This is a subscriber-only article
It looks like you're browsing in private mode
Kelso Saturday
WITH a prize fund of £125k, the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso last Saturday is worth more than any of the handicap hurdles at Cheltenham next week and it attracted a strong field, bolstered in part by the prospect of a further £100k bonus for any horse to win the Morebattle and any Cheltenham race.
That bonus will go begging this year, but that won’t bother the connections of Cracking Rhapsody (Ewan Whillans/Craig Nichol), who produced another career best to win the big handicap in style at odds of 9/1.
Due to a dawdling gallop, the entire field was still well bunched with two hurdles to jump, suggesting a bunched finish, but the son of Sans Frontieres stayed on powerfully when given the office to win by four and a half lengths from Ginger Mail (Nick Alexander/Danny McMenamin), with gambled-on favourite Skycutter third for Dan Skelton and Tristan Durrell.
The winner did well to win by such a margin given how the race was won and looks sure to improve further, with the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting an obvious target.
SEAN Bowen is another jockey who had been on the sidelines for some time, with injury keeping the prospective Champion jumps jockey out of action for six weeks after a St Stephen’s Day tumble from Farren Glory in the aforementioned Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The Welsh rider had ridden a few winners since returning in February, but Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy) provided him with his first televised success since his return by keeping on best in the Listed bet365 Premier Chase over an extended two miles and seven furlongs.
Bowen had seen his lead in the riders’ championship disappear in recent weeks, but he is determined to chase down current leader Harry Cobden, and gave the tricky Thunder Rock a fine ride.
Ridden patiently, Thunder Rock was typically not fluent at times, but his rider delayed asking for an effort until after the second last fence, and the 9/4 favourite then used his tactical speed to make a big move on the trio who had set down to battle it out.
Cleared away
He collared Aye Right and Minella Drama just before the final obstacle and cleared away to win by a decisive seven lengths, proving his stamina for three miles in the process. Minella Drama plugged on for second, with Elvis Mail up late for third having been outpaced.
The much-touted Monbeg Genius was bitterly disappointing, travelling well to a point but finding nothing for pressure and beaten 38 lengths into fifth of six finishers.
The winning trainer was delighted with how the race panned out and praised the winning rider when speaking on ITV after the race, saying:
“I said to Sean not to get in a battle with him and ride him with confidence because he was the classiest horse in the race and to make that tell and he did just that. It’s been hard for Sean; he’s riding through pain and we’ve had a quiet couple of weeks ourselves so this will do him the world of good.
“I think we’ll go to Aintree with him for the Bowl now, it’s a Grade 1 so he’ll need to step up again, but a small field suits him and he’ll be back over 150 in a handicap again.”
PERSONAL Ambition (Ben Pauling/Kielan Woods) gave his jockey a welcome return to the saddle and set himself up for a trip to Aintree by winning the Grade 2 Bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.
The winner repelled the renewed effort of uneasy favourite Jango Baie (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) by half a length, with Cannock Park (Paul Robson/Craig Nichol) beaten a total of two lengths in third having been much further behind Jango Baie when third in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle on his previous run.
Personal Ambition - sent off second choice by punters at 3/1 – made errors at the first two hurdles but was soon travelling sweetly behind the pace set by outsider Choose A Copper, while Jango Baie looked in trouble at the second last where he came off the bridle and made a mistake of his own; unlike so many from his stable of late, he rallied under pressure to keep the winner honest up the long run-in.
Personal Ambition, sporting the familiar orange and black colours of Lynne McLennan, was getting 5lb from the runner-up and 3lb from the third, so the form needs taking in context, but this looked an improved effort from a gelding who was beaten over 25 lengths on his previous attempt at Grade 2 level.
He’s clearly progressing well at the right time, prompting dreams of Grade 1 glory at Aintree.
“It didn’t exactly go to plan early doors,” said Pauling. “There was probably too much of a gallop I would say, and he missed the first and the second and I was thinking ‘this is not ideal’.
“Thankfully he got into a nice rhythm after that and it was great that he toughed it out, as he needed to today.
“It wasn’t a facile victory, he had to really dig deep and he hasn’t had to do that before really, so it was great to see him do it.
“He’ll probably go to Aintree; that would be the obvious route. We were never going to go to Cheltenham because I knew that he could make the sort of mistakes he did today.
“I still think he’s a horse that just needs time on the track and I think the flat track at Aintree will suit him more than the undulations of Cheltenham.”
Contrite
Kielan Woods has only recently returned having served more than six weeks suspension for repeated breaches of the whip rules, and he was both delighted with this success, and contrite regarding his stiff punishment.
“This is massive,” said the winning rider. “It’s not easy for Ben Pauling to convince owners to put me up after what I’ve been doing, but I’ve learned my lesson and it’s great that Angus and Lynne, who are big owners, have put me up. It means a lot.
“He stuck at it really well, he was good and tough. He’s very talented, but he’ll be a nicer chaser, he doesn’t have much respect for hurdles. He’ll be a good horse when he gets fences.”
SHARING OPTIONS: