Tag Archive for: bet365 Gold Cup

Kitty’s Light shines in brilliant Sandown gold run

/by

Hugely popular staying chaser Kitty’s Light shone once again in taking bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

Just seven days after landing the Scottish Grand National, the Christian Williams-trained seven-year-old, who was third to the well-handicapped Hewick in last year’s renewal and was unfortunate the year before that, went one better after a protracted battle with Moroder.

In a deep renewal of the extended three-and-a-half-mile handicap, former King George VI Chase winner Frodon made much of the running, with Moroder upsides five out.

But Bryony Frost’s mount, shouldering top weight, was under pressure at the Pond Fence three out and as the 11-year-old back-peddled, Kitty’s Light was making stealthy headway under Jack Tudor.

There were plenty still in with a chance two out, but the 11-4 favourite, who was carrying just 10st 8lb having escaped a penalty for last week’s success at Ayr, powered up the hill and after jumping upsides at the final fence, strode out smartly to score by two and a half lengths from Moroder.

Revels Hill travelled smoothly only to be outgunned when it mattered and finished a further five and a half lengths down in third, with The Goffer making up ground to take fourth.

Having previously won the Eider at Newcastle, Kitty’s Light completed a hat-trick and became the only the second horse after Hot Weld in 2007 to successfully complete the Scottish National and bet365 Gold Cup Double.

Betfair introduced Kitty’s Light into their 2024 Grand National betting, making him a 40-1 shot for Aintree glory.

Williams said: “Coming into today there were lots of negatives and we put ourselves under pressure running him again just a week later, but we’ve had the horse since he was a yearling and Jack knows him well. We know that when we give him a chance he will do something special.

“His constitution is unbelievable and at this time of year he comes into himself. It’s hard to get him right for 12 months of the year and it’s hard to get these horses right and they tend to just tend to come into themselves.

“When we won last year’s Scottish National with Win My Wings, I trained him for five years and I don’t know where that performance came from and it’s the same here today.

“We train him nice and quietly at home and he doesn’t get knocked about when he runs and Jack was nice and kind on him in the Scottish National.

“He didn’t pull him out (to challenge) until the second last and we had the cheekpieces in the wardrobe for when we needed them.

“There was no plan, he just came out of the race so well. We just felt that he’s a special horse and we wanted to give him the opportunity to do something that not many horses have done.”

Williams was emotional in the aftermath of Ayr, following news his five-year-old daughter Betsy has been diagnosed with leukaemia.

Christian Williams and Jack Tudor after winning the bet365 Gold Cup
Christian Williams and Jack Tudor after winning the bet365 Gold Cup (David Davies for the Jockey Club)

He went on: “Ayr was great last week, we were under pressure there as we’d had such a tough few weeks with Betsy and when we got up there the story was all about Betsy. All the emotions came out when he won whereas today all the focus was just on the result.

“We showed our emotion at Ayr, but today was purely a bonus and it was because he’d come out of the race so well and we wanted to give him the chance to do something special.

“Poor Tilly my older daughter doesn’t get a mention! Hayley Moore ran the London Marathon for Cancer Research and Betsy last week and she messaged me to say she was doing it. She brought me the medal half an hour before the race so I’ve had it on since and it’s just great.

“We’ve got tough times ahead but we’re lucky to be involved in this sport and to see the joy it brings with Betsy, Charlotte (wife) and all the family at home is just a big lift. It’s all down to this horse. People talk about the jockey and the trainer, but the horse is the one who gives us these days and gives us so much joy.”

Tudor said: “He’s a freak, an absolute freak. It’s the only way to describe him. I was worried about the ground when I walked the track as it was sticky as it’s hard enough on that ground and it felt like it.

“With running last week he’s had a hard week and a lot of travelling, but it was a great shout by the owners and Chris to run him. We thought all the facts were there and the boxes ticked to run him and that’s why we ran.

“He’s unbelievable, he’s done some amount (of good) for both mine and Christian’s careers. Everything that Chris and his family are going through is terrible but this horse has done so much to lift them, I spoke to Charlotte and she said that Betsy thinks she’s famous!

“It’s brilliant and I know they’re getting a massive lift from this, it’s bound to be helping.”

Kitty’s Light could be fantastic again for Williams at Sandown

/by

Scottish Grand National hero Kitty’s Light bids for a rare double in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday.

The seven-year-old is turning out just seven days after providing trainer Christian Williams with back-to-back victories in Scotland’s most prestigious jumps race, with the Ferdy Murphy-trained Hot Weld the last horse to win both races in the same season back in 2007.

Williams was dealt a devastating blow recently when his five-year-old daughter Betsy was diagnosed with leukaemia, and the Welsh handler was unsurprisingly emotional in the Ayr winner’s enclosure following Kitty’s Light’s deserved big-race success north of the border.

“It was a wonderful day. It’s been a tough few weeks for my family and friends, Kitty’s Light has been a flagship horse for the last few years and going into the race winning Scottish National would have been a massive boost, so it was very emotional for everyone,” he said.

“We’re just lucky enough to be involved in the sport and see the joy that horses can bring. This was just one situation there at the weekend, what the horse did to pick everyone up, and it’s all down to Kitty’s Light. It was a wonderful, emotional day.”

Kitty’s Light has been a fantastic servant to his connections, placing in numerous big races prior to this season, including in the last two renewals of the bet365 Gold Cup.

He snapped a near two-year losing streak in the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February and having chased home stablemate Win My Wings in the Scottish National last April, went one better with a typically game performance under his regular partner Jack Tudor.

Jockey Jack Tudor (left) and trainer Christian Williams celebrate after Kitty’s Light's Ayr triumph
Jockey Jack Tudor (left) and trainer Christian Williams celebrate after Kitty’s Light’s Ayr triumph (Jane Barlow/PA)

Williams admits only time will tell if those exertions will take their toll just a week later, but is happy to the roll the dice with a horse who is somewhat out of the ordinary.

He added: “The horse seems very well and came out of the race very well. You never really know until you run, but Jack is riding him and he knows the horse better than anyone – he’s in the right hands.

“He loves this type of ground and loves this time of year. We haven’t ridden him out much this week, but we let him out in the field on Sunday and he galloped off like a lunatic.

“It’s obviously brave running him, but we’ve had the horse since he was a yearling and he is a freak really. If you saw him he’d be the last horse you’d pick out for a four-mile chase, but he defies all that.

“The way he comes out of a race is freakish – you could nearly run him in the next race. I don’t know if he’s got big lungs or a big heart, but he’s different to any other horse we’ve run.”

Williams feels Kitty’s Light should already have a bet365 Gold Cup victory under his belt, having been narrowly denied after a controversial finish in 2021.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Enrilo passed the post in front, but having hung badly left in the closing stages, impeding Kitty’s Light in the process, he was demoted to third.

However, as Potterman split the pair in second, he was awarded the race, with Kitty’s Light promoted from third to second but again having to make do with minor honours.

“Paul Nicholls felt he should have won the race when the result was reversed and we felt we should have won the race,” said Williams.

“We think his name should be on that winner’s board, so hopefully we can get it up there on Saturday.”

Frodon and Bryony Frost will team up again at Sandown
Frodon and Bryony Frost will team up again at Sandown (Niall Carson/PA)

On the day he will be crowned champion trainer for a 14th time, Nicholls saddles three runners in his bid for a fourth bet365 Gold Cup success, with popular top-weight Frodon joined by Enrilo and Broken Halo.

“Broken Halo has won the Grand Military and Royal Artillery in his last two starts but this is altogether a tougher race. He’s not without an outside chance, but I think the other two – Frodon and Enrilo – have a real chance,” explained Nicholls.

“Frodon ran very well the last day in a handicap at Kempton. He was flat out all the way then stayed on strongly up the straight and I just thought this would be a lovely race for him. I’m sure he will run well and he likes Sandown.

“The distance is unknown territory but he got three-and-a-quarter in the Badger Ales staying on strongly. Sandown is the sort of track you can freewheel from the top of the hill down and round the back and I think he will get a trip – I think he’s wanting it now.

“Enrilo won the race two years ago but got demoted. He’s been a tad disappointing since, but he has dropped to a nice mark and I would say this is as good form as we have had him in for a long time.”

Other leading contenders include Harry Fry’s Revels Hill, Ben Pauling’s recent course scorer Mucho Mas and the Evan Williams-trained Annsam, who has previously won at Kempton and Ludlow this season.

“It’s a big step up in trip, a very competitive race and there’s a few horses who are very well-in at the weights,” said Williams.

“I think Ludlow was important for us really. Obviously we went up in the weights, but that is almost an irrelevance as it was important to ride him in a different way and it worked out well.

“I was very keen to come and have a go at Saturday. At the end of the day this was a plan and getting there after a good prep is the main thing.”