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Cobden thanks Donoghue after Plate success

Harry Cobden saw his decision to pick up the phone to fellow weighing room colleague Keith Donoghue while negotiating a deal to buy cattle at Salisbury Market rewarded with victory aboard Ballysax Hank in the Unibet Summer Plate.

The 2023-24 champion jockey delivered yet another ice cool ride aboard the 9/4 favourite to win the Premier Handicap for the third year in row having claimed the race 12 months ago aboard Sure Touch and in 2023 on Born Famous.

Having survived the odd hairy moment or two down at the start the well-backed favourite was anchored at the rear of the field through the early stages of the extended two mile five furlong contest with only last year’s winner behind him for much of the first circuit.

As Courtand and Bhaloo continued to trade blows up front, as they had done from the outset, heading out on to the final circuit, it was at this point that Cobden started to pick off his rivals one-by-one on the Gavin Cromwell-trained raider.

Although the gelded son of Eliot still had plenty of horses in front of him turning into the home straight it was clear to most of those watching on at the track that he was travelling best of them all.

After weaving his way through more rivals after the second last Ballysax Hank swiftly cast aside Courtland before scampering away up the run in to score by five lengths.

Cobden said: “I was buying cattle and Keith Donoghue called me while I was in the ring at Salisbury. He asked me what I was doing and I said buying cattle. He said ‘Do you want to ride that Ballysax Hank on Saturday, and I said ‘Yes, put me down on him.’

Him and Gavin were talking and they said I can ride the horse and it has worked out great. I was only hacking away for much of the race, but I knew as soon as I turned in it was all over. I just didn’t want to hit the front too soon.

“Gavin is brilliant. There was no real instructions and he doesn’t tie you down to anything. The horse was playing up at the start, and I didn’t want to get amongst the other horses.

“I was a bit further back than I should have been, but sometimes you have got to do what is right. He was very fit and ready for the day, although there was a second I thought I was coming off him (at the start), but he jumped well and was always in a nice rhythm.

“All us professional lads are paid to do a job and when you are on the horses back you have got to do what you think is right as opposed to what you are told to do. He crept into it really well and when asked he picked up. It is great how it has worked out and I’m delighted.”

As for the runner-up Pembrokeshire handler Bowen was delighted with his effort in defeat.

Bowen said: “We have just bumped into one I think as he did all we wanted in the race as he travelled and jumped. He had a freebie in front and everything went ti plan, but he was just beaten by a better handicapped one.

“The ground was good to firm and the bit of rain did no harm. He has run a blinder and I’m really happy with him.”

Career best lands Summer prize for Cavern Club

James Owen hailed the latest victory secured by Cavern Club as the ‘best performance’ of his career after being produced with a well-timed run to land the Unibet Same Race Multi Summer Handicap Hurdle.

The talented dual-purpose performer, who scored on the Flat at Chester last time out, took his form to new heights when landing the £60,000 contest under a superb ride by Grade One winning rider Gavin Sheehan.

For much of the extended two mile contest the 8/1 chance, who was one of four runners in the race for Owen, was buried amongst rivals with much of the early work up front being cut out by the Chris Gordon-trained Goodwin.

Turning for home a whole host of horses still held some sort of chance, but on the run down to the final flight it looked as though top weight, and last year’s Sky Bet Ebor second, Kihavah, was going to get a deserved moment centre stage after shooting several lengths clear.

However, after the last that advantage was gradually eroded away by Cavern Club, who eventually swept past to strike the front inside the final 110 yards before going on to score by a length and a quarter to give Owen his second winner on the card.

Owen said: “He won his last start on the Flat, and Nibras Gold (third) had as well, and it is a thing I quite like to do. I always thought this horse was very well handicapped over hurdles and it was just a case of getting it together.

“He has been second at Cheltenham and run in some deep handicaps so he knows that speed. On the Flat he wants a fast pace to run at so we knew the make up of the race would work as long as his jumping held up, and it did.

“Gavin said he was a different horse today and that he travelled well. What a lovely ride. It was class.

“That was his best performance. He ran very well at Cheltenham, but he probably hit the front a little bit too soon, but he has still got a lot of wins in him and he is a real lovely dual-purpose horse for the owners and that is what they bought him for.

“They gave me an order for a three-year-old, but I bought a four-year-old, but I said he will do the job.

“We knew he would get into this race, but he got a pound while sitting in his stable, so we sat tight for this race."

And regarding future plans a return to the Flat beckons for Cavern Club ahead of another trip back to Cheltenham in the autumn.

Owen added: “He will have a little break now and go back to Chester as he likes Chester and the owners are from up there and then we will probably go to one of the early Cheltenham meetings.”

Ireland calling for Laravie

Owen will explore options at a higher level in Ireland with Laravie, who completed a four-timer with a front-running success in the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At Unibet Novices’ Hurdle at Market Rasen.

The daughter of Sans Frontieres has proven a revelation since being fitted with a visor after rattling up wins at Stratford, and most recently a brace of victories at Uttoxeter. And she showed no signs of her progression stopping when putting in a polished round of jumping to secure victory in the extended two and a half mile test under champion jockey Sean Bowen.

Although the hat-trick seeking Intosomethingood emerged as a live danger facing up to the final two flights of hurdles the Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies-trained runner couldn’t quite get on terms with the 4/9 favourite, who prevailed by a length and three quarters.

Owen said: “She is a really nice filly and having the visor equipped to her has helped. That was the best she has jumped today and Sean gets on really well with her. We did try her in cheekpieces before, but I just think she needed a break when we got her from Ireland more than anything

“She will upgrade as she goes up in trip. Unfortunately, there is not any race for her now in the English programme until the winter. We are going to give her a little break and go to either Limerick or Cork in October for a Listed fillies’ hurdle race and we will try and get some black type with her.

“We thought about it the other day that if she won today we would then try and get some black type with her before the winter.”

Bowen up and running with Broughshane

Broughshane hit the ground running on his first start for trainer Mickey Bowen after securing a tenacious success in the Unibet Moneyback As Cash Races Handicap Hurdle.

Picked up for £23,000 out of the yard of AJ and Jonjo O’Neill the lightly raced Mahler gelding looked like money well spent when rewarding favourite backers on his stable debut.

Travelling well throughout the extended two and a half mile test the 15/8 favourite moved on with Maghlaak, who had been up close to the pace throughout, in between the final two flights as long-time leader Benvoy backed out of the equation.

As the pair locked horns up the run in it was to be Broughshane, who was sporting first time blinkers, that pulled out just enough to prevail by a neck with the running on Ballygeary another head adrift back in third.

The winning trainer said: “He is a chaser, but I thought we would give him a go over hurdles and see where we are at. His work was very good at home and we schooled him in blinkers the other day and it really sharpened him up.

“James said once he hit the front he was just doing enough. He did knuckle down and I think he will only improve as well from here as he is a lovely horse. I’m very excited about him. His point-to-point rating was 95 in Ireland and it is only the very elite that have that.

“His form had never dipped really, and although it wasn’t at high levels, he had always run nice races. We did think he would have a good chance, but we do think he is a chaser.”

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