A review of the action from Saturday's meeting at Haydock where Ann Duffield saddled a rare big jumps winner.
Duffield celebrates big jumps win
It proved to be a marquee moment in Jump racing for trainer Ann Duffield, as N’golo built on some recent promise by causing a 28/1 shock in the Grade Three Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle under Gavin Sheehan at Haydock Park.
The Leyburn handler is almost certainly better known for her exploits on the Flat – perhaps most notably with two victories in the Group Three Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr – but in N’golo the yard sent out a seven year old with some smart form under his belt from his time in the Rich Ricci colours with Willie Mullins.
Having cost his new owners just £14,000 last autumn, he caught the eye when second over slightly further here in March and dropped to the minimum trip here, the son of Galileo capitalised on an assertive ride from Sheehan to burst clear in the closing stages for a six and a half-length success over 4-1 Favourite Severance.
There is more to Duffield’s recent jaunt into Jump racing than meets the eye however, having joined forces with Irish trainer Paddy Neville – a Grade Three-winning trainer in his own right in Ireland who currently carries the moniker of assistant trainer at the yard.
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Neville explained that he was hoping to take out a joint-license with Duffield in the future. He said: “I’m delighted for everyone and it’s a pity Ann didn’t come, she’s got a runner at Thirsk so she’s probably gone there. He’s owned by a syndicate of a few lads from Ireland and Gavin gave him a great ride. We knew coming into this that the horse was in super order and we were hoping for the best.
“I came over from Limerick with a handful of horses and teamed up with Ann, who is looking after us very well and we’re a great team. She’s been very good to us and long may it continue.
“I started in Ireland in 2006 and I’ll either join with Ann on her license or take my own out. It’s a bit more complicated a process than I thought, but I came over last year and had a few winners so we said we’d stay with a few – there’s more of a variety of races here. I had a Grade Three winner at Down Royal (with Macville in November 2010) and I had a second in a Kerry National so we’ve had a lot of winners.
“We’re mostly National Hunt and Ann is Flat, so we’ll probably take out a joint licence. If not we’ll continue the way we are with me in the assistant’s role. Ann’s there with George (Duffield) – who’s still riding out! We’re all in it together.”
The winning jockey added: “He ran a massive race around here last time and I actually thought that he’d be in better form again. The cheekpieces helped and when I rode him the first time at Kelso we said about dropping him back down to two miles and to be more positive.
“Today I couldn’t have been more positive because we went a proper gallop and I was just about to fill him up going into the bend. He went better as the race went on, and it’s a nice pot. Paddy does the job well, that’s the bottom line.”
Stylish return from Aldaary
Saturday's fixture is the only remaining in the UK to feature both Flat and Jump racing on the same afternoon and elsewhere on the card was the Listed Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes (7f), which was won in good style by the William Haggas-trained Aldaary (2/5 favourite).
The four year old signed off last year on an upward curve, winning two valuable seven furlong handicaps back-to-back at Ascot in the autumn and he looked ready for the step up into Group company here, asserting in the final furlong for a three and a half-length success under Jim Crowley.
Aldaary was cut into 8/1 from 14s for next month’s Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot with Betfair, and the winning jockey is hopeful that the son of Territories can pick up a nice prize at some point this season.
He said: “He was entitled to do that on the ratings, but I think the key to this horse is he has to have cut in the ground and when he gets it he’s a fair horse. The only time he’s really disappointed was on good to form and he won two big handicaps last year, so hopefully he can progress into Group company.”
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsBrief too good for Shiel
Elsewhere on the card was the Pertemps Network Conditions Stakes (6f), which saw Brad The Brief (7/4) mark himself out as a sprinter to follow this term when taking the notable scalp of Group One winner Glen Shiel with an impressive victory in on his first start for Hugo Palmer.
The son of Dutch Art was a Group Three winner in France as a three year old and he certainly looks worthy of another shot at Pattern level based on this, taking control of matters inside the final furlong to score by three and a quarter lengths.
Winning jockey David Egan commented: “It was nice and straightforward. He’s a horse who’s fit on a comeback run and he made use of that ease in the ground.
He was doing it so easy and I felt that Glen Shiel might have just got tired and he just quickened really well between the two pole and the one pole, so he was just coasting to the line after that. He’s a horse that won on his comeback run from two to three and has done the same again so he obviously runs well fresh.”
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMeanwhile, jockey Hollie Doyle feels Glen Shiel will almost certainly come on for this outing.
She said: “It was a really good run. Obviously it wasn’t his Derby today but he jumped and travelled really well. It was hard against Brad The Brief but he’s just a laid back horse who carries a bit of condition so it just takes him a few runs I think to get back in the zone.”