Tag Archive for: Wincanton Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle

Colic rules Aucunrisque out of quick return in Kingwell Hurdle

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Betfair Hurdle hero Aucunrisque will miss the Wincanton Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle on Saturday after a bout of colic.

The seven-year-old was an impressive winner at Newbury, part of a big TV double for trainer Chris Gordon.

While in such ripe form, Gordon was hoping to strike while the iron was hot, but plans have had to be revised after the Goodwin Racing Ltd-owned gelding was one of five horses at the yard to come down with colic.

Gordon said: “He had colic. We had a new batch of haylage and we had five horses go down with it.

Aucunrisque leading the Betfair Hurdle field
Aucunrisque leading the Betfair Hurdle field (Tim Goode/PA)

“He is all good and will live to fight another day, and so we won’t be running on Saturday.

“Everyone thinks everything is flying when you are having winners. Two were struggling a wee bit today, but they are good. We sorted it and the haylage has been changed – it was about 40 bales.

“Basically, colic is one of those things where they can get a twisted gut and it would require surgery, but with this, it is probably just a bad bale. They get chronic wind and it gets trapped a bit. It is just really bad stomach ache.

“So Aucunrisque won’t be going to Wincanton – he’ll go straight to Cheltenham and if we need to, we can always give him a racecourse gallop. We will look at the Grand Annual and the County Hurdle.”

Aucunrisque may be back out quickly in Kingwell Hurdle

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Chris Gordon could attempt to strike while the iron is hot by running his Betfair Hurdle hero Aucunrisque in the Wincanton Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle on Saturday.

The Morestead Stables handler, who saddled a double at Newbury at the weekend, is in a rich vein of form and operating at a strike-rate of well over 40 per cent for the last two weeks – with that hot streak well advertised by Aucunrisque’s game success in the prestigious handicap hurdle.

Having switched back to the smaller obstacles with aplomb and bounced out of his Newbury assignment in rude health, Gordon is now preparing another raid on a valuable hurdling pot while conditions remain to the seven-year-old’s liking.

“He’s come out of it like a lion,” said Gordon. “He’s taken it really well, he wouldn’t have lost a pound in weight. He looks exceptional and the handicapper is going to put him up 9lb.

“I was keeping an eye on the Kingwell at the entry stage and there was only about four in it at around 9.50am, but as soon as I put mine in it another two went in.

“But I thought, you know what, we go on this ground at this time of year, he’s come out of the Betfair in good form, the handicapper is going to put us up and it’s a £70,000 race. The next time after this could be either be the Grand Annual or County Hurdle carrying a bit more weight, so I thought we’d have a little look and see how the week goes.”

Aucunrisque ridden by Nick Scholfield (centre) before going on to win the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury
Aucunrisque ridden by Nick Scholfield (centre) before going on to win the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury (Tom Goode/PA)

Gordon went on: “He bounces off ground like this, he broke the track record at Newbury and he’s just a wonderful little horse with a great constitution.”

Aucunrisque is disputing favouritism for the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival, but with his rating set to be identical in both disciplines, Gordon is keeping his options open with the possibility of sticking to hurdles to take on the challenge of either Sandown’s Imperial Cup or the County Hurdle at Prestbury Park.

“He’s going to go up 9lb over hurdles and 2lb over fences which takes him to 147 in both disciplines,” said Gordon.

“People always like to set things in stone, but I don’t like doing that and you’ve got to be fluid with horses as things change so quickly with them.

“I wouldn’t mind going Imperial Cup, if it was the right ground, County Hurdle or Grand Annual. We’ll see which one suits us best and which one we have the best chance in which is the most important thing.

“It’s not all about the Festival, something like the Imperial Cup is a wonderful race, the Kingwell Hurdle is a wonderful race and the Betfair Hurdle is obviously one which is close to me. I would like to give the horse the best chance of winning.”