Tag Archive for: Coral Cup

Langer Dan delivers long-awaited Festival victory

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Langer Dan made it third time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival when holding on for a brave success in the Coral Cup.

The big meeting has been a cruel mistress for the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old in the last two seasons, bumping into Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs in the 2021 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle before being brought down at the second flight when sent off favourite for the same race 12 months ago.

This year stable jockey Harry Skelton was given his chance aboard the 9-1 winner and despite having plenty to do when short of room two out, he was inspired in the saddle from the home turn.

Hitting the front halfway up the run-in, he drove his mount home with vigour to hold off An Epic Song (second) and Campround (third) in three-way tussle at the finish.

Harry Skelton celebrates aboard Langer Dan
Harry Skelton celebrates aboard Langer Dan (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Dan Skelton said: “He’s a great horse to train because he puts it all in when it matters.

“The best thing that happened is that they shut the door on him two out which meant battle was renewed, and he likes that because he had to get out of jail as if it was another race.

“What this horse has got is heart. He’s all heart and it’s part of him.

“He comes alive in the spring, but we’ve got more chances to come. Compared to Wille Mullins we’re in the foothills, but we strive to get better and our team is stacked with talent.”

There was a first Festival winner for Darragh O’Keeffe as he steered Henry de Bromhead’s Maskada to victory in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual.

Maskada ridden by jockey Darragh O’Keeffe on their way to winning the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival
Maskada ridden by jockey Darragh O’Keeffe on their way to winning the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

Jumping the final fence alongside defending champion Global Citizen and Dinoblue, the 22-1 shot took advantage of a jolting error from 7-2 favourite Dinoblue to scorch to a six-and-a-half-length victory.

De Bromhead said: “She was really good, we’re delighted with her. Darragh gave her a super ride so I’m delighted for him, it’s his first winner here, that’s brilliant.

“I’m delighted for the Marigas (owners) they are great supporters of ours and we had a nice winner for them on Saturday and here today.

“We bought her last season, just before Punchestown, and she had a nice run there. They have some very good broodmares and she looked ideal to add to the band. She had good form in the UK, I don’t think we’ve done a lot with her.

“She had form over further and in soft ground so we are delighted.”

Coral Cup an option for back-to-form Beacon Edge

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Noel Meade could bypass the Stayers’ Hurdle with Beacon Edge in favour of a tilt at the Coral Cup, as he ramps up plans for the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old showed plenty of his former sparkle when third to last season’s Albert Bartlett winner Blazing Khal at Navan last week.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned winner of the Grade Two Boyne Hurdle two years ago, Beacon Edge appeared to have lost his way after landing the Grade One Drimnore Novice Chase at Leopardstown 15 months ago.

However, he has shown a renewed zest since a return to the smaller obstacles and his County Meath handler is keeping him in the Stayers’ Hurdle, for which is is a general 50-1 chance.

Meade said: “He’s in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but I think, depending on what way the English handicapper handicaps him, there is quite a possibility he will run in the Coral Cup.

“He has been in good shape since Navan.

“He didn’t like jumping fences and he kind of lost his way, because he was worried about them. It has taken a race or two to just get him back over hurdles.

“We’ll leave him in both races and see what weight he gets. He is better on better ground than he is on very heavy ground. Good ground would suit him well.”

Flanking Maneuver also finished placed on the same Navan card, finishing just a length and a quarter behind Churchstonewarrior in the Grade Two Ten Up Novice Chase.

It was his first try over fences and his first run since finishing fourth to Bob Olinger in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle at Navan two years ago.

Flanking Maneuver made a promising comeback after 760 days off the track
Flanking Maneuver made a promising comeback after 760 days off the track (Niall Carson/PA)

“He did a tendon in that Grade One at Naas, when he was running a nice race. He is a nice horse,” said Meade.

“I don’t rightly know where he is going to go next. I would assume that we will probably keep him to good races.

“That is what we are probably thinking and if he wins one, he wins one – and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.

“He’ll still be a novice next season, but he is eight years of age, so time has passed on him.

“But that is probably what we will do, I’d imagine. ”

Asked if he will run again this season, Meade was positive. He added: “I haven’t actually discussed it with Eddie (O’Leary, Gigginstown House Stud’s racing manager) since, so I don’t know exactly what he is thinking, but that is what I am thinking about, anyway.”

HMS Seahorse setting sail for Coral Cup challenge

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HMS Seahorse is being primed for a raid on the Coral Cup, following an impressive success at Navan.

The Paul Nolan-trained five-year-old showed good form last season, finishing third behind Vauban in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown in April, having previously been fourth in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.

Given a break after finishing down the field in the Irish Cesarewitch in September, he relished the step up to two and a half miles when reappearing over hurdles last month, scoring with ease in soft ground – on his first start since a gelding operation.

“He was good at Navan,” said Nolan. “He looked like he stayed well and I think he’s a horse who is in no way ground dependent.

“He seems to be able to handle it every way and I’m hoping the improvement has come from him being gelded.

“There are times when it doesn’t make any difference at all, but this fella definitely seems to have improved for it.”

A son of Galileo, he holds an entry in Sunday’s Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Exeter, although his Enniscorthy handler says he is unlikely to travel.

“He’s got 4lb more with the English handicapper, but it’s more than likely we won’t go to Exeter,” added Nolan. “It has just given us more of an idea of where we stand. It is useful to know.

“I’d say more than likely we will go to the Coral Cup. It is just stepping up an extra furlong and we found out more about him last time.

“He won a mile-and-a-half handicap on summer soft ground at the Curragh, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way – you can look like a stayer on the Flat, but there are times you might not stay two and a half or three miles over hurdles, but with him stepping him up in trip is definitely an asset.”

No anchoring HMS Seahorse at Navan

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HMS Seahorse made a stylish return to action in the Navan Handicap Hurdle, putting himself in the frame for the Cheltenham Festival in the process.

The five-year-old finished fourth in the Fred Winter at Prestbury Park last term before claiming a distant third upped to Grade One level at the Punchestown Festival, but he had been off the track since finishing down the field in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh in September, having been gelded in the interim.

Sent off a 15-2 shot in the hands of Sean O’Keeffe, HMS Seahorse was settled on the heels of the leaders on the rail in the two-and-half-mile heat as 11-4 favourite Lucky Max set out to make all.

The market leader gave a bold sight and was still in front jumping the last, but HMS Seahorse was travelling well in behind and swept through to grab the lead on the run to the line.

Paul Nolan’s runner went on to score by two and a quarter lengths from Felix Desjy, with Rebel Ivy a further neck back in third.

Paddy Power make HMS Seahorse a 12-1 shot for the Coral Cup, while also offering 20-1 about his chances in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and the County Hurdle – although the first event listed could be the preferred choice for connections.

“He gave him a brilliant ride. Sean said he came for him every time he asked him,” said Nolan.

“He needed to jump the last and he was long at it. He seems to be jumping far better since he was gelded.

“In Galway he jumped poorly when he was odds-on favourite and the jumping just didn’t work.

“He’s a bit more clinical now, he’d never go long before and he was very good today.

“We might look at the Coral Cup with him. That’s where the lads would love to go.

“We’d have to look at a Pertemps qualifier as well, it would be great to have more options, but that might be tight enough.”