Tag Archive for: Richard Hobson

Big-race success firmly in Fugitif’s sights

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Richard Hobson believes the best is yet to come from Fugitif following his brave second at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day.

An emphatic winner at Chepstow on his penultimate start, he was sent off the 7-2 favourite for the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park and justified those odds to run a fine race for the silver medal.

He was just one length adrift of winner Il Ridoto at the line after the two were embroiled in a titanic tussle all the way from the home turn and up the Cheltenham hill to the winning post – with the duo some 16 lengths clear of Precious Eleanor in third.

Up 6lb for that effort to a mark of 149, Hobson is now excited to see how far the eight-year-old can rise through the ranks and is relishing the prospect of stepping Fugitif up to three miles next season.

He said: “He went there in great order and he was flat to the boards the whole way which suggests one day he is going to get further and stepping up in trip next year will be absolutely key for him.

“The ground wasn’t for him at Cheltenham, I was concerned about the ground and it was nearly riding good ground on the day. As you know from his Chepstow performance, the wetter the better helps him a bit.

Fugitif ridden by Gavin Sheehan clears a fence before going on to win the Coral Get Closer To The Action Handicap Chase on Coral Welsh Grand National day at Chepstow
Fugitif ridden by Gavin Sheehan clears a fence before going on to win the Coral Get Closer To The Action Handicap Chase on Coral Welsh Grand National day at Chepstow (David Davies/PA)

“He was bucking round the paddock and you just knew if he was first, second, third or fourth he would run a big race. But if he has those key factors in his favour – i.e. soft ground so he can just travel a bit more in his comfort zone – then he is going to be very, very dangerous moving forward given those conditions.

“I said he was a Saturday afternoon horse two years ago and he’s definitely a graded horse on that performance.”

He went on: “If he does have the stamina I think he has – with that huge action of his and with the way he can jump and get himself into a two-and-a-half-mile race, imagine how dangerous he could be over three miles when getting a breather the whole way.

“He didn’t half put it up to a quick horse the other day and at this stage it is just exciting to be where we are. Hopefully we can enjoy a big race success somewhere before the end of the season.”

Fugitif camp weighing up Lingfield and Ascot possibilities

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Richard Hobson’s Fugitif has a Grade One Ascot option after his taking Chepstow success.

The eight-year-old was an impressive winner of the Coral Get Closer To The Action Handicap Chase on December 27, scoring on soft ground by a ready five lengths.

The performance followed a good earlier run at Cheltenham in November, where the gelding was second behind Amarillo Sky in a two-mile handicap chase.

“He’s flying, it was a very good race, very competitive,” Hobson said of the Chepstow win.

“There were good horses in there and the way he did it was just awesome.

Fugitif at Chepstow
Fugitif at Chepstow (David Davies/PA)

“I was really pleased with him. He loved those conditions and they are key to him – he has a big action that eats up that ground and that did go in his favour.”

Lifted 10lb in the handicap after the Chepstow victory, Fugitif is now rated 143 and is likely to head to either the Lingfield Winter Million meeting for the racehorselotto.com Handicap Chase or to Ascot for the Clarence House – a Grade One contest.

“He has Lingfield on January 20 and he’s in the Clarence House as well on the 21st, that could be a possibility if it came up really soft,” said Hobson.

“The long-term plan, if he were to go to Cheltenham, would be something like the Plate over two and a half (miles) – that’d be right up his street.”

Hobson also has a few dates in the diary for Lord Du Mesnil, who was last seen finishing second behind subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos in a Bangor handicap chase in November.

The Classic Chase at Warwick is next on his agenda, with the Eider at Newcastle the following month also a definite target for the gelding, who won the Grade Three Grand National Trial at Haydock in 2021.

“He runs in the Warwick chase a week on Saturday,” said Hobson.

“He’s in good order, he’ll run there but his main objective this year will be going to the Eider Chase.

“He might just get run off his feet in that chase at Warwick over three-mile-five (furlongs), they go pretty quick, but he’ll definitely run in the Eider.”