Sunday Huntingdon review and replays

Friendly fires for Owen despite 'challenges'

James Owen plans to work back from the County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with last year’s Betfred Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly after he opened his account over jumps in the Sky Bet Super Sub Novices’ Hurdle.

Having shown a glimmer of promise on his hurdles debut at Cheltenham 21 days ago the gelded son of Gleneagles, who also finished third in last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh, built on that effort in the two mile contest.

Although proving keen during the early stages of the race, just as he was at Cheltenham, The Gredley Family-owned four-year-old switched off much earlier than he did on his previous start with Sam Twiston-Davies soon able to get him in a better rhythm.

However, having been in front from the flagfall the 4/5 favourite, whose last win was in the Listed William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial last May, looked like he was going to have to settle for second best as chief market rival Wondering Why moved on after the last.

But Ambiente Friendly was far from done, and after responding well to the questions asked of him by Twiston-Davies, he managed to get back up in the closing strides before prevailing by half a length much to the delight of the Newmarket handler.

Owen said: “He has been a challenge. He is a horse with an extreme amount of ability. He has had two massive runs in the English and Irish Derby, but he has gone off the rails since then. It has been small steps on the way back.

“It is just nice to see him progress from that first Cheltenham run over hurdles. He is enjoying this now. If we can keep getting his form to rise over hurdles we will come back on the flat as he is still a young horse.

“We have always thought he is a horse that stays well and to be placed in an English and Irish Derby you have to stay well. It is just teaching him to run at fifteen seconds a furlong and not twelve seconds, but he is starting to do it.

“I was worried coming here on soft ground, but they have got to learn, and it was nice to see him do it today. It is a relief.

“He settled better today and I just love the way he battled. Usually flat horses give up when they get headed, but he battled well and stayed well. We are still a long way off, but it is another small step back.”

And as for long term targets Owen believes that Ambiente Friendly is the perfect type for the Premier Handicap on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He added: “He will get another couple of days practice and the County Hurdle will be a right race for him at Cheltenham. There will be a big field, and they will go quick enough early on for him, and he will stay on well up the hill. We are a long way off, but he has got the class if he puts that together.”

Change of fortune for O'Neills

Jonjo & A J O’Neill celebrated their first winner since re-opening their yard following a three week shut down after We’re Red And Blue got his campaign up and running in the Sky Bet Handicap Hurdle.

Having folded tamely on his return at Aintree last month, the Blue Bresil gelding looked a different proposition when putting in a good round of jumping under Jonjo O’Neill Jr in the two mile prize.

Always moving well, the 11/2 chance, who is owned by Crystal Palace fan Patrick Doyle, put in a good jump at the last when one was needed, before sticking the task well to defeat the hat-trick seeking Haas Boy by two lengths much to the relief of the O’Neill team.

Jonjo O’Neill, joint-trainer, said: “We had one just get beat yesterday and that was our first winner since we opened the yard back up again. They seem in good form, but they take a while to get back.

“I know from the past if you don’t stop you do more harm than good so we gave them three weeks there just to freshen them up and hopefully we can get going again.

“He is quite a nice horse and that was more like it from him today. He did everything right today as he jumped well and kept going well. He did the job well, but it is just nice seeing them come back to form.”

Winner enters Champion Bumper frame

Gary and Josh Moore concluded what has been a productive three days for the yard in good fashion after Ti’Mamzel hit the back of the net in the Sky Bet, For The Fans Henrietta Knight Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.

After the father-and-son team saddled a treble at Sandown on Friday, along with watching Hurricane Pat secure Listed honours at the Esher track yesterday, the pair were at it again with the daughter of No Risk At All.

All the rage before the race had been on the Willie Mullins-trained Wonderful Everyday, who was sent off the even-money favourite to follow up her debut success at Punchestown against the boys back in April.

But it was not to be for the market leader with the Paul Hunt-owned mare, who was only one of three debutants in the race, defying her inexperience under Caoilin Quinn to run out a length and a half winner of the Listed prize.

Hunt said: "She had been going nicely at home, but you never quite know what is going to happen until they get to the track. It is great to see her come out today and do this as she will learn a lot.

“Once we got into the home straight, and she was still travelling well, we knew she would stay on, so we thought then we had got a chance. She got green at the front, but we are delighted.

“Ed Bailey sorted her out for me and I told him what I wanted as regards to a nice chaser going forward. He did his work and Gary and Josh have done a great job. It will be great to see what we have got to come from her going forward as she is an exciting horse.”

Value Racing Club having fine time

Walden carried on what has been the best ever year on track for the Value Racing Club when grinding out victory from the front on his return in the Sky Bet Acca Freeze Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon.

The Tom Lacey-trained five-year-old showed he was ready enough to roll on his first start in 231 days when securing a tenacious success in the extended two and a half mile test to supply the triumphant syndicate with their 36th winner of the year.

Although the 11/1 chance was there to be shot at he was not to be denied with Cameron Iles pushing the Waldpark gelding out to score by a length and a half and provide the winning syndicate with their third winner of the weekend.

James Couldwell, Value Racing Club syndicate manager, said: “It has been a good 24 hours as we have had three winners.

"We wanted to bring him back early in the season as most of his form is on good ground. He was two or three days from running, but he picked up a stone bruise which took ages to come right.

“He has only been back in work for two weeks. Tom said this morning that he was only between eighty five and ninety percent fit, but that he did work well on Wednesday.

“He won his last race of the last season nicely at Market Rasen stepped up in trip and I think he is clearly an improving horse. I expected us to get swallowed up two out knowing where we were fitness wise, but Cameron said he has handled the ground.

“We have now got a couple of weeks before the handicapper has his say as we have run on a Sunday so I think we have got to go again quickly as we will be out of a 0-110 grade. That was our 36th winner of the year from just 18 horses which is by far our best year.”

Malfoy comes good for Bailey and Nicholls

Draco Malfoy cast a spell over his rivals to open his account under rules with a tenacious success in the Sky Bet Club Maiden Hurdle.

Although beaten in all three of his bumper starts last season the Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls-trained Harzand gelding made a winning debut over hurdles when making all under Tom Bellamy in the extended two and a half mile prize.

Showing that stamina will be his forte, the well-backed even-money favourite, who is jointly owned by Ascot Racecourse chairman Sir Francis Brooke, galloped on relentlessly to defeat Lisnamurrican by three and a quarter lengths.

Bailey said: “For his first time over hurdles it was a nice performance. He is not the quickest, hence he didn’t win a bumper, but he ran well in all his bumpers.

“When he arrived last year I said he wasn’t a hurdler yet so we gave him another year and played around in bumpers for a season. He will progress when he gets older, a bit like me!

“I don’t think he will be in that league of Chianti Classico as he was a bit unique. He is in the same ownership as him though and they bought him after he won at Cheltenham. He has taken a while to come together this season as his blood has been wrong and we have just had to be patient and wait for him, but he has been worth waiting for.

“We will find another race over this trip under a penalty, but he has three miles written all over him."

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