Tag Archive for: Stage Star

Cheltenham hero Stage Star aiming to post another winning performance

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Stage Star bids to give members of the Owners Group another memorable day by supplementing Cheltenham Festival success with victory in the opening race of the Grand National meeting at Aintree on Thursday.

More than 3,000 people paid just £59 for a share in the Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old, who was a Grade One-winning hurdler last season and is four from five over fences to far this term.

Only a handful of his lucky owners were able to join him in the parade ring before and after his front-running victory in last month’s Turners’ Novices’ Chase, but many more proudly raised their mauve and black scarves around the hallowed winner’s enclosure, ensuring Stage Star received one of the loudest receptions of the week in the Cotswolds.

Similarly joyous scenes can be expected on Merseyside if he can follow up four weeks later in the Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices’ Chase – and Nicholls is in confident mood.

Paul Nicholls celebrates Stage Star's Cheltenham success
Paul Nicholls celebrates Stage Star’s Cheltenham success (Tim Goode/PA)

“I was blown away by the way he won the Turners at Cheltenham. He has plenty of boot, travelled well, jumped for fun and was going clear at the finish,” the champion trainer told Betfair.

“The extra week since the Festival is a big plus for Stage Star who seems in top order and worked really well on Tuesday morning.

“Everyone keeps asking if our horses that performed so well at Cheltenham will be all right at Aintree. I think they are fine, they are doing everything I’ve asked of them at home and I couldn’t be happier with them. The only way to find out is to run them and I expect Stage Star to shine.”

The biggest threat to Stage Star appears to be Banbridge, who was taken out of the Turners’ Novices’ Chase on the morning of the race due to the rain-softened ground at Cheltenham.

Banbridge on his way to winning at Cheltenham in November
Banbridge on his way to winning at Cheltenham in November (Tim Goode/PA)

His trainer, Joseph O’Brien, is hoping the decision to sidestep the Festival could pay off on Thursday.

He said: “He’s been in good form since missing Cheltenham and we’re looking forward to running him.

“Hopefully they won’t get too much rain and we’re hoping for a good run.

“We’ve been happy with his preparation.”

Saint Roi (Willie Mullins) and Straw Fan Jack (Sheila Lewis) both step up in distance after finishing third and fourth in the Arkle at Cheltenham, with Visionarian (Peter Fahey) completing the field.

O’Brien also houses a leading contender for the Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle in Nusret, who was last seen winning the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton in February.

“He comes in here fresh and has seemed very well in the run up to it,” the trainer added.

“It looks a good race and it will probably take a career-best to win, but he seems in good nick and we’re hoping for a good run.”

The standard is set by the JP McManus-owned Zenta, who finished third in a one-two-three-four for Willie Mullins in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Bo Zenith after winning at Haydock
Bo Zenith after winning at Haydock (Ashley Iveson/PA)

In-form trainer Gary Moore runs two in the Grade One contest, with Haydock and Stratford scorer Bo Zenith joined by stablemate Perseus Way, who was runner-up to Nusret in the Adonis before finishing down the field in the Boodles at the Festival last month.

Moore said: “It’s going to be tough to beat the Willie Mullins horse, but they’re two nice horses and they both go there with reasonable chances.

“With Bo Zenith this has always been the plan and we thought the other fella deserved to take his chance, too.

“Perseus Way has been consistent all season really and Cheltenham was just a mess for him – everything went wrong from the word go there.”

Stage Star strikes from the front for Nicholls and Cobden

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Stage Star jumped his rivals into submission in the Turners Novices’ Chase to end Paul Nicholls’ three-year drought at the Cheltenham Festival.

The champion trainer had drawn a blank at the big meeting since Politologue won the Champion Chase in 2020, but it proved well worth the wait as Stage Star backed up his smart form this season to produce an excellent round of jumping and galloping.

An all-the-way winner in handicap company on Festival Trials day and a Grade One winner as a novice hurdler, he repeated the dose when it really mattered, moving back into top company with aplomb.

Sent immediately to the front by Harry Cobden, the 15-2 shot traded blows with Laura Morgan’s Notlongtilmay throughout, with the duo the only ones left in the mix after the last and the Ditcheat inmate pulling out more for a three-and-a-quarter-length success.

Odds-on favourite Mighty Potter travelled well for the majority, as did Willie Mullins’ Appreciate It, but both failed to pick up sufficiently at the business end, with the celebrations belonging to Nicholls, who took his Cheltenham tally to 47, and his jockey Cobden – himself ending a long four-year stay on the Festival cold list.

“It’s been a tough week so far, but it’s a tough place,” said Nicholls.

“We were a little bit unlucky yesterday with a couple, but that was brilliant. Different track, slightly better ground, it was always going to suit us. I said to Harry today ‘be positive, bowl along in front and ride him like the best horse in the race’. He gave him a peach of a ride there.”

Yes! Paul Nicholls celebrates
Yes! Paul Nicholls celebrates (Tim Goode/PA)

He added: “He travelled and jumped well and quickened up like he did the last day. I told Harry go out, go a nice gallop and be positive and dictate it from the front – he’s so good at doing that.

“I think if we went back and rode that race yesterday (Ballymore, with Hermes Allen) again we might have done things differently, but we’re not going to look back, we’re going to look forward.

“This is a young horse who is improving and we’re thrilled. I’m thrilled he’s come back from last year’s disaster and gone really forward. It gives me more hope for Bravemansgame in the Gold Cup tomorrow, who did exactly the same thing last spring.

“I think that is his trip and he’ll be aimed for the Ryanair next year. He probably would get three miles, but he has plenty of boot and he jumps well.”

Reflecting further, Nicholls said: “That was good for Harry today. He needed a bit of a confidence booster before tomorrow because he was bit down last night. That’s a massive plus.

“It’s hard to win here here. We’ve only got 15 or 16 runners here all week and you’ve got to make every one count.

“We’ve had a great time here over the years. It’s hard to get those horses back, but we’re building up again and I think the next few years will be positive.

“It’s not easy taking on the Irish battalions, but there are some very good trainers here and it was nice to see Dan (Skelton) have a winner yesterday, too.

“We haven’t got the numbers some of the Irish trainers have and we’re up against it all the time, but we can only do our best.”

Notlongtillmay (left) ran a huge race
Notlongtillmay (left) ran a huge race (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

Morgan was understandably delighted with her runner and said: “I thought he was going to win. He’s run a screamer, he’s still only a novice, obviously, but he’s just a baby and he was a bit bold at a few which frightened me. I’m absolutely delighted with him.

“This is my dream to be around trainers like Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, it’s just incredible.”

Gordon Elliott was philosophical after the defeat of the favourite, seen by many as one of the bankers of the week.

He said: “He didn’t have a nice experience here last year, but he’s run better than then at least. It’s always disappointing when you don’t win, but that is the game we are in.

“He never got into a decent rhythm like he did the last day. At Leopardstown he would jump and Davy (Russell) would take him back, but today he was stretching for them. We’ll get him home and see where we are.”

Russell could offer no excuses and said: “It’s very disappointing but I can’t put my finger on anything, he didn’t miss a beat the whole way. The winner is a good horse and the second isn’t bad with a string of ones next to his name. I’ve no real excuses.

“I was worried about him hanging as he was still running, I didn’t lose much ground. I’ve won plenty of races here by drifting right. He just might not have been good enough.”

Stage Star’s Cheltenham role yet to be cast

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Connections are still open minded about a Cheltenham Festival target for talented novice chaser Stage Star.

The seven-year-old was a Grade One-winning hurdler who made a great start to his career over fences when landing a Warwick novice on debut by 13 lengths for trainer Paul Nicholls.

He was the runner-up next time out in a Newbury Grade Two in November, but won once again at Plumpton in early January and then secured a third chasing success at Cheltenham on Trials day.

Stage Star pictured at Ditcheat earlier this week
Stage Star pictured at Ditcheat earlier this week (Adam Davy/.PA)

A return to Prestbury Park is next on the agenda for the gelding, who holds entries for the Brown Advisory and Turners Novices’ Chases.

The latter is over his proven two-and-a-half-mile-trip, whereas the former would involve a step up to three miles and half a furlong.

Connections are yet to decide which path the bay will take, with the ground likely to be a factor in the decision.

Dan Downie of Owners Group said: “I spoke to Paul this morning and we haven’t decided what we’ll do yet.

“He’s in good form and we’re very happy with him, we’ll have a discussion next week and make a plan with him.

“There’s a possibility it could be ground dependent, we haven’t had much rain and we’re not likely to get any, so we’ll have to see where that leaves us.”

Either way, Stage Star’s most recent win provided valuable evidence of his ability to perform at Cheltenham, with his only previous run at the track being a pulled-up effort in the 2022 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Stage Star won the Challow Hurdle
Stage Star won the Challow Hurdle (David Davies/PA)

“He jumped really well, he relaxed and it was similar to how he jumped round when he won at Warwick earlier in the season,” Downie said of the Trials day run.

“It was really good to see him in form, he’s a great jumper and he’s got loads of scope.

“It was good to see him perform on that track as well because that was previously a bit of a question mark – whether or not Cheltenham would really be his track.

“His previous best runs have been at places like Newbury, but I think he coped with it beautifully.”

Owners Group looking forward to festival targets

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Success continues to breed success for the Owners Group syndicate, who enjoyed their most successful weekend to date with five winners last week.

Donald McCain’s Maximilian landed the Grade Two River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster and the Paul Nicholls-trained duo of Stage Star and Hacker Des Places claimed handicaps at Cheltenham.

They were supplemented by the victories of Unit Sixtyfour at Fontwell and Richhill at Southwell on Sunday for the microshare syndicate.

Dan Downie, racing manager of the syndicate, said: “It was a very good weekend. We’d had a slow start to January, like everybody because of the weather, and we thought it was going to be a busy weekend but to have five winners was extraordinary.

“Donald told me Maximilian got a bigger cheer coming back in than when he won the Grand National!”

Despite winning a notable trial for the Albert Bartlett, though, Maximilian will skip the Cheltenham Festival and wait for the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

“I loved the way he looks after himself, he’s not particularly flashy and he’s almost lazy the way he goes through a race but he jumped the last, came alive and he’s got a lot up his sleeve it looks like,” said Downie.

“Donald said he’d almost given up and I started to think that, but then Brian (Hughes) gave him a squeeze and he came back on the bridle again. He’s very good. He races like a real staying hurdler. He wouldn’t be the biggest in the world and while all options are open, he does look a staying hurdler at this stage.

“We’d spoken previously about where we’d like to end up this year and we’re happy to miss Cheltenham and aim for Aintree with him.”

Stage Star jumped impeccably at Cheltenham
Stage Star jumped impeccably at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

Stage Star, a Grade One-winning novice hurdler, looked a class apart when defying top weight in the usually informative Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

“Stage Star was very impressive. On a day like that when everything goes well, he looks very good,” said Downie.

“To be fair to him, he has had excuses when he’s been beaten but he looked a very good horse on Saturday. It’s not like he just throws the towel in.

“We’ve had brief conversations with Paul but nothing is concrete. He will go to Cheltenham but we haven’t discussed it more than that really.

“Hacker Des Places is very tough, too. He’s not very big but he’s a strong traveller, he jumps well and loves those big fields and hopefully the Betfair Hurdle should suit him down to the ground.

“The aim is to just keep going and not lose sight of everyone who is involved, that’s the point. It’s not to get them involved, it’s to keep them involved.

“The horses are selling really well and I hope it is giving people a chance to get involved as we know how expensive having a racehorse is. Hopefully it is doing the job for everyone.”

Stage Star leads Cheltenham hat-trick for jubilant Nicholls

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Stage Star put himself in the Cheltenham Festival picture with a fine display of jumping on Trials Day – the first leg of a brilliant 102-1 treble at Prestbury Park for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase and carrying top-weight of 12st, the son of Fame And Glory produced an exhibition round from the front end to coast home the best part of four-lengths clear of runner-up Datsalrightgino in the hands of Harry Cobden.

In the aftermath, Coral went 10-1 from 25s for the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival, but his future target appears still to be decided.

“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls.

“He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.

“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.

Paul Nicholls had a big day at Cheltenham
Paul Nicholls had a big day at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.

“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.

“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”

Nicholls and Cobden soon added to their tally when Il Ridoto (9-2) held off the 7-2 favourite Fugitif to land the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase.

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 28th January
Il Ridoto ridden by Harry Cobden (right) clears a fence before going on to win the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

A switch to front-running tactics combined with the application of cheekpieces had the desired effect and the winner is likely to return for the handicap over the same track and trip at the Festival.

“I thought he had a big chance of winning here the last day (when fourth in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) but he sort of ducked in left handed and fell through the last and that sort of cost him any chance really,” said Nicholls.

“I think few were doubting about whether he wanted a flat track and whether he truly stayed. I thought he was kidding us a little bit as he was coming out of his races so well and the cheekpieces have focused his mind today. He travelled and jumped brilliantly and had a great ride so it’s superb.

“When you’re fit and well you’re better off on the speed around here and I said to him to go out and ride him like he rode Stage Star. If it happens great and if it doesn’t so be it.”

He went on: “I said if he didn’t win today we’d have to go for a flat track but I thought he’d gallop up the hill – he’s just been kidding us and today he did it nicely.

“I haven’t really got a plan for him to be honest, if he hadn’t have won I was going to go for a race at Newbury just before the Festival on a flat track but now he has I suppose we’ll come back here.

“I wouldn’t be afraid of possibly considering the Topham Chase for him, as I think two miles and five furlongs around Aintree would suit him nicely.”

It was left to stable conditional Angus Cheleda and willing partner Hacker Des Places to put the finishing touches on a fantastic day for team Ditcheat when they combined to land the concluding SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle.

The victory brought up a 140-1 across-the-card treble of their own for the Owners Group, with the champion trainer revealing the Betfair Hurdle will be up next.

Nicholls said: “It was a long way from the second last to the line! He’s in the Betfair Hurdle in two weeks’ time, which has always been my aim.

“I just felt we needed to get a run into him. He has been in training for so long without a run. He should improve a little bit for today’s run, and will get a little penalty but Angus will take that off and we’ll go to Newbury.”

Cheleda added: “I thought I got there a bit too soon really and then the race fell apart at two out, so I thought I’d kick off the bend and he’s galloped all the way up the hill. It’s my first winner at Cheltenham for the boss so it’s a special moment.”

Stage Star produces fine performance off top-weight at Cheltenham

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Stage Star put himself in the Cheltenham Festival picture with a fine display of jumping on Trials Day

A Grade One winner over hurdles, Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old was making just his fourth start over fences having got his chasing career back on track at Plumpton earlier this month.

Sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase and carrying top-weight of 12st, the son of Fame And Glory produced an exhibition round from the front end to coast home the best part of four-lengths clear of runner-up Datsalrightgino in the hands of Harry Cobden.

In the aftermath, Coral went 10-1 from 25s for the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival, but his future target appears still to be decided.

“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls.

“He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.

“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.

“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.

“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.

“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”

Nicholls and Cobden soon added to their tally when Il Ridoto (9-2) held off the 7-2 favourite Fugitif to land the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase.

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 28th January
Il Ridoto ridden by Harry Cobden (right) clears a fence before going on to win the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

A switch to front-running tactics combined with the application of cheekpieces had the desired effect and the winner is likely to return for the handicap over the same track and trip at the Festival.

“I thought he had a big chance of winning here the last day (when fourth in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) but he sort of ducked in left handed and fell through the last and that sort of cost him any chance really,” said Nicholls.

“I think few were doubting about whether he wanted a flat track and whether he truly stayed. I thought he was kidding us a little bit as he was coming out of his races so well and the cheekpieces have focused his mind today. He travelled and jumped brilliantly and had a great ride so it’s superb.

“When you’re fit and well you’re better off on the speed around here and I said to him to go out and ride him like he rode Stage Star. If it happens great and if it doesn’t so be it.”

He went on: “I said if he didn’t win today we’d have to go for a flat track but I thought he’d gallop up the hill – he’s just been kidding us and today he did it nicely.

“I haven’t really got a plan for him to be honest, if he hadn’t have won I was going to go for a race at Newbury just before the Festival on a flat track but now he has I suppose we’ll come back here.

“I wouldn’t be afraid of possibly considering the Topham Chase for him, as I think two miles and five furlongs around Aintree would suit him nicely.”

Stage Star back to winning ways with ease at Plumpton

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Stage Star was the highlight of a treble for Harry Cobden at Plumpton on Monday, as Paul Nicholls’ charge got his novice chasing career back on track with a bloodless victory.

A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old made a bright start to life over the larger obstacles at Warwick, but was then bitterly disappointing when sent off odds-on for a Grade Two at Newbury in November.

Dropped into calmer waters for the Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices’ Chase, the Ditcheat inmate had just the Fergal O’Brien-trained Mortlach to beat and did so with ease, producing a fine round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden to oblige favourite-backers at 1-9.

“I was very pleased with that,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. “I don’t think he was right for whatever reason at Newbury the last day, he hung and the ground was fast enough for him.

“Today he looked better beforehand, and he went round there with a spring in his step, jumped well and looks to be back on form.

“He has to go left-handed and there’s quite a valuable novice chase at Warwick in two weeks’ time and there is a very valuable race at Lingfield in three weeks’ time, so it would be one of those I expect next.

“He will definitely have entries at Cheltenham in both the two and a half (Turners) and over three (Brown Advisory). If we get him right we’ll definitely go for one of them.”

Cobden added to his tally when he steered Milton Harris’ Twinjets (1-3 favourite) to a nine-length victory in the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

It was the six-year-old’s fourth victory in five starts under rules and the Sutton Veny handler is eyeing a trip to Sandown on March 11.

“To be fair to him he’s only been beat once and he came back wrong that day,” said Harris of the winner.

“Turning in I thought ‘this could be a race’ but he’s ended up winning nine lengths so he’s a fair horse.

“He’s just a bit immature – he jumps a bit left then will go a bit right – but he will definitely be all right. How far we go with him? I don’t know. Of course life gets a bit difficult now with a double penalty.

“But he could go for something like the EBF Final at Sandown where he might get his ground and he’ll get the trip.

“He needs another run and he needs another run without being too silly. You’d like to get in there off 120-something wouldn’t you, but he’s better than that you would think.”

Harris and Cobden combined again to round off the day in style when El Muchacho (7-2) landed the concluding Zoe Davison Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

Joe Tizzard’s Atakan (11-4) ground down the tough 5-2 favourite Blame The Game in the shadow of the post to edge the feature BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase in the hands of Brendan Powell.

“We’ve always quite liked him and his fist ever time on the track at Carlisle he finished sixth,” said Powell.

“I don’t think he’d seen much grass before and he gave me a feel he would make a nice staying chaser and I quietly fancied him today, I thought we’d be placed definitely.

“For a horse that is only having his third run over fences his jumping is good. He made all when he won round here in a novice chase, but I didn’t want to commit him too soon and it worked out quite well as I had some company and something to aim at turning in. I thought I would keep waiting on him and thankfully it worked.

“They are fit and you know they will keep going but he’s a horse I just wanted to have one go at today, especially in a race like this, and I didn’t really want to chuck the race away by taking it up too soon.”

There was also an impressive win on the card for Gary Moore’s Hansard (5-2), who gave 7lb and a two-length beating to 4-7 favourite Master Chewy in the Download The BetGoodwin App Novices’ Hurdle.

Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton
Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton (Tim Goode/PA)

“The second horse is rated 126 and we’ve given it 7lb,” said winning rider Jamie Moore.

“My lad has actually pulled up over the last two, I know I haven’t won by a mile but he wasn’t doing an awful lot in front. He travels round good, he’s by The Gurkha so he has got a pit of poke. I think he’ll be a nice horse.

“He won on good ground at Huntingdon and Huntingdon has been quick all year. We were worried at Huntingdon that it would be too quick and we were worried today it would be too slow.

“He’s very tough and hardy. He ran in four bumpers in four months in Ireland for Charles O’Brien and won his final one of them, so he could be progressing. He’s a nice horse.”