Tag Archive for: Huntingdon

Marble Sands gets the better of Rare Edition at Huntingdon

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Marble Sands upset short-priced favourite Rare Edition to take the M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon.

The latter was a 4-5 shot when lining up for the race undefeated under rules, having won a bumper and four hurdle contests by a combined 29 and a half lengths.

For trainer Charlie Longsdon and Sam Twiston-Davies Rare Edition made the running until the just after the second from last, when the Fergal O’Brien-trained Marble Sands – last seen finishing fifth to Hermes Allen in the Challow Hurdle – took up the lead under Kielan Woods.

Despite hanging right and then left between the penultimate fence and the line, Marble Sands was still able to pull away from the favourite and record a two-and-three-quarter-length victory at 9-2.

O’Brien said: “That is a fantastic win. Kielan gave him a fantastic ride. He would not be straightforward at home as he is very gassy.

“He is a fine horse and that is three he has won this season. He has done it well today. He missed the last and lost his shoe and we have beaten a very good horse.

“If we had finished second we would have been very happy as it would have been a good run, but I’m absolutely over the moon.

“It was much different ground at Newbury, but he didn’t run badly as it was a very good Challow Hurdle. That is where the team have been great they have brought him back from a very tough race and produced him for today.

“He was very keen in Challow and probably pulled his way out of a chance. Kielan spoke to Paddy (Brennan) and he said ‘your best chance of winning today was taking your time and coming with one run’ and it worked so I’m delighted.”

The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is now an option, with the grey a 25-1 chance with Betfair and 33-1 with William Hill.

“We will go back and have a look, but he has done plenty this season to deserve a go at the Ballymore probably so fingers crossed. We will go back and speak to Graeme, David and Jackie (owners) and see what they want to do,” said O’Brien.

Connections were disappointed with the performance of Rare Edition and will make sure there are no underlying issues behind the defeat before considering next steps.

Syndicate manager Bill Esdaile said: “We will get him home and see if anything comes to light. We know he can hurdle better and travel better. It is one of those things and that is racing.

“Sam felt he didn’t get the same feeling as he did at Kempton Park. It might have been the ground as it was plenty quick enough. He is still a very good horse.

“I’d rather him run with a bit of cover, while the trip was a bit of a question mark. I’m not ruling Cheltenham out at the moment.

“When a bubble gets burst everyone is disappointed. One thing I would say is that Menorah got beat over two miles three before coming back and winning the Supreme over two miles.”

Jeremys Flame too hot for Huntingdon rivals

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Jeremys Flame made some decent rivals look ordinary as she readily landed the Pertemps Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntington.

Gavin Cromwell’s nine-year-old had won a Grade Three over fences in November, but had been found out in top-class company when dropped in trip at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Back up to two and a half miles, Keith Donoghue sat at the back of the six-runner field on Jeremys Flame (3-1) before cruising up on the turn for home to challenge Zambella, who had made a mistake that halted momentum down the back straight.

Yet that would have made little difference to the result, as the winner sauntered to a six-and-a-half-length victory.

Cromwell said: “It was a lovely performance. It was good. We were back to two miles the last day at Grade One level and we thought we’d have to jump off handy.

“We thought at that level we mightn’t be able to travel with them, but as it turned out, she kind of raced a little bit too aggressively and paid the price for it in the end.

“She is entered in a handicap hurdle next week, but won’t go there. We’ll probably just go straight to Cheltenham for her.”

Paddy Power cut Jeremys Flame to 12-1 from 20s for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham on March 14, with Coral more impressed, offering 10-1.

Imperial Bede (8-1) stepped up on his Leicester hurdling debut to put 13 rivals to the sword in the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle under Jonjo O’Neill Jr, who was riding for his father.

The winning jockey said: “He settled better today as they went a proper gallop. He was a bit off his feet to start with and he blundered the first, but after that he worked his way into the race.

“I think he will want further than two miles in time, but he is a bit keen at the moment and is still a work in progress.”

Spotty Dog (12-1) travelled well and got off the mark over fences at the sixth time of asking under Liam Harrison in the Pertemps Network Novices’ Handicap, having taken advantage of a mistake by Furkash at the last.

He was the first winner of the season for trainer Michael Hawker, who also owns and bred the winner.

He said: “That is my first homebred winner. He has had 14 goes before, but I thought he would win today as he has come right all of a sudden.

“It is my first visit to Huntingdon, so I might have to come back now. This is quite a moment and I might have one or two later on. We will be going to the Neeld Arms in Grittleton and the drinks will be on me.”

Itchy Feet sparkled back over hurdles
Itchy Feet sparkled back over hurdles (Steven Paston/PA)

Olly Murphy’s string is in good heart at present and Itchy Feet (20-1) showed plenty of determination to take the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle under Sean Bowen.

His last success came in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown in February 2020 and he was having his first run over hurdles since contesting the Grade Two Rendlehsam at Haydock just under two years ago.

Murphy said: “That was brilliant. He is obviously a horse that means a lot to me and he was just a happier horse back over hurdles today.

“I’m absolutely chuffed. He gave me one of my biggest days when I started training five years ago when winning the Scilly Isles at Sandown Park in 2020.

“To see him do that and jump and travel with the same enthusiasm as back when he was a good horse was brilliant. I’m absolutely over the moon.

“We might give the team out at day at Cheltenham now in the Pertemps Final. He has got a big engine and will go up in the weights whatever.”

Moore eyeing Sidney Banks redemption for Givega

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Gary Moore is backing Givega to bounce back from his disappointing run in the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle – and he could be given the opportunity to put things right in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon next month.

A winner in the pointing field for Colin Bowe in early 2021, the son of Authorized, who is out of a sister to the great six-time Cheltenham Festival winner Quevega, had done nothing but create a deep impression in his early outings under Rules.

He recorded a runaway 13-length victory at Lingfield on debut and soon followed that up with an easy win at Fontwell on Boxing Day, which saw him sent off the 3-1 favourite when stepping up in both trip and class at Warwick.

Givega (left) was one of the runners in action during The Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick
Givega (left) was one of the runners in action during The Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick (Nigel French/PA)

However, he raced far too keenly in the hands of Jamie Moore in the two-mile-five-furlong Grade Two contest and was beating a retreat when pulled up before two out.

“He was far too keen, but I learnt quite a lot that day and there’s things we won’t be doing again,” said Moore.

“Jamie went the way he did because he felt the ground was fresher that side, but it lit the horse up too much and he overraced and you just don’t finish off then.

“We would just give him plenty of daylight in his races in future, he’s either got to be up the front or out the back, one or the other.”

The seven-year-old could now be given the opportunity to make amends in what is shaping up to be a competitive running of the Urban Logistics Reit Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon on February 9, with the Listed event also a possibility for well-regarded stablemate Authorised Speed.

“We’ll see how he is and see what the ground is like and he could go to the Sidney Banks,” continued Moore.

“The other horse who could also go for that is Authorised Speed. They both need soft ground though, which you don’t often get at Huntingdon.”

Perseus Way out in front in Chatteris Fen victory

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Perseus Way ran out an ultimately decisive winner of the Weatherbys Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon.

Promising first time over timber at Cheltenham behind Scriptwriter and then a wide-margin scorer at Leicester, the Gary Moore-trained four-year-old was last seen finishing third to Comfort Zone and Dixon Cove in the Grade Two Finale Hurdle at Chepstow.

Keeping close tabs on Start In Front and Despereaux from flag-fall, Jamie Moore’s mount was driven to lead at the second-last and a perfect leap at the final flight went a long way to sealing matters.

Staying on strongly from there, the Olly Harris-owned 10-11 favourite had three lengths to spare at the line over Samuel Spade, who was far from disgraced under his 8lb penalty.

Paddy Power cut Perseus Way to 33-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle and to 14-1 for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – and it is the latter which appears the most likely target.

Plenty to celebrate after the victory of Perseus Way
Plenty to celebrate after the victory of Perseus Way (PA)

Moore said: “He is a very nice horse and I’m pleased he has done it well today. His jumping is getting better all the time, but it needs to.

“He is getting slicker and quicker and he is starting to enjoy his racing. It was a good run in defeat at Chepstow last time and I felt that Chepstow was probably soft enough for him. We rode him too far back that day and that is why we rode him handier today.

“I don’t think he is good enough to run in the Triumph, but I think he could have a strong chance in the Fred Winter. I may be wrong, I don’t know, but we will take it one step at a time.

“I’m very lucky to have the owner as he is a very good and understanding man. He listens to what I say which makes my job easier.

“He has invested heavily and he deserves all the luck he gets. Fair play to James Savage and Ted Durcan who bought the horse for him.”

Kateira (8-15 favourite) made it two wins in as many starts over obstacles with a bloodless success in the Weatherbys Private Bank Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Trained by Dan Skelton, Kateira had made a triumphant hurdles bow at Uttoxeter in November and jockey Harry Skelton rode with supreme confidence throughout this extended two-and-a-half-mile affair.

Kateira looks to have a very bright future
Kateira looks to have a very bright future (PA)

The six-year-old travelled sweetly into contention, grabbing the initiative before the second-last and accelerating clear, with Skelton taking a long look round on the run to the line.

Winning owner Jackie Chugg said: “That was absolutely brilliant. I’m so pleased as we bred her as well. The mare (Raitera) has had four separate winners including El Presente, who Kateira is a half-sister to. We got the dam in France about 15 years ago from Deauville.

“Kateira should have won today, but she had to carry the penalty and prove herself and she did exactly that. Dan has always thought the world of her. She had to prove plenty today, but she has gone and proved it.

“Dan had a plan before the race to come back here for the Sidney Banks (on February 9) and that’s where she will go next.”

Raffle Ticket outbattled Jay Jay Reilly by a neck in the Weatherbys Hamilton Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The 11-4 shot had to dig deep for Alex Edwards, but the Mel Rowley-trained Raffle Ticket just prevailed after a thrilling battle in a race that had a sad postscript with news The Cob had suffered a fatal injury.