John Ingles highlights three interesting horses entered this weekend at Ascot and Haydock.
MT FUGI PARK (Jonjo O’Neill)
1.15 Ascot – Ascot Novices’ Hurdle
4.10 Ascot – Ascot Handicap Hurdle
4.25 Haydock – Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle
MT FUGI PARK is well entered up on Saturday but hopefully he’ll take up one of his options over three miles. After all, he holds an entry in the Albert Bartlett over that trip at the Cheltenham Festival, and a win at the weekend would doubtless see the 33/1 about him for that race disappear.
There’s certainly no shortage of stamina in Mt Fugi Park’s family, which is that of Grand National winner Royal Athlete, and as the winner of both his starts over hurdles he’s been shaping as though staying trips are bound to suit him.
Bought for £290,000 after winning his sole start in Irish points, Mt Fugi Park won a maiden at Ffos Las in October and followed up in a novice at Leicester last month where he looked held approaching the final hurdle but ultimately stayed on well in testing conditions to beat another useful prospect, Venetia Williams’ Alcedo, by half a length with the pair of them well clear of the rest.
Mt Fugi Park still looks far from the finished article so is open to plenty more improvement, particularly given more of a stamina test than he’s faced so far.
LOUP DE MAULDE (Robbie Llewellyn)
2.25 Ascot – Ascot Handicap Hurdle
4.10 Ascot – Ascot Handicap Hurdle
Wiltshire trainer Robbie Llewellyn is beginning to make a name for himself thanks to much his best season already with 16 winners coming at an eye-catching strike rate of 22%. The tough and reliable staying hurdler LOUP DE MAULDE was a big success story for the yard last season when he won four handicaps, taking his BHA mark from 93 into the 120s, and his progression hasn’t necessarily ended yet.
A maiden when he joined the yard from Christian Williams, all of Loup de Maulde’s wins came at smaller tracks last term but a couple of entries at Ascot on Saturday gives him an opportunity on a bigger stage. Loup de Maulde’s first two wins came at Huntingdon and he shaped well on last month's reappearance at the same track in a Pertemps Qualifier.
Despite his usual cheekpieces being left off, Loup de Maulde travelled as well as ever and improved to hold every chance early in the straight before being left behind by Beachcomber on the run-in. With that run under his belt, Loup de Maulde looks well up to going one better.
YEAH MAN (Gavin Cromwell)
3.15 Haydock – Virgin Bet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase
Gavin Cromwell has had nine winners in Britain this jumps season, including a couple of good handicap chases at Cheltenham with Malina Girl and Stumptown, and he could be taking another big prize back to Ireland on Saturday with YEAH MAN, his entry in the Grand National Trial at Haydock.
A winner in points and over hurdles, Yeah Man hasn’t won over fences yet but his two visits to Britain for premier handicaps, both at Ascot, before the turn of the year, suggest it won’t be long before he puts that right.
On the first occasion he was closing and looking set to finish second at worst when falling at the last in a race won by Victtorino. Then in the Silver Cup Chase just before Christmas he survived a peck at the last this time before staying on very strongly to finish less than a length behind the same rival.
The step up to three and a half miles in the Grand National Trial looks sure to suit Yeah Man and the steadier pace of a race run in testing conditions over a marathon trip might have the added benefit of putting less pressure on his jumping.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
