Horse Racing

Peddlers Cross Makes Great Start To Chasing Career

It is understandable why Donald McCain is rapidly earning the reputation of being one of the best National Hunt trainers around today. His decision to aim his hugely talented Peddlers Cross at the more modest Arkle Challenge Trophy and resist targeting the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival this season could turn out to be a profound one.

There are certainly very few pundits that would have any doubts about the ability of this six year old gelding, who was the only two mile hurdler last season to get anywhere near to the breathtaking Hurricane Fly, when he finished runner up to him in last season’s Champion Hurdle. Before that defeat, Peddlers Cross had chalked an unbeaten record of eight straight hurdle wins, including the Grade One, Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle; a race incidentally won this season by stablemate Overturn.

He looked every bit a potential top class chaser then and he looks even more like one now that we have seen him win two from two starts over the bigger obstacles. His latest win at Bangor On Dee last weekend which was admittedly  in a low key Future Novice Chase race, was nonetheless awesome. He won with eight lengths to spare from the Nicky Henderson trained , Minella Class; himself a Grade One Novice Hurdle winner and did it without any exertions being necessary.

He jumped almost to perfection leaving jockey nothing to do other than find the right jumping stride which he did at all but one of the eight fences. Even the slight mistake at the fourth did not interrupt his momentum, he continued running, clearly enjoying himself; there is no doubt that he looked very definately champion material.

McCain will next send him to a Novice chase over two mile sat Haydock Park on December 17^th, where he should at least be given a bigger test and assuming all is well at the end of that he will have one more run before Cheltenham. That run could well be in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novice Chase at Warwick in February.

After this latest run at Bangor, Bookmakers were keen to install him amongst the favourites for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, believing that McCain might be tempted to bypass the Novice Chase route altogether and go straight for the top. That was naive of them of course and it is good to note that McCain, already renowned as a trainer with an eye for picking the right race for his runners, prefers to stick with the plan and take on the ‘Arkle’, for which he is now the 9/2 favourite, well clear of the 7/1 about the Paul Nicholls trained, Al Ferof.

There is obviously plenty of confidence from the Ditcheat stable in Al Ferof, who was the winner of the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in March. Nicholls thought he was good enough to be pitched straight into Grade 2 Novice Chase company at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago against a very good looking field. And as is often the case with the Champion trainer, he was proven correct, as the six year old won at his first attempt over fences by a very impressive seven lengths.

As it stands currently, Peddlers Cross and Al Ferof would appear to have the ‘Arkle’ between them, but with plenty of pattern novice chases still to be run before the Festival both in the UK and Ireland much can change by then. However, it is already looking likely to be one of the best races at the 2012 Festival.

Long Run Bigger, Stronger and Better and Ready for New Season

While the last four National Hunt seasons have all started with horses of the calibre of Kauto Star, Denman and Master Minded dominating the headlines, this year we have seen a complete wind-change, with the Nicky Henderson trained Long Run, being the toast of British Jumps Racing. In both of those races he had Kauto Star back in third place, while Denman had to follow him home at Cheltenham.

The six year old only ran three times last season, but he won the two biggest chase’s the NH has to offer, the rearranged, King George Vl Chase at Kempton Park in January, before taking the sport’s most prized race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. These victories provided veteran trainer, Henderson, with his first ever wins in these two most prestigious races.

It was a remarkable performance, made even more so by having been ridden by an amateur jockey, Sam Waley-Cohen, who will be keeping the partnership together again this season.

He was of course beaten once in those three races last season and that came in his first run, the Grade 3 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November but that was a race where he gave weight away all round. It could be argued that he did very well to finish third, after all he was less than five lengths behind the winner, Little Josh.

His first race this year is almost certain to be the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, where he will be attempting to follow in the footsteps of the last two winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Imperial Commander and Kauto Star by getting into the winners enclosure. He will also be attempting to achieve the feat of Kauto Star by winning the race as a six year old, something that Kauto did in 2006. In fact Kauto Star has won the Betfair Chase three times in total and will be in the field once again this year, this time as an 11 year old.

The Bookmakers, quite understandably have installed Long Run as the 10/11 odds on favourite for the race with Kauto Star at 23/5 and the Nick Williams trained, Diamond Harry, making his return to the racecourse after 12 months out injured, next best with odds of 5/1.

Reports from the Henderson yard of Seven Barrows strongly suggest that Long Run will be coming back a bigger, better and much stronger animal than the one seen at Cheltenham in March. The plan for this season will follow a very similar path to that taken last year, although there is a chance that he could finish his campaign at either Aintree in April or even Punchestown in May. His main targets however will remain the ‘two big ones’, which should he win, he will then begin to be compared to the greats of the past, such as Desert Orchid and Arkle. His case to achieve legendary status however will be much helped with a big handicap win in the not too distant future, something which both Arkle and Desert Orchid achieved.

Frankel and the Breeders Cup Mile Dilemma

According to the media, horse racing fans are unlikely to see the world’s top rated thoroughbred, Frankel, at the 2011 Breeders Cup; at least not this year anyway. However, as we all know the media can often be wrong and their sources quite spurious and sometimes even illegal, which if nothing else gives hope and optimism to those of us who would love to see the great 3 year old confirming his brilliance in the Breeders Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on November 5th. His presence would certainly add a lot more fireworks than any other horse at the spectacular world championship meeting.

It was reported in the Racing Post that Frankel’s last race of the season would be in the Qipco Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 1m or the Qipco Champion Stakes over 1m2f which are both to be run in the highly exciting Champions Day meeting at Ascot on October 15th. Frankel’s trainer, Henry Cecil, has not yet decided to continue running Frankel over the mile or give him a ten furlong race for the first time in his career.

Cecil has also indicated that the son of Galileo will be kept in racing as a four year old which would also provide plenty of opportunity to step him up in distance thus giving him a much wider scope. He has already beaten anything that has been put in front of him over a mile so far and his last victory in the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, where he crushed the brilliant Canford Cliffs earned him a rating of 137 making the top thoroughbred in the world today.

Cecil’s dilemma with aiming him at the Breeders Cup, where he will be represented by at least one other runner, Midday, is that he does not feel Frankel would recover and travel well enough should he be seriously tested at Ascot. The Breeders Cup comes just three weeks later and it would obviously mean that the horse would need time to settle in his new surroundings as well as make the arduous journey across the Atlantic. Should he decide to miss the new Champions Day however in favour of the Breeders Cup, Cecil would be pilloried from upon high for not sending his wonder horse to Ascot for a day that has been created as an important part of the new ideals in the BHA’s Racing for Change programme. There is no doubt they would expect Cecil’s wonder horse to be ‘star attraction of the day’ – after his presence will mean huge ticket sales.

Notwithstanding, the official closure day for the Breeders Cup Mile is the 24th October, which gives Cecil and the horse’s owner, Khalid Abdullah, at least some time to mull over the prospect, but as it stands currently no decision has been finalised.

Gosden Lands St Leger On Both Sides Of Irish Sea

There would have been plenty of punters ruing their luck last Saturday afternoon after neglecting to take into account the genius that is trainer, John Gosden.

The brilliant Newmarket trainer had just saddled the winner of the final classic of the season, the St Leger at Doncaster and within half an hour was celebrating a dead heat victory in the Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh. It was a wonderful double but particularly galling for punters who missed out on two winners at great prices.

Firstly, Masked Marvel’s three length victory at Doncaster had always been ‘on the cards’ after Gosden declared that the previous antepost favourite, Nathaniel who was the winner of one of the feature Group One races of the season, the King George V & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, would be aimed at the Arc de triumph instead of the St Leger. Gosden clearly knew all the time that he already had a major contender for Doncaster in Masked Marvel, particularly after the son of Montjeu had defeated the Richard Hannon trained, Census to win the Group Three Bahrain Cup at Newmarket over 1m5f in July.

Although that win followed a less than convincing display in the Epsom Derby, Masked Marvel proved in the early part of the season that he was a classic stayer in the making when he took the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood by 3 lengths from the very useful Namibian. Gosden put the horse away after the Bahrain Cup win in order to keep him fresh for Doncaster and how that strategy paid off!

Gosden was winning the race for the second year in succession after Arctic Cosmos won 12 months ago; it was also his third win in the last five renewals and his fourth in total. Although a big drifter before the off, the 2/1 favourite for the race, the Sir Michael Stoute trained, Sea Moon, so impressive when winning the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last month, failed to flatter and although finishing third place he never got any nearer.

Second place went to the Michael Owen owned and Tom Dascombe trained, Brown Panther, who was heavily backed during the build up to the race going from 14/1 to a starting price of 15/2. He put up a tremendously gutsy performance but did not quite have sufficient class to get the better of the winner but Owen confirmed that the horse would stay in training and would be aimed next at the Ormonde Stakes at Chester in the Spring.

In the wake of the Gosden celebrations at Doncaster attention was quickly switched to the Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh where the stable’s tough staying six year old, Duncan, was one of a number of English raiders. He went to Ireland with plenty of stable confidence behind him too, following his second place ¾ length behind Ascot Gold Cup runner up, Opinion Poll in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York over 2 miles.

That race proved to be an excellent form guide particularly as the six year old had won the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire back in May over 1 mile 6 furlongs and was being targeted at the Irish St Leger all season. Jockey, Eddie Aherne, thought that he had just got up to win the race from Johnny Murtagh on Juke Box Jury, but the photograph failed to separate the two as they crossed the line together a length clear of Red Cadeaux in third. The big shock of the race was the performance of Ascot Gold Cup winner, Fame And Glory who went off as the 8/13 odds on jolly but had to settle for fourth place, a huge 22 lengths behind the third.

Juke Box Jury, trained by Mark Johnston will potentially be aimed next at the Melbourne Cup in November, with the stable high on confidence that the two mile trip based on a fast gallop would suit their tough front running five year perfectly.

Upsets Grab Headlines In Ebor Meeting Feature Races

As far as Group One success was concerned, it was Trainers Sir Henry Cecil, Mahmood Al Zarooni and Michael Bell who shared the spoils with a win each in the three Group One races at the 2011 York Ebor Festival.

Cecil who has enjoyed plenty of Group One success with Frankel this season was not surprised when his Twice Over held off the challenge of stablemate Midday to take the Juddmonte International Stakes. The two produced an almost epic battle for supremacy but it was the colt who finished the stronger of the pair, holding off the three time Nassau Stakes winner by ¾ length and leaving odds on favourite, Await The Dawn back in third.

Cecil said afterwards that he will possibly run both in Champions Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day in October, although he is keeping his options on Midday fluid, who he believed would have made even more of a race of it had the going been a touch quicker. Nonetheless, the mare ran a great race extending her run to eleven races where she has not finished outside of the first two all in Group company.

Twice Over of course was expected to win the Dubai World Cup earlier this year at Meydan but ran disappointingly after earlier winning at the Carnival. He was rested but came back to win the Group Two York Stakes over the same course and distance as the International, which appears to have put him spot on. The win was his fourth at Group One level.

Blue Bunting, who took the Yorkshire Oaks for Al Zarooni and Godolphin, proved herself to be one of the toughest filly’s around when holding off the Cecil trained Vita Nova. The win was her first against older horses and her third Group One of a memorable season which has seen her win the Newmarket 1000 Guineas and the Irish Oaks.

Jockey Frankie Dettori was highly excited by her win and believes that she should be given a chance to win the St Leger for which she has an entry and a price of 6/1 to win. There is little doubt that she would get the trip at Doncaster but she would more than likely have to beat the Sir Michael Stoute trained Sea Moon himself a big winner at the Ebor Festival last week when he took the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes in great style, beating 5/4 favourite Seville in the process.

The third and final Group One success came when Michael Bell’s Margot Did surprised most everybody when she dotted up in the Nunthorpe Stakes at 20/1. The win saw jockey Hayley Turner confirm herself as one of the leading jockey’s in the country with a second Group One winner of the season. She now has 76 winners this season and looks sure to beat the magic hundred mark before the season ends.

Margot Did had already won twice in Listed company this season, but was not expected to get the better of this field, hence the starting price. However, Turner produced another strong front running performance where the filly was always going to be difficult to pass. She held on to win by ¾ length from another outsider Hamish McGonagall who had gone off as a 28/1 chance and will now head to Haydock Park to run in another Group One, the Betfred Sprint, which takes place on Saturday 3rd September.

Frankie Gets the Vote on Opinion Poll

Although there was no ‘flying dismount’ by jockey Frankie Dettori, his imperious ride on board the 9/2 jolly, Opinion Poll in the Group Two Goodwood Cup over two miles on Thursday had punters galore  ‘flying to the dismounted Bookmaker stands’ to claim their winnings.

Having been held up in midfield for much of the race, Opinion Poll, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni for Godolphin got into contention at the two furlong marker. He then, with Dettori’s encouragement chased the leaders down in the final furlong to win by a head from Lost In The Moment, with top weight Blue Bajan a neck further away in third place and Royal Ascot winner, Fox Hunt a nose back in fourth. It was undoubtedly one of the best finishes seen in flat racing this season.

In many respects Lost In The Moment, also owned by Godolphin, but trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, was unlucky, as he could not get a clear run until the final furlong and by then it was just too late to peg back the hard driven winner.

The win was an excellent reward for Opinion Poll, who is one of the most consistent stayers in racing. In his last race prior to Goodwood, he ran second three lengths behind Fame And Glory in the Group One Ascot Gold Cup at the Royal Meeting in June. In fact the five year old has not finished outside of the first four in any of his last 14 races, winning four of them including the Group Two Lonsdale Cup over two miles at York last August.

As expected in Thursday’s race Overturn, trained by Donald McCain, with Richard Hughes on board took up the running and set a fair gallop often looking like he was going to be difficult to catch. Indeed at the five furlong marker he quickened unexpectedly and had the chasing pack all at it until they finally got to him just over a furlong from home. Nonetheless, it was a game run by the versatile seven year old, who could easily have been running in the Galway Hurdle in Ireland yesterday had the weights been more favourable.

It looks almost certain that Opinion Poll will now be aimed at the Group One two miler at Ascot on Champions Day for his next run, while the second horse, Lost In The Moment will be aimed at the York Ebor .

David O’Meara, trainer of Blue Bajan was thrilled by the performance of the top weight and was quick to blame that the 3Ib he was giving away was the reason for the defeat. Undeterred however, he confirmed that the nine year old will now be aimed at the Lonsdale Cup at York where he will undoubtedly have a big chance.