Kim Bailey believes Imperial Aura can demonstrate he remains a “talented individual” by securing a first career Grade One success on his seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.
Last season was one of contrasting fortunes for the eight-year-old, who will make his first start over three miles in almost two years when bidding to open his account at the highest level in the first Grade One contest of the season.
After landing the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on his return last year, Imperial Aura followed up with a first Grade Two victory in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot before a disappointing end to the campaign.
With the world seemingly at his feet, Imperial Aura then suffered his first non-completion when unseating David Bass at the second fence in the Grade Two Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton Park in January, before pulling up on his Grade One debut in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, where it later transpired he burst a blood vessel.
Having given Imperial Aura a wind operation over the summer along with plenty of time to get over his Festival excursions, Bailey believes his stable star will have plenty in his favour upped in trip after reporting him to be in a “good place”.
Imperial Aura leading the @kimbaileyracing string up the gallops
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 14, 2021
He's on course to make his seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at @haydockraces next week
"He is a very talented individual and he has got serious ability", says Kim Bailey pic.twitter.com/Q1am5yRfsk
Bailey, who is based in Andoversford, said: “At Kempton he unseated his rider and to this day nobody knows why, though David feels it could have been the sun at the fence. The Kempton race had no effects on him at Cheltenham and we schooled him loads of times after.
“At Cheltenham I’ve never seen horses go that fast in my life and he ended up breaking a blood vessel probably from the stress of going that quick, but he jumped well at Cheltenham until he got tired. He has had a breathing operation over the summer and he seems in a really good place. I think you just have to walk away from the second half of last season.
“He has always been a horse that I felt would be better over a longer trip, though he is quite a quick horse. Going back up to three miles shouldn’t be a problem. It is a flat track at Haydock and I think the race will suit him.
“Is he good enough? God only knows, but at the end of it he is a very talented individual and he has got serious ability. I’m happy with him. I don’t know what the opposition will be like yet but I’m hopeful that he will run a big race.”
Although fences appear to be the making of Imperial Aura, who tasted Festival success in the 2020 Listed novices’ handicap chase that was switched to Sandown last season, Bailey admits he has shown star potential right from the start.
The trainer continued: “He just showed from day one that he had a bit of oomph about him. He was a horse that wanted to do it. He was never flashy but it was the way he wanted to do it. You get plenty of horses that are flashy at home and they are not the ones you want to be involved with but he puts his head down and works.
“He started off in an interesting situation as he suffered with sore shins after his debut win over hurdles at Carlisle. We were able to deal with his shins as we are very lucky we have a water treadmill next door at Jason Maguire’s, but part of the reason he had the issue was down to him being a young horse at the time.
“You have to look back though and say these things are sent to try us but he only ran once more that season.”
Things may have conspired against Imperial Aura in the second half of last season but it was one Bailey will not forget in a hurry after First Flow secured him a first Grade One since Master Oats’ 1995 Gold Cup triumph with victory in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January to continue his own recent resurgence.
Bailey said: “We moved here with 25 horses after life in Northamptonshire was a disaster and it has been a gradual push to try and get better quality horses. You have to have the team behind you to help and the owners to buy them and that doesn’t happen overnight but we now have some nice horses coming through.
“I was always confident we would get back to this sort of level. You don’t do this job unless you feel confident you can do it otherwise you wouldn’t do it.
“There is very little financial reward for the hours we put into it. You have a fantastic lifestyle when it is going well and a rubbish one when it’s not going right. You have got to make sure that when you are not having a good time that you look to the future and keep going forward.
“First Flow’s win at Ascot was a fantastic race to watch but the saddest thing of all was the fact his owner wasn’t able to go and I celebrated with two glasses of water! I can’t think that has ever happened to me before.
“I very much like to think Imperial Aura will win a Grade One. Whether that is the Betfair Chase I don’t know. I would be delighted if it is but hopefully there would be one in him at some stage of his career.”
For the past four years Imperial Aura has been partnered at home by Lauren Jack, who although reporting her pride and joy to be firing on all cylinders in the build-up to Saturday’s race admits it was anything but love at first sight between the pair.
She said: “I didn’t like him when I first got him and I couldn’t ride him. I just couldn’t bond with him and I wanted to swap him, but I’m glad I didn’t. I asked Mat (Nicholls, assistant) for advice and how to ride him and what I should do and now I feel like I’m floating up there on the gallops when I get aboard him.
“He is the perfect gentleman as he is so easy going and you can do everything with him. Up the gallops this year he has felt electric and I’ve never felt him so well. He is so much stronger in his shoulders and his neck.”
With her emotions getting the better of her following Imperial Aura’s success at the 2020 Festival, the 25-year-old believes plenty more tears of joy could be shed next weekend.
She said: “When he won at The Festival I felt a sense of relief as all the hard work had finally paid off. We needed that winner. I stayed with him in his box the night before he won at The Festival. I was just making sure he was alright.
“I don’t think I stopped crying for a week after Cheltenham and if he wins this I don’t think I’d stop crying for a month as it would mean so much He deserves to win a Grade One but he owes us nothing really. Having that gold plaque on his box would be lovely though.”
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