Huntingdon review: Jeremys Flame fires for Gavin Cromwell

Jeremys Flame vindicated her connections decision to get a 7.30am flight over from Northern Ireland when delivering what they hailed as a ‘magic moment’ with an impressive success in the Pertemps Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon on Friday.

Having come unstuck in her hat-trick bid upped to Grade One level at Leopardstown over Christmas, the nine year-old mare made the most of a drop back down in class against her own sex when becoming the first Irish-trained winner of the Listed feature.

Anchored at the rear of the field for much of the two mile four prize the 3/1 second favourite steadily worked her way into contention under Keith Donoghue before being delivered to join 6/5 market leader Zambella at the final fence.

Still sitting with a double handful underneath him after jumping the last, Donoghue was given an immediate response when asking the daughter of Jeremy to put the race to bed, which she did in a matter of strides, before scoring by six and a half lengths.

Maurice McCabe, of the winning owners, the Flushfarm Racing Syndicate, said: “We only booked the flights this morning because of the inspection.

“Stephen Oakes (friend and postman) was online this morning trying to book the flights and as soon as we got the go ahead we just had to book the flights.

“We flew from Belfast into Birmingham but then we had a great taxi down here. These are magic moments and it was worth getting up early for as we might never experience this again. I was up around 5.30am this morning.

“It was very good to see that. She is a great mare. She just didn’t run her race the last day but we were hopeful she would run better today.

“The pace of the race didn’t suit her the last day. Either two miles or two miles four suits her. She will be going to the breeding paddocks soon but we have not decided when yet.”

Although Jeremys Flame was trimmed into 12/1 from 20/1 for the Grade Two Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival her triumphant connections admitted that an outing there was far from set in stone.

McCabe added: “We will leave the final decision up to Gavin. We are breeders and we would love to get her in foal.

“I’ve been talking to Gavin (Cromwell, trainer) about it but it is still up in the air. We could go to Cheltenham but she is a valuable mare already.”

As for her Cheltenham Festival-winning rider, he believed that the manner of Jeremys Flame’s success was down to everything playing into his hands.

Donoghue said: “The pace of the race suited her well and I was happy when I saw there was a good gallop as she is a strong traveller.

“We got the tactics wrong the last day and that was probably my fault. I dropped her in last time and she got settled well.

“I thought she would do that today but it was good to see her do it. She is very versatile ground-wise - she just wouldn’t want it very quick. She is entitled to go to Cheltenham if they want to go.”

The Cheltenham Festival might not have been on the agenda for Itchy Feet, but it could be his next port of call after he left trainer Olly Murphy ‘over the moon’ following his game success off top weight in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle qualifier.

With no victory to his name since claiming Grade One glory in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park in February 2020 the son of Cima de Troimphe ended that barren run with a length and a quarter victory under Sean Bowen.

Murphy said of the 20/1 winner: “That was brilliant. He is obviously a horse that means a lot to me and he was just a happier horse back over hurdles today.

“I’m absolutely chuffed. He gave me one of my biggest days when I started training five years ago when winning the Scilly Isles at Sandown Park in 2020.

“To see him do that and jump and travel with the same enthusiasm back when he was a good horse was brilliant. I’m absolutely over the moon.

“I’d say we will stick over hurdles and I don’t see why we won’t do anything different. We might give the team out at day at Cheltenham now in the Pertemps Final. He has got a big engine and will go up in the weights whatever.”

Following the race Itchy Feet was introduced at 25/1 for the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham Festival by Paddy Power.

Any signs of jet lag were shrugged off by trainer Alan King who celebrated a winner on his return from a winter break to the Maldives following the victory of Grandeur D’Ame in the opening race on the card.

Despite only arriving back in Britain on Thursday the Grade One-winning trainer was on hand to watch the seven year old gelding his account over fences at the third time of asking in the Pertemps Network Chris Ashcroft Memorial Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Jumping well up with the pace for much of the extended two mile prize the 7/4 Favourite rallied to good effect when challenged by eventual runner-up Maninsane before prevailing by a length.

King said: “He was good at Chepstow and I think the heavy ground just did him at Lingfield. He never got into a rhythm there and you can draw a line under that.

“Watching that today he will be better going left-handed but it was good to see him get his head in front.

“I thought at the last he was probably held but he is a horse that gets that trip really well and one that probably wants a wee bit further.”

Permit holder Michael Hawker insisted that the drinks were on him after celebrating the first homebred winner of his career, which he described as ‘quite a moment’, following the victory of Spotty Dog in the Pertemps Network Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The Chippenham-based handler, who is a beef and arable farmer by trade, made his first visit to the Cambridgeshire track a successful one after watching his long journey with the eight year old come full circle in the extended two miles and seven furlongs contest.

Entering the race on the back of 14 straight defeats the 12/1 chance set the record straight when defeating Furkash by two and three quarter lengths to give Hawker his first winner in 648 days.

He said: “That is my first homebred winner. He has had 14 goes before but I thought he would win today as he has come right all of a sudden.

“It has been a long-winded job and it would be easier to be one but this is so satisfying. I foaled him and I remember pulling him out of the mare.

“We go back a long way. I had the mare (Where’s My Slave) in a few point-to-points, and before that she was trained by Jessica Harrington.

“It is my first visit to Huntingdon so I might have to come back now. This is quite a moment and I might have one or two later on. We will be going to the Neeld Arms in Grittleton and the drinks will be on me.”

Jockey Jonjo O’Neill junior labelled Imperial Bede as a ‘work in progress’ following his three and a quarter length success in the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle.

O’Neill, said of the 8/1 winner, who is trained by his father Jonjo O’Neill: “He settled better today as they went a proper gallop. He was a bit off his feet to start with and he blundered the first but after that he worked his way into the race.

“I think he will want further than two miles in time but he is a bit keen at the moment and is still a work in progress.”

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