The Somerset yard of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White has been enjoying a fine season so far and is set to be represented in Saturday’s £150,000 Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton Park by the progressive Lowry’s Bar.
White served as long-time assistant to Hobbs before becoming joint trainer on the licence in 2023 and success in Saturday’s contest would hand the duo their biggest success to date as a formal training partnership.
"It’s lovely to have horses competitive in these big races," White said, speaking on a Zoom call organised by The Jockey Club.
"The original plan for Lowry’s Bar was to go for the Reynoldstown at Ascot last Saturday but frustratingly he pulled out lame on the Friday afternoon with a bit of bruising in his toe so that ruled that out. He was sound by Sunday morning, which was good news. He has back cantering this week without a false step, so there is no reason to be concerned on that front.
“He had the entry for the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton as it was an early-closing race so we made it the plan to come here once the Reynoldstown was sidelined.
“The ground at Kempton is a concern and I am very much hoping that the forecast is right and there will be a lot of rain tomorrow. If the weather forecasts I have looked at are correct, that should be the case. It’s a later race in the day and we can see how things pan out but it is very much the intention to run. Micheal Nolan has two rides beforehand and can feed back to us.
“I thought the extra stamina test at Ascot last week may have suited him better but at the same time he stayed on very well around Windsor last time [log-in for free video replay, below] and I think would have gone very close but for a mistake three out. He was coming back at the winner towards the line, so I don’t think a flatter track will hinder him.”
During the time Hobbs trained solely in his name, the yard enjoyed great success in the Ladbrokes Trophy with a joint-record four wins courtesy of Dr Leunt (1999), Gunther McBride (2002), Farmer Jack (2005) and Quinz (2011). White believes Lowry’s Bar compares favourably with that quartet.
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He continued: “I think he has a nice profile for the race. He is very much on the upgrade and is less exposed than some of the others in the field. We hope he is still progressing and on the upgrade, which you need to be in a race of this calibre. It will be the most competitive race he has run in with the most runners but he is a very straightforward horse who travels well, so I have no real concerns that will be an issue.
“Depending on how he runs and how he comes out of the race on Saturday, he could then go on to the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival. He has always taken his racing well up to now and we should have a better idea by the end of next week.
“It looks an open race. We are carrying top-weight which indicates we are the best horse in the race and hopefully that’s the case. These big handicaps are very competitive and difficult to win but it is lovely to have horses in the yard of the calibre to be taking part.
“He is rated 148 and I hope he can prove to be better than that so I think he compares favourably with past winners we have had of the race.”
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