Tag Archive for: Daryl Jacob

Impulsive One another winner for in-form Souede and Munir colours

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Daryl Jacob delivered Impulsive One with a perfectly-timed run to win the Frank Dawn 90th Birthday Celebration Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby.

Jacob and his bosses, owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, have been enjoying a fine season with the likes of El Fabiolo and Blue Lord with Willie Mullins in Ireland, but they are still having a steady stream of winners in the UK.

Old favourite Messire Des Obeaux was another to benefit from a well-judged Jacob ride at Warwick on Saturday and Nicky Henderson’s Impulsive One (6-1) relished the longer trip, getting up deep inside the final furlong to beat pace-setting Progressive by a head.

“He picked up well. It was a middling race and we went no gallop, I was hoping today we’d go a good pace but we went no gallop,” said Jacob.

“You have to ride him that way, be patient and deliver him as late as possible.

“I missed the last but fair play to him, he picked up well.”

Another ride worthy of note was that of Patrick Cowley who made all the running on Whistleinthedark (evens) in the Racing TV In Stunning HD Novices’ Chase.

A promising type for Laura Morgan, he looked in control for much of the race – bar the two fences down the back straight when Cowley lost his irons.

Thankfully it was not for long and he easily saw off Donald McCain’s Since Day One, with the beaten trainer believing the market leader was possibly running too soon after finishing third in the Grade Two Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster.

Patrick Cowley survived a potentially embarrassing mishap
Patrick Cowley survived a potentially embarrassing mishap (Nick Potts/PA)

“It was a bad bit of riding on my behalf. It wasn’t as if he made a mistake or anything my foot just fell out really,” said Cowley.

“It was a bit hair-raising for the next couple of fences but once I got the irons back it was fine, he stayed straight.

“The saddle slipped a little as well but all credit to the horse, he stayed straight.

“First time out he made a few novicey mistakes but he’s done nothing but improve since then, he’s settling much better and with that he’s seeing out his races much better. I think he’s a horse on the improve.”

Solar Sovereign and Brian Hughes (right) on their way to victory
Solar Sovereign and Brian Hughes (right) on their way to victory (Nick Robson/PA)

Brian Hughes had his customary winner but trainer Toby Bulgin is not a normal source of his success with the Norfolk-based handler celebrating his first winner of his career through Solar Sovereign (9-4) in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Novices’ Hurdle.

Hughes said: “Two runs ago he had quite a good run around here. I suppose he’s a point-to-point winner.

“I didn’t go overly quick, he had a good look around in front but he picked up well when the others came to him. He could be a nice horse over fences.”

Lucinda Russell’s Bois Guillbert (7-2) maintained her excellent start to the week in the Visit Irish Bloodstock Sales With ITM Junior ‘National Hunt’ Hurdle.

A treble at Ayr on Tuesday ensured Russell continues to operate at a very healthy strike-rate for the month.

Jonjo O’Neill is another trainer going well and Prince Escalus (4-1) enjoyed the drop in class in the Racing TV Handicap Chase when scoring under his son and namesake.

El Fabiolo just fabulous under Daryl Jacob in Irish Arkle.

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Daryl Jacob gave El Fabiolo a perfect ride to win the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown for Willie Mullins.

Mullins held an enviable hand in race with Appreciate It, Dysart Dynamo, Flame Bearer and Saint Roi giving the champion trainer a stranglehold on the Grade One.

The Mullins camp all seemed to side with Appreciate It, with Paul Townend making him his selection after two faultless victories over fences.

But the nine-year-old, who has missed so much time with various injuries, found younger legs too much to handle in a contest that was run at a ferocious pace.

That was set by Danny Mullins on Dysart Dynamo and after only four fences good horses like Fil Dor and Visionarian were a long way behind.

El Fabiolo (9-2) did make a bad mistake three from home, but Jacob allowed him time to get back into his rhythm and by the second-last he was in pole position.

As he began to pull away, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge began to stay on strongly and he eventually got by Appreciate It and Dysart Dynamo to finish second, but some 10 lengths away.

The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned winner went down narrowly to Jonbon over hurdles at Aintree last season and those two now dominate the betting for the Arkle at Cheltenham next month, with Betfair making Jonbon their 13-8 favourite ahead of El Fabiolo at 2-1 (from 7s).

“He’s just improving all the time. At the start of the year we were thinking maybe we should go out to two and a half (miles), but what he did at Christmas and again today it’s definitely the Arkle,” said Mullins.

El Fabiolo was still full of beans on returning to the paddock
El Fabiolo was still full of beans on returning to the paddock (Donall Farmer/PA)

“You could see every horse had a chance at different stages of the race. The one negative (was) when we made the mistake, but Daryl blamed himself for that, he said it wasn’t the horse’s fault.

“Then he came back on the bridle again and I thought ‘this horse is travelling’ and he just did everything right.

“Some very good horses were second, third and fourth so to win 10 lengths in that type of a race, he’s goes to Cheltenham with a real good chance.”

Simon Munir greets Daryl Jacob
Simon Munir greets Daryl Jacob (Gary Carson/PA)

On the owners he added: “They both (Munir and Souede) have a great appetite for the game and enjoy it. They both travelled a long way to be here at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend so it’s fantastic that they’ve had a Grade One winner.”

Munir said: “I was very impressed. It’s only the sixth run of his life, so we don’t really know how good he is.

“We’re on a roll at the moment, but it’s still a long long season.”

Souede said: “We were very excited and we actually think the best is yet to come with this horse because he’s not that experienced.”

O’Toole proves the class act on chasing bow at Newcastle

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Punters did not have to look too far back in the form book to see O’Toole looked well treated ahead of the Best Odds Guaranteed At Vickers.Bet Everyday Handicap Chase at Newcastle – and he rewarded favourite-backers in style.

Trainer Stuart Crawford is a regular visitor to the northern UK tracks from his base in County Antrim and is supported by major owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Their retained rider Daryl Jacob no doubt looks forward to Crawford sending over his raiding parties and with a strike-rate of around 30 per cent when teaming up with the trainer this year, it is no wonder.

O’Toole (13-8 favourite) was a very promising horse in his bumper season, splitting Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard at the Punchestown Festival, but having won on his hurdling debut he failed to progress in two further outings.

Nevertheless, allotted a handicap mark of 130 he jumped satisfactorily for Jacob, who kept him wide, and he had the race won when King Of May came down at the last. Castle Rushen came through for second, beaten three and three-quarter lengths.

“The way it has turned out I could have run him over two miles as the ground is hard work today,” said Crawford.

“I’m well pleased with that, he jumped well and he’s beaten some solid handicappers.

“We’ve always thought there was a big day in this horse, his bumper form is there for all to see. To be honest, when he was running over hurdles he grew a lot and now he’s levelled off again, hopefully.

“He’ll know he’s had a race, I don’t think any horse will like that ground, but it was good experience for him.”

He went on: “We’ll try to pick a sensible target. I know when he ran in the Punchestown bumper that was good ground so he’ll probably handle better ground when he’s got more experience.

“Something like the (Future Champions Novices’ Chase) at Ayr would be ideal further down the line, but there’ll be plenty for him before then.”

They say weight stops trains and that was certainly true in the case of Tommy’s Oscar who found the concession of 19lb too much to Since Day One in the Download The Vickers.Bet App Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

It speaks volumes for Tommy’s Oscar that he was having to give so much weight away to Donald McCain’s seven-year-old, who has now won six of his 10 starts under rules.

A winner on his chasing debut at Ayr, Since Day One (85-40) was arguably an unlucky loser last time out at Gosforth Park when a mistake at the last cost him.

Bounced out under champion jockey Brian Hughes, he jumped assuredly in first time cheekpieces, with his only semblance of a mistake when he stumbled on landing after jumping the second-last.

Tommy’s Oscar had a tendency to jump marginally right at his fences and could never quite get on terms with the leader, eventually going down by four and a half lengths.

Brian Hughes explains to Donald McCain how Since Day One won
Brian Hughes explains to Donald McCain how Since Day One won (Nick Robson/PA0

“He should have won the last day here, he threw it away with a bad jump at the last,” said McCain.

“That’s why we put the cheekpieces on today. He’s a bit gormless so they’ve really sharpened him up.

“We were a little bit out of the weights so it was chancy enough coming ,but we got away wit it.

“He’s a handy horse, he keeps winning. We lost April (Strang Steel) his owner last year and she was the nicest woman in the world. Colin (son) is here today so it’s lovely the colours have carried on.”

Grade One Rewards for Blue Lord at Leopardstown

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Blue Lord emerged as a potential threat to Queen Mother Champion Chase-winning stablemate Energumene following an impressive success in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown.

The seven-year-old was in the top rank of novice chasers last season for Willie Mullins, with Grade One wins at Leopardstown and Punchestown sandwiching a third place in the Arkle at Cheltenham.

Having made a successful reappearance in last month’s Clonmel Oil Chase, Blue Lord dropped in trip and stepped up in class for this Grade One contest and was the 2-1 second-favourite behind his top-class stablemate and multiple Leopardstown winner Chacun Pour Soi.

The two-mile-one-furlong contest was run at such a pace that Chacun Pour Soi, who will officially turn in 11 in a few days, appeared to be struggling to go the gallop.

He managed to get himself into contention approaching the second fence from home, but a bad mistake put him on the back foot once more and he ultimately had to make do with minor honours in third.

Blue Lord on the other hand travelled strongly throughout under Daryl Jacob and after battling his way to the front early in the home straight, he powered 11 lengths clear of Captain Guinness.

Coral reacted by trimming his Champion Chase odds to 10-1 from 20-1, with Energumene the 4-5 favourite, while he is 6-1 from 12s for the longer Ryanair Chase.

Mullins said: “That was very smart, I thought they’d go too fast for him here and they did go fast.

Blue Lord in the Leopardstown winner's enclosure
Blue Lord in the Leopardstown winner’s enclosure (Gary Carson/PA)

“I was looking at two and a half miles for him this year, but it looks like he could be a Champion Chase horse after that performance. Certainly the dial is coming back to two miles now rather than going out to two and a half. It just means he’s improving.

“I haven’t thought about where he goes but I’m sure there is a programme there for those two-mile horses.”

Of Chacun Pour Soi, he added: “I was absolutely delighted with him – he started to put in some tremendous jumps down the back.

“He just met the second-last all wrong and it knocked him out of the race at a crucial time, but I was very heartened by his performance.

“Maybe he just needs to go out a bit longer in trip at his age. Paul was very pleased with how he was going, but he made the mistake and it cost him whatever chance he had.”