Tag Archive for: Cheltenham

Crawford considering multiple options for Gold Cup Bailly

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Stuart Crawford is relishing the prospect of getting Gold Cup Bailly back in action – but is still mulling his options for the talented chaser.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten since switching to fences this season and holds a pair of entries for Cheltenham this weekend in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase and Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase, while he is also entered for a Grade Three assignment at Naas on Sunday in the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase.

Crawford is favouring the open handicap worth £100,000 out of his two Cheltenham options, but with conditions at Prestbury Park potentially proving testing on Festival Trials Day, he could be tempted to hang fire an extra seven days and reroute the son of Turgeon to the William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby on February 4.

“The horse is in good form and I’m keen to go somewhere soon,” said Crawford.

“If we don’t go this weekend, another option is Wetherby for the Towton Novices’ Chase next weekend. I’m pretty sure if you don’t see him out this weekend, you will see him out the following week – I think he’s in great form and I’m looking forward to running him again.

“At Cheltenham, the premier handicap looks pretty appetising over the novice one. I wouldn’t be opposed a tilt at that, but nothing is set in stone at the minute and the ground at Cheltenham is a bit of a concern.

“It should be on all right you would imagine, but it could end up being quite tacky ground and I would say whatever goes there this weekend could be getting a hard race.”

Gold Cup Bailly holds an entry in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but Crawford is in no rush to label his charge with a target and is simply keen to see how long he can can keep his winning thread going.

He added: “We are in a lucky position with him where he has plenty of options and no real big plans, we’re just keen to get him out somewhere.

“If we can keep on winning with him in the short term, that is what we’re going to try to do with him and if any horse does that, sooner or later they will be taking you to the bigger race and the bigger day.”

The County Antrim-based handler is also keen to take the slow road to the top with O’Toole, who made an impressive chasing debut at Newcastle earlier this month.

O'Toole returned to action with a win
O’Toole returned to action with a win (Nick Robson/PA)

Although holding a Grade One entry for the Dublin Racing Festival, he is likely to continue swimming in calmer waters at Ayr next week.

“I was very pleased with him at Newcastle because it wasn’t easy,” continued Crawford.

“Starting a first timer up against seasoned handicappers is a big ask and to be honest he didn’t put a foot wrong.

“I would say the ground was really hard work that day and he doesn’t need it as testing as that, but he can handle it.

“We’ll try to find something similar to go again with him and try to bank up a wee bit more experience.

“I think eventually the further the better, but at this stage he doesn’t need three miles and two and a half will be fine.

“There’s a novices’ handicap up at Ayr I could run him in. I like going to Ayr, it’s a nice, big, fair track and good fences. Horses normally get a good education there and it’s definitely somewhere we will have a look at.”

Ruth Jefferson hoping Sounds Russian can book Gold Cup ticket

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Sounds Russian will bid to underline his Gold Cup claims when he runs in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The promising chaser, who was just touched off by Into Overdrive in the Rowland Meyrick, conceding 15lb at Wetherby on Boxing Day, has an official rating of 161.

That has made him difficult to place and trainer Ruth Jefferson hopes to find out if she has a horse capable of competing at the highest level on her hands.

“If you run in a handicap, you’d probably be giving away a few pounds to the next horse, but he is caught a bit in between,” said the North Yorkshire-based handler.

“He’ll give weight away – I wouldn’t be too worried about giving weight away if need be, but we intend to run on Saturday.”

Jefferson is keen to see whether the Sholokov gelding could make the requisite jump into top-class company, having proved himself capable in Graded races.

Jefferson said: “Saturday will tell us a lot, won’t it? He has a Gold Cup entry and he will have a handicap entry somewhere, or we will steer clear and find something else. I don’t know. It is quite hard to say until we get Saturday out of the way.”

Any thoughts of potentially running in the Coral Trophy Handicap at Kempton next month may be on the back-burner, however.

She added: “I’m not 100 per cent certain he’s a horse that will go right-handed. That’s why we have never asked him to.

“And perhaps Kempton may be a bit sharp for him. I think there would be other right-handed tracks we would take him to first. Something will come up, there’s always something.

“You’d like to win another race before the end of the season – that would be the plan, but when you are rated 161, it is not quite as easy as it used to be.”

Sandy Thomson on weather watch with War Soldier

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Sandy Thomson does not want to suffer a case of Deja Vu as he bids to get a run into promising hurdler War Soldier this weekend.

A late abandonment at Haydock forced the Berwickshire handler to do an about-turn last weekend with Empire Steel and he has therefore made a double engagement for War Soldier on Saturday.

War Soldier will run in  either the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster or the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, both Grade Twos, following wins at Newcastle and Haydock this season.

Thomson said: “I’m slightly concerned about the ground at Doncaster, which might get pretty quick and horrible.

“So, we may end up going to Cheltenham, and then I hear they are not out of the woods with the weather. It is ridiculous. I was speaking to someone today and they were minus-7C – and we’re plus 10C.”

Though War Soldier holds an entry in the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival meeting on March 15, that is not his prime target, according to his handler.

Thomson added: “He is a nice horse and the problem is, what do you do with these horses who win a couple?

“We want to run him this weekend, because the Premier Hurdle at Kelso is obviously where we want to be.

“That will be next, I presume. I know he he has an entry at Cheltenham, but that’s unlikely to happen unless he was to skate up on Saturday. We need to run him.”

Empire Steel, who missed the chance to run in the Peter Marsh Chase on Saturday, will now head to Sandown for the Virgin Bet Masters Handicap Chase on Saturday week.

“We hummed and hawed about putting him in at Cheltenham, but he’ll have to go to Sandown the following week for that £50,000 handicap chase.”

Henry Daly happy to bypass Festival options with Blenkinsop

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Henry Daly will not send Blenkinsop to the Cheltenham Festival, even if he completes a five-timer at the track on Saturday.

The six-year-old has rattled up a sequence of four victories this season since stepping up in distance and his handicap mark has rocketed 27lb since his winning spree started at Ludlow in November.

Following his latest success at Newbury, he tackles Grade Two company for the first time in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on a bumper nine-race card.

“We keep trying to run him and they keep saying ridiculous things like ‘Ascot is off’ and things like that!” quipped the Stanton Lacy-based trainer. “It has been very frustrating.”

Now on a mark of 131, the son of Westerner will tackle Graded company for the first time.

Daly said: “We could wait and go to Ascot, where there is a handicap at their next meeting, but actually he’s fit and well and I’ve always believed if they are fit and well, it is perhaps better to run them on a racecourse than have them charging up and down my gallop. Generally, you only win a Mars Bar here.”

Plans for Blenkinsop are fluid, although a return to Prestbury Park for the March Festival have been shelved, as the handler believes there are other avenues to explore.

“We will see how we go, but I’ve not entered him at Cheltenham,” he added. “The track is not a problem. I just don’t think we need to be doing that.

“It is the Cheltenham thing, it doesn’t really grab me much. The trouble with Cheltenham, it has become less about the prize money and more about Cheltenham.

“Horses can have a very hard time there, as well.”

Noble Yeats team anticipating ‘proper race’ in Cotswold heat

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Sean Bowen believes the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase will inform connections of exactly where they stand with Noble Yeats.

Bowen, second in the championship standings behind Brian Hughes, picked up the ride one Emmet Mullins’ stable star after Sam Waley-Cohen quit in fairytale circumstances following his Grand National last April.

Unbeaten in two races together, a Listed event at Wexford and the Grade Two Many Clouds at Aintree, Noble Yeats and Bowen face genuine Gold Cup quality opposition this weekend with Betfair Chase winner Protektorat and a previous King George winner in Frodon in opposition.

“It will be the first time I’ve sat on him since Aintree and I’m looking forward to it,” said Bowen.

“I’ve not heard too much from Emmet as he likes to keep himself to himself, but if he is going for a race like this, I put full faith in Emmet getting him right for the day.

“I think he is one of those horses that never overdoes anything. I suppose at Wexford he did what he needed to, and with a horse like that, you never really know how much they have got left in the locker until they have a proper fight on their hands.

“I suppose Saturday will show us how good he really is as he will be having a proper race there. To be honest he probably does need to take another step forward, but again I think he is capable of that given how he never overdoes things.

“He is a very straightforward ride and he doesn’t do much until you ask him. Hopefully there is plenty left in the locker when I need it on Saturday.”

Jockey Sam Waley-Cohen (left), his father Robert Waley-Cohen (right) and trainer Emmet Mullins
Ex-Jockey Sam Waley-Cohen (left), his father Robert Waley-Cohen (right) and trainer Emmet Mullins (Brian Lawless/PA)

Speaking of the circumstances regarding getting the ride, Bowen added: “I’m in a very lucky position. It’s hard when you are freelance to find a horse that takes you to the next level.

“I’m very grateful to Robert (Waley-Cohen, owner), Sam and Emmet for giving me this chance.”

Cheltenham and Doncaster optimistic ahead of weekend fixtures

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Officials at Cheltenham and Doncaster are optimistic this weekend’s high-profile fixtures will go ahead as scheduled with temperatures across the country set to rise in the coming days.

National Hunt fans have been starved of action in the past week, with Hereford’s meeting last Monday followed by six consecutive days of no jumps racing in Britain.

Ffos Las got the show back on the road on Monday afternoon, but Tuesday’s cards at Exeter, Leicester and a rearranged fixture at Market Rasen have all been abandoned, while racing at Warwick on Wednesday is subject to an inspection at noon on Tuesday.

Beyond that, however, forecasts suggest temperatures will stay above freezing for the remainder of the week, which will undoubtedly be a big relief to the teams at Cheltenham and Doncaster in particular.

With the Grade One Clarence House Chase saved and rescheduled from last weekend’s abandoned meeting at Ascot, Cheltenham is set to play host to a bumper nine-race card that also features a recognised Gold Cup trial in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase and the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle.

And while parts of the Prestbury Park circuit remained frozen on Monday afternoon, clerk of the course Jon Pullin is hopeful the weather will not pose any problems.

He said: “We’re currently frozen following some frosts over the weekend, but the situation does improve, certainly from Wednesday onwards.

“We are forecast another frost this evening, getting down to minus 3C/minus 4C, but then things improve and from Wednesday daytime temperatures are due to rise to plus 6C or plus 7C.

“We could get down to around zero on Thursday and Friday night, but again temperatures are forecast to get back up to plus 6C or 7C on Saturday. If the forecast is correct, we’re hopeful that we’ll be OK.

“We’ve got nine great races, we’re delighted with the entries and obviously we’re really pleased to be able to stage the Clarence House.”

Racing at Doncaster
Racing at Doncaster (Tim Goode/PA)

Doncaster is set to stage a quality two-day fixture on Friday and Saturday, with Saturday’s fare particularly mouthwatering.

The £100,000 Sky Bet Chase is supported by a trio of Grade Two contests, with the presence of 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante in the Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle an added bonus.

Clerk of the course Paul Barker said: “We’re currently frozen in places and on the areas of the track that have thawed we’ve got good ground.

“It’s 6C today, so it’s a nice thawing day, and the forecast is saying tonight is probably the last chance of us getting a frost this week. Thereafter temperatures increase to 9C or possibly 10C on Wednesday and the thaw will continue through to racing.

“It was nice to see Epatante entered this morning and 22 stood their ground for the Sky Bet Chase. Over the two days we have some very competitive racing, which is great.”

Ahoy Senor team keen on Cotswold Chase run

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Ahoy Senor has been given the chance to get some more Cheltenham experience as one of 11 entries for the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Prestbury Park on Saturday.

Lucinda Russell’s stable star was second in his sole appearance at the track when chasing home L’Homme Presse at last year’s Festival but went on to reverse that form when scooping Grade One honours at Aintree the following month.

He was last seen fading into fifth in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day and although the eight-year-old is joined on the list of possibles by stablemate Corach Rambler, the Kinross-based handler has reported Ahoy Senor will be her main dart at the Grade Two contest – with the Gold Cup in March still the dream.

“Ahoy Senor is in great form,” said Russell. “This is the first choice for him with second choice being the Denman Chase at Newbury. If the ground was very soft or testing we would probably wait for Newbury.

“I was really pleased with his run at Kempton and he seems to be growing up – I was very happy with him.

“We’ve been held up – the snow and ice has been quite horrible for us. So last week they had a bit of a quiet week, however we will get quite a bit of work into him this week and see how he gets on.”

She went on: “I will speak to the owners and see what they are thinking, but I think they would like to give him a bit more experience around Cheltenham which I think is a fair statement.

“The Gold Cup is still the dream and I’m really looking forward to seeing him run again. I think he’s on the up again now and we’ve always thought he was a really good horse.”

Gold Cup second favourite and Grand National hero Noble Yeats could line-up for Emmet Mullins, while Protektorat is the shortest priced British-trained candidate for the blue ribband and this has always been the plan for Dan Skelton’s Betfair Chase winner.

Harry Skelton celebrates winning the Betfair Chase with Protektorat at Haydock
Harry Skelton celebrates winning the Betfair Chase with Protektorat at Haydock (Nigel French/PA)

Nicky Henderson has won this twice in the last three years and could rely on Dusart – although the eight-year-old also has the option of Doncaster’s Sky Bet Chase, while Frodon won this contest in 2019 and could line-up having missed out on an intended target at Taunton.

Cape Gentleman is an interesting raider from Ireland while Cool Cody (Evan Williams), Sounds Russian (Ruth Jefferson), Sam Brown (Anthony Honeyball) and Happygolucky (Kim Bailey) complete the list of entries.

Editeur Du Gite added to Clarence House field

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Editeur Du Gite has been supplemented for the rearranged Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Gary Moore’s charge put himself in the Champion Chase picture when causing a shock in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over the Christmas period.

Although not amongst the candidates for the Grade One contest at Ascot last Saturday, the nine-year-old has won twice at Prestbury Park and his record in Gloucestershire has seen connections part with £2,250 to add him to the field.

The big clash between Energumene and Edwardstone is still on as both also appeared among the confirmations.

The duo were set to clash at the race’s traditional home of Ascot, but with the Berkshire track’s meeting falling victim to the latest cold snap last Saturday, the pair now get the chance to return to the scene of their greatest triumphs .

Respective trainers Alan King and Willie Mullins were quick to state their intentions to line up in the rearranged contest and they have been joined by Joe Tizzard’s Amarillo Sky who was the only other horse declared for Ascot.

Amarillo Sky, here winning at Newbury, is a possible for the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham
Amarillo Sky, here winning at Newbury, is a possible for the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham (John Walton/PA)

Adding their names to the mix are Venetia Williams’ Funambule Sivola, who was second behind Energumene in the Champion Chase last March, and David Pipe’s Sizing Pottsie.

The Pond House handler admits his charge has a mountain to climb up against what appears the best of the two-mile division – but with an intended outing at Lingfield lost to the elements, is short of options and willing to take a chance in the hunt for the prize-money on offer.

“We would have liked to have gone to Lingfield on Sunday but he is limited for options,” said Pipe.

“Obviously we will be a big price but it won’t be that big a field. It’ll be the plan to try and get as much (prize money) as we can.”

Although the original contest was short of runners, the two-mile Grade One was only reoffered to those still engaged at the six-day forfeit stage.

Allegorie De Vassy stays unbeaten for Mullins at Thurles

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Allegorie De Vassy’s winning streak continued as she cantered to victory in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Mogul Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase at Thurles.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old has been victorious in three previous starts for the Clossuton handler, most recently taking the Grade Two Dawn Run Mares Novice Chase at Limerick by 19 lengths.

At the same level at Thurles she was the 1-8 favourite to oblige again – but gave onlookers a fright when pausing to take a look at the first fence and nearly unseating Paul Townend.

That was the only moment of doubt, however, as the bay then strolled home without seeing another rival to prevail by 19 lengths once again.

Mullins said: “Maybe it was my fault as I said to Paul to let her go from the start and she was too exuberant at the first – I don’t think he’ll be listening to me again!

“Paul thinks it was pure exuberance and he was letting her roll down to the fence rather than pulling her together and asking her. She went off right, but he gathered her together more after that.

“I think it was a one-off thing and she didn’t get a jump this week as our jumping area was frozen.

“She was just too fresh and exuberant, but settled into it nicely and confirmed what she showed at Limerick.

“What impressed me at Limerick was that she was able to jump so well out of the heavy ground – most horses can’t keep that up for two miles and four furlongs, but she did against good opposition.”

Paddy Power make Allegorie De Vassy the 13-8 favourite for the Mares’ Chase they sponsor at Cheltenham, with Coral going 6-4 for the Festival contest.

Mullins added: “I’m very pleased today and doubt she’ll run before Cheltenham although she will have a school somewhere, maybe after the Dublin Racing Festival or the week after that. At the moment the mares’ chase (at Cheltenham) is where she’ll go.”

Henry de Bromhead had a smart-looking winner on the card as Belle The Lioness took the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle under Rachael Blackmore.

The 2-7 favourite was not foot-perfect over the final two flights but still booked her ticket to Cheltenham with a half-length victory.

“We’ve had a lot of fun with her and she hasn’t been out of the first two for us. She got lit up by the loose horse and plenty went against her and in a better race, the way to ride her is to take your time,” De Bromhead said.

“On her previous run, we are going to aim for the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham – we’re entitled to go and take our chance. She has done plenty already, has her black type and will go straight there.”

In the concluding Thurles Racecourse Hunters Chase there was a winning favourite again as Ferns Lock won at even money – meaning all seven races on the card were claimed by the horse at the top of the market.

A 20-length winner ahead of Cheltenham and Punchestown champion Billaway, David Christie’s Ferns Lock carried Barry O’Neill to an easy win around the three-mile, half-furlong trip.

“He has the potential to be a serious horse and Barry said he learned more today than the last day. He said Billaway eyeballed him early in the race and he panicked a bit and took a while to settle. Once he settled into a rhythm he was pretty good and there is improvement to come.

“He is 17 hands, is a huge tank and after Fairyhouse we gave him a break but put on about 50 kilos! Then I had to try and get it off him and was panicking.

“He is a horse for next year and won’t go away – the Tetratema (at Gowran) will be one of his main aims. I definitely won’t send him to Cheltenham as he might be run off his head and it could scare the life out of him.

“What this horse has over my other three hunter chasers (Vaucelet, Winged Leader and Ultimate Optimist) is a serious kick of gear.

“He has the potential to be top class and we’ve always held him in the highest regard.”

Protektorat primed for Cheltenham clash with Noble Yeats

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Dan Skelton feels the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham will answer a lot of questions regarding Protektorat’s Gold Cup claims.

Hugely impressive in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance, in which last season’s Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard disappointed, Skelton immediately nominated a trip to Prestbury Park as a prep for the Festival.

Rather than scare away the opposition this coming Saturday, though, the spate of recent abandonments and other issues mean he will face a keen test of his credentials against the likes of Grand National winner Noble Yeats, a previous King George winner in Frodon and Sounds Russian.

“I’m not saying Protektorat is an absolute certainty as if your man turns up (Noble Yeats) he is a shorter price in the Gold Cup, rightly or wrongly, whatever your opinion is. It is going to be enlightening to see them lining up against each other,” said Skelton.

“Noble Yeats was very good in the Many Clouds Chase which you would expect a Grand National winner to be able to do.

“You can’t deny Noble Yeats’ ability and stamina and I don’t think he will be inconvenienced by his lack of experience at the track. However, Protektorat has just turned into a real good stayer and that is very important around Cheltenham.”

Protektorat oozed class at Haydock and Skelton, who has his horses firing on all cylinders after a quiet Christmas, said: “I think the win at Haydock suggested that he had improved from last season which we had seen at home but he still had to confirm that on the track.

“We’ve not changed anything in his training regime just as they get that bit older and stronger you can do that bit more with them that is the truth.

“He went through the race very well and picked up very well. I was surprised how he scampered clear after the last, which I thought was very good.

“All in all it was just good to see him come out and win like that.”

Assessing his Gold Cup rivals, Skelton is well aware of the task ahead.

“I thought Bravemansgame was very good at Kempton and I think he put to bed any doubts about really seeing that trip out,” he said.

“He has now won a King George which is probably the second biggest chase on the calendar in the UK. Any doubts people could have about him have been dispelled and it enhanced him for a Gold Cup even more.

“Galopin Des Champs is yet to take race beyond an extended two-miles-five-furlongs over fences but that appears to be the only answered question about him as there is no question about his class and ability.

“The Dublin Racing Festival will tell you a little bit about what chances a lot of the Irish guys have and what form they are in.

“We also haven’t seen last year’s Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard since his no show in the Betfair Chase but you would be foolish to write him off as well.”