want over hurdles.”