Ascot review and free video replays

A Friend indeed...

Henry’s Friend emerged as an early season candidate for the Randox Grand National after showing that stamina is his forte in the Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

Last sighted finishing eighth in the Coral Scottish Grand National up at Ayr in April the gelded son of Shirocco made a winning return to action in the three mile contest to complete doubles for triumphant trainer Pauling and successful rider Jones.

Racing prominently for much of the second circuit, having sat in behind pacesetter Courtland until his departure in front of the stands first time around, the 17/2 chance turned for home with both Neon Moon and The Changing Man as big dangers to his prospects of success.

As Neon Moon backed out of the equation it was left to The Changing Man to throw down one last challenge on jumping the last.

However, although both cleared the final obstacle well it was Henry’s Friend that continued to find more in the closing strides with Jones pushing his mount out to glory by a length and three quarters.

Pauling said: “He just got in such a good rhythm. Everywhere he went he was just jumping and travelling, and he wouldn’t be fit.

"I would say that Ben was just filling him up and trying to get a blow into him when he could. He has ridden a class race. It is just amazing really.

“When that horse is in that form he is not for passing. He is by Shirocco, and they can sometimes be a little bit soft in the head, but when they are on form they won’t be passed. That was awesome.”

Following the race Henry’s Friend was quoted at 66-1 for the Randox Grand National, however Pauling admitted afterwards that while the eight-year-old fits the profile for the race he would have to draw on all of his persuasive skills to make it a concrete plan.

He added: “He is owned by Lizzie and Oliver Troup, who are a mother and son, and Lizzie wouldn’t be the biggest fan of the Grand National, but he is going to get a mark that will probably get him in it.

“This was a prep race for the Coral Gold Cup, but we have probably scuppered that today so we will have a re-think, but he has paid for this season and next.

“He has got a Grand National profile and decisions will have to be made.”

Questions time for Pauling

No Questions Asked could be pitched in at the deep end on his next start after putting in a near flawless round of jumping on his debut over fences in the Ascot Underwriting Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Arriving as the only one of the three-runner field with no previous chasing experience to his name the gelded son of Ask looked the consummate professional on his switch to larger obstacles with a polished performance much to the delight of Pauling.

Sitting in second for much of the two mile three furlong test the 9/4 second-favourite breezed up alongside early leader, and odds-on favourite Viroflay, straightening up to face the final two fences.

After getting the measure of the 4/5 market leader between the final two fences No Questions Asked safely negotiated the final obstacle before drawing away to score by three-and-three quarter lengths.

Pauling said: “He didn’t miss a beat. He just run down the last a little bit as Ben (Jones) half-pulled him down as he was a bit wrong. I didn’t think he would be that good a jumper over a fence.

“He has always been a little bit haphazard with his hurdles and at home he just jumps a chase fence like a hurdle.

"I walked the course and they were proper big fences out there as they have just been redone.

“He jumped impeccably and he put it to bed relatively easily. It was a good performance.

“That has probably put him up around the one hundred and forty mark I would think.

"Whether or not he goes to the John Francome (at Newbury) I’m not sure, but the way he jumped gives me confidence he could go into a better class race and acquit himself well.”

Teddy toys with rivals for Derham

It might have taken almost a season for Harry Derham to get to know what makes Teddy Blue tick, but his time and efforts were rewarded in fine style with a battling success in the Grundon Waste Management Handicap Chase.

Described by the Boxford handler as ‘very talented, but a bit mad’, the gelded son of Sea The Moon secured the biggest prize of his career when landing the £100,000 contest under a power-packed ride by Brendan Powell.

After travelling well into the race the 9/2 chance moved into a lead he would hold onto all the way to the line after the second last.

However, the race was far from over with Special Cadeau, from the Henry de Bromhead yard, and eventual runner-up Gabriel’s Getaway, still holding every chance on the run down to the last in the two miles one furlong prize.

But, after meeting the last on a good stride, Teddy Blue managed to hold off the hard-charging Gabriel’s Getaway by three quarters of a length.

Derham said: “First thing I will say is that I’m gutted for Paul (O’Brien) as he can’t do ten stone two (pounds), but Brendan (Powell) gave him a brilliant ride.

“He is a quirky horse I think. I trained him up until March horrendously just because I was training him like a normal horse.

“One day it occurred to me he was not a very normal horse and he is a bit mad, and I needed to understand that about him, and it took me a year to get to know him.

“All this spring I had it in my head this horse is so well. He is very talented but a bit mad, but he is a pretty good mad one.

“You would have to ask him as I’ve no idea if he has reached his mark. He might have another stone in hand or no more in hand as he is his own man.

“I knew I had him right today and fresh is sometimes the time to catch these horses.”

Alexei has Great ambition

Joe Tizzard will consider giving Alexei a swift turnaround following his ready win in the Lavazza Handicap Hurdle.

The gelded son of Tai Chi built on a solid second in last month’s Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow when showing a smart turn off foot late on to capture the £60,000 contest.

Always travelling well in the extended one mile seven furlong contest the well-backed 13/8 favourite moved through to challenge with the in-form Indemnity on the run down to the last.

After getting a good jump at the last the five-year-old put his Flat speed to good use when quickening clear up the run-in to defeat Indemnity by three lengths to complete a double for winning rider Powell.

Tizzard said: “A lot of my horses have been improving for their runs and the handicapper didn’t touch him for his second in the Welsh Champion Hurdle and he did that how I thought he could do it.

“He has travelled really well and pinged the last and won going away. It was a smooth performance.

“He is a nice horse and we thought a lot of him in his novice hurdles, but he didn’t really train on. This was the perfect pot for him.”

And following the race both Paddy Power and William Hill made Alexei a 10/1 chance for the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 16th, which could be next on the agenda.

Tizzard added: “I’m not going to go crazy with him through the winter and If he comes out of this alright I will back him up again in the Greatwood.”

Mount scales Ascot heights for Ralph

Alastair Ralph can now proudly say he has trained a winner at Ascot after winning point-to-pointer Mount Anglesby secured a first win under rules in the Grundon Waste Management Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

After filling the runner-up spot on his two previous starts the gelded son of Sholokhov went one better under Toby McCain-Mitchell, who is the nephew of trainer Donald McCain, in the extended two mile three furlong contest.

Moving on past long-time leader Graham over the second last the 5/1 chance pulled out plenty up the run-in to get the better of an entertaining three-way battle close to the line to defeat favourite At The Oche by half a length.

The winning rider, who had ridden Mount Anglesby to victory in both of his point-to-point successes, said: “I had planned on going down the paint to be honest, but when I was down there the (Paul) Nicholls horse (Byzantium) was already there.

“I thought in hindsight my lad wants every bit of this trip as we have run him over two and a half miles and three miles in point-to-points.

“With the ground being on the lively side I wanted to make use of him and get first run on everyone so being two off the rail probably wasn’t a bad thing as I wasn’t going to get trapped in.

“We were all stacked up turning in and it was lucky that I did turn out wider. He got first run on them and he saw it really well, but he is tough.”

Military fires to victory

For most trainers targets in the spring time revolve around either the Cheltenham Festival or Aintree, however a date at Haydock Park in April is the long-term aim for Military Alliance, who made a winning return to action in the GI Events Novices’ Hurdle.

Having opened his account over hurdles at Hereford back in April the gelded son of Churchill successfully defied a penalty for that victory when accounting for his four rivals under Paul O’Brien.

Moving through to head the field at the last, the 3/1 chance put in a solid leap at the final flight before rallying to the cause well to hold off 4/9 favourite Soomaroy by a length and a half to complete a double on the day for Derham.

The winning trainer said: “I’m very aware that these novice hurdles will get better, but he likes top of the ground and he has a bit of pace.

“I think Paul gave him a fantastic ride as we didn’t want to commit too early. "When he jumped two out I thought this is on, because I just felt that as a three mile point-to-pointer, Soomaroy, however nice he might be, doing a foot race with a horse that has a bit of Flat speed we might have a chance.

“At the time I thought it (the race at Hereford he won) was a bad race, but it has actually worked out alright. One thing you will never do is see him on soft ground.

“He is a novice until December 1st and we could consider running in a better novice hurdle somewhere.

“My main objective this season is a race called the Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final at Haydock Park in the spring. The plan will be to go to Newcastle the day after the Gold Cup then that.”

Loustic steals bumper prize under Powell

Loustic Du Chatel has a long way to go to eclipse the achievements of the mighty Best Mate, but he looked an exciting prospect for trainer Henrietta Knight when turning the Ascot Round Table Open National Hunt Flat Race into a procession.

The Masked Marvel gelding enjoyed a spin around the Berkshire circuit in almost splendid isolation after grounding his rivals into submission from the front before completing a treble for winning rider Powell.

Although the Liz Prowting-owned four-year-old saw his sizeable advantage, which at one point stood over 20 lengths, trimmed down close to the line, he still had more than enough in hand to saunter home by an eased-down 11 lengths.

Knight said: “I thought he would run well. I got him from the same people that I got Best Mate from. I’ve always loved the horse and I went out and picked him out.

“I looked at the others behind him when he was so far clear and I could see they were struggling a bit and he was just lobbing along.

“We have to digest today. He might have another bumper, but it is not really the thing to do. We won a bumper with Best Mate and then went straight over hurdles.

“Whatever he does in a bumper he will be a different horse jumping as he is an unbelievable jumper. Hopefully he will go a long way.”

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