Tag Archive for: Paddy Power Cotswold Chase

Ahoy Senor back to his best for emotional Cotswold Chase success

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Ahoy Senor put himself in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture when securing an emotional success for Lucinda Russell in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase.

Runner-up in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on his only previous visit to Prestbury Park, the eight-year-old had struggled this season in open company and was winning for the first time since taking the Mildmay Novices’ Chase four starts ago.

Derek Fox was content to track Bryony Frost and Frodon on the first circuit and although Sounds Russian shot clear during the second lap of the New Course, a juddering error from Ruth Jefferson’s charge four from home gave the pack chance to close the gap and most crucially Ahoy Senor the opportunity to ensure an all-northern finish to this Grade Two contest.

Neck and neck jumping the last, the duo were soon embroiled in a terrific tussle up the Cheltenham hill with Ahoy Senor prevailing by one and a half lengths and Grand National hero Noble Yeats a further length back in third.

Betfair went 10-1 from 50s for the blue riband in March, while Coral offer slightly bigger odds of 12-1.

Russell said: “I’m really pleased. It is just the excitement of having a horse of that quality again. He’s always been good, but he just had to learn about it and today I think he just came of age.

Derek Fox talks to the media
Derek Fox talks to the media (David Davies/PA)

“In my mind, I thought he was going to take a lead and when he came into the paddock, Derek said I’m just going to go forward, and I thought ‘great’, and actually he was right, because it let him get his freshness out of him and then let Frodon give him a lead.

“He is just fantastic with the horse and they both trust each other and the confidence that he has got has been fantastic. I’m delighted and it is nice to see our monster back.

“I’m just pleased with him as I thought his jumping was OK and when he came round that bottom corner and accelerated, I did get a bit excited.

“I really hope he’ll go to the Gold Cup. Whatever happens, he will definitely get an entry.”

The Kinross-based trainer lost her father Peter this week and spoke poignantly in the winner’s enclosure at how much Ahoy Senor had meant to him.

“It is very emotional. My dad was a fantastic person and he was so proud. He’d been ill for a year, I remember being in tears at Newbury when he (Ahoy Senor) won the John Francome Novices’ Chase,” she said.

“It was good in a way, because I spent a year saying thank you to dad and I appreciated him.

“As he went on in his life, racing meant more to him. He’d talk to me about about which races we were going to and he’d phone me before the race and after the races and I will miss that intensely.

“This horse, he was interested in and loved and really wanted him to do well.

“Dad ran down a bit. We had two winners at Kelso and he was a little bit frailer at that point and he only went to hospital for 24 hours.

“To everyone, just say thank you to your dad, just tell them how much they mean to you, because I had the chance to do that. Say thank you. It was dad that set me up, dad that has given me that desire, that determination. He’d be very proud today and I’m really going to miss not phoning him on the way home.”

Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner and assistant, said: “I’ve said he is the best horse we have ever trained then you begin to doubt yourself, but things eventually come right in the end and that is what sport is about.

“Using a cricket analogy when he gets it right he is like Ian Botham, when he gets it wrong he can be back in the pavilion out for 10.

“He is clearly a horse with a lot of ability, but you just need a lot of luck. He is good enough to contest a Gold Cup – whether it is this year or not, I don’t know.

“His death (that of Russell’s father) is bigger than a horse race. I remember riding a horse called Gambling Prince whose owner died and I went and won on it. I do think they do sometimes smile down and that there is a God up there that helps.”

Ruth Jefferson was pleased by the efforts of her brave runner-up, but is still to decide if the Gold Cup is the right destination for her consistent eight-year-old.

“We’re still between a rock and a hard place – we’re no further forward,” said Jefferson.

“It was a really good performance, but I think there is more strength in depth with the Irish horses.

“I know Minella Indo and A Plus Tard are potentially getting older and I know last year’s race was also a bit of a sprint finish. But Galopin Des Champs has to come out at Leopardstown next weekend, so we will see what he does and then when we have more facts we can make a better decision.

Sounds Russian was a brave runner-up in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase
Sounds Russian was a brave runner-up in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (Mike Egerton/PA)

“On the whole I’m very happy. He travelled and jumped and Sean (Quinlan) gave him a fabulous ride. When they slowed it down he did the right thing, we just got beat by the better horse on the day.

“He deserves to win a big prize, I don’t think it will be a Gold Cup, but he can try.”

Meanwhile one horse who will line-up on March 17 is Noble Yeats, who will take in the blue riband en route to a defence of his National crown.

“You can’t be unhappy with that run,” said owner Robert Waley-Cohen. “The horses at level weights finished behind and the horses behind were conceding weight, and he finished very strongly.

Noble Yeats at Cheltenham
Noble Yeats at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“He has won over two miles two, two miles seven, three mile one and four mile two, so what his trip is we don’t know, but probably further is better.

“That was important today, as he gets experience on the New Course, which is the same track as the Gold Cup.

“The plan is the Gold Cup and then the Grand National – and I don’t envy the handicapper his dilemma.

“He never looks very flashy. He just keeps jumping away. He came up that hill well.”

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.