A review of the action and free video replays from Monday's meeting at Kempton.
Festival plan for Gamble
Harry Derham intends to work back from the Cheltenham Festival with talented mare Queens Gamble, who enhanced her lofty reputation with victory in the Watch Racing TV Novices’ Hurdle.
After running out a winning on her debut over hurdles at Warwick when trained by Oliver Sherwood the five-year-old daughter of Getaway comfortably built on that effort on her first start since switching to the Boxford handler in the two mile test under Johnny Burke.
Putting in a much slicker display over her hurdles than at Warwick 196 days ago the 8/13 favourite moved almost effortlessly in contention rounding the home turn before breaking away in a group of four at the head of the field.
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Once given a shake of the reins by Burke the odds-on favourite, who claimed Listed National Hunt Flat glory at Cheltenham last November, quickly established an advantage she would hold onto the line.
Despite recent Wincanton scorer Classic King going off in pursuit of the market leader after the last he could not keep tabs with Queens Gamble, who passed the post the post with two and a quarter lengths to spare.
Derham said: “That was good and she is obviously a good mare. I’m always nervous when you bring a horse to the races that is not fully wound up that it will catch them out. Johnny and I said last night if she is as good as we hope then she won’t need to be fully wound up today.
“Today she was much better jumping. Oliver will tell you himself that before that run at Warwick she hadn’t had the best prep beforehand as she hadn’t been out on the grass as it was a bit quick, but her jumping won’t be an issue.
“She jumped really nicely today and over the last two when Johnny asked her to lengthen she jumped very well. She is a high class mare that is professional and she went about it spot on.”
Following the race Queens Gamble was trimmed into 14/1 from 16/1 by Paddy Power for the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival which Derham has earmarked as her long term target.
Derham said “A day in March is the time we need to have her right as the mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival will be absolutely made for her. She has won at Cheltenham before so we just need to plot our way there. I wouldn’t want to over race her beforehand so I will speak to her owners and make a plan.”
Double delight for Derham team
There was further success for former jockey Derham, who insisted it is ‘nice when a plan comes together’ after stable flagbearer Dargiannini completed the second double of the trainer’s career in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.
After celebrating his first brace at Newbury last week Derham was once again all smiles following the eight-year old’s latest success which came just under three hours after Queens Gamble hit the back of the net in the Watch Racing TV Novices’ Hurdle.
Sent straight into the lead by Paul O’Brien the well supported 2-1 favourite, who Derham hailed as an ‘absolute star’, never saw another rival before cruising home by 11 lengths from Copper Coin much to the delight of winning owners Andrew and Julie Mitchell.
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Derham said: “It has been a really good few days. From the start of the season this has been a big target for him mainly because I know a lot of horses use this as a prep race.
“He is really good fresh, and it was on nice ground around a flat track so I thought it would be a good race to start in. It is nice when a plan comes together.
“He has been an absolute star for me. He has won three races and I’ve not been training him for a year. He has been a proper yard star. It is lovely for Andrew and Julie Mitchell. They are lovely people and he was their first ever horse so to get them a winner like that is lovely.
“He has done them more than proud. There is a possibility he could run in the Lanzarote Hurdle here back after Christmas, but there are a few options. This was a massive objective so it is good he has won today and we will go from there.”
Cannon persistence rewarded
Persistence in the saddle paid off for Tom Cannon, who steered Egbert to what at one stage looked an unlikely looking success on his debut over fences in the racingtv.com Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Appearing to be going nowhere in the middle part of the extended two-and-a-half mile contest the 8/1 chance responded well to Grade One winning rider Cannon’s urgings before bounding clear over the final three fences to defeat King’s Threshold by four- and three-quarter lengths.
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Alan King, winning trainer, joked: “That was never in doubt! “He has done that before when he won at Ludlow as he didn’t travel down the far side there, but at home he travels with great fluency. His schooling has been very good and he works like a good horse at home.
“When he won at Ludlow I then ran him afterwards on deep ground and he hated that. I did his wind at the end of the season and I actually fancied him today but I didn’t expect him to travel that bad.
“We might just put a pair of cheekpieces on him, but he is not especially slow. He has done it well in the end. He certainly won’t be coming back in trip and he will get three miles before he is finished.”
Express delivery for Henderson
Nicky Henderson admitted it has taken a ‘bit of work’ to get East India Express back on track, however those efforts were rewarded with an impressive victory in the Racing TV Novices’ Hurdle.
The gelded son of Milan became the latest member of the Seven Barrows talented crop of youngsters to offer a glimpse of their future potential after backing up his debut win in a National Hunt Flat contest at the track in February by five lengths in the two miles five-furlong event.
Henderson said of the 10/11 winner: “I tried to get him ready for the Newbury bumper after he won here, however after that he coughed and coughed and for months and I couldn’t get him out again.
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“It has taken a bit of work to get him there. He wouldn’t show you anything at home and that is why he was probably the second string here last time.
“He has a lovely temperament and a lovely attitude to it, but he is only a baby as he is only four years old. He jumped really well. We have all had to work a little bit hard on his jumping and it wasn’t the most natural thing to him, but he has got the hang of the last few weeks and he was very good out there. I went this trip just to give him a little more time to work it out.
“I think he is too young to go further, and he is not quick enough to come back in trip. So a good old Henderson tactic is if you don’t know what to do just stick in the middle.”
Family success for Tizzard
Joe Tizzard ensured he kept in the good books of his wider family after Le Ligerien (6/1) bounced back to winning ways under an attacking ride from the front in the opening leg of the newly formed Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
Owned by David Churches, who is the uncle of Tizzard’s wife Rachel, the 10-year-old gelding left behind his non completion at Chepstow on his return when claiming the two-and-a-half-mile prize by seven and a half lengths which was his fourth win since joining the Milborne Port handler.
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Tizzard said: “He is owned by Rachel’s uncle and I thought he was a well handicapped horse at the time when he came to us, but it is different this season coming into this off 130.
“I just saw this race and I know he likes it around here and it turned out to be a small field which was perfect.
“He will go up again so life will not be easy for him. He has won four for us now and that was as good a performance he has put in for me.”
Carlisle next for Mulberry
An outing in the Listed Rhino.bet Houghton Mares Chase at Carlisle on December 3rd will be next on the agenda for the Fergal O’Brien-trained Mulberry Hill who opened her account over fences by five and a half lengths in the Paul Ferguson’s Jumper’s To Follow Mares’ Handicap Chase.
O’Brien said of the 6/1 winner: “She is a lovely mare. Jack (Hogan) did very well on her the last day at Carlisle. That was a lovely run there and it just brought her on.
“She was very unlucky when she fell at Ludlow over fences last season as she would have probably nearly won. It was a bad fall, and she did a somersault, but she walked away. She is a tough mare.
“She will go to the two and a half mile Listed mares chase at Carlisle now as she was only beaten a few lengths up there the last day.”
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