Monday, January 12, 2009

GOLDSWORTHY LOOKING FOR FESTIVAL CLUES AT CHELTENHAM

Hold Em is set to continue in handicap company following a staying-on third in the Grade Three skybet.com Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, and the seven-year-old will be aimed at either the £25,000 Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.30pm) or the £60,000 Grade Three betchronicle.com Trophy Chase (2.05pm), which are both run over two miles and five furlongs.

The chaser was also third on his three previous starts, having been hampered by a faller in the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, while he filled the same spot in Grade Two events at Newbury and Wincanton in November.

Last season, Hold Em was second in the Grade Two Classic Novices’ Hurdle on Festival Trials Day and returned to Cheltenham to finish ninth behind Fiveforthree in the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival.

South Pembrokeshire-based Goldsworthy commented: “Hold Em will be entered in the betchronicle.com Trophy Chase. He will also be given an entry in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, but we are leaning towards the former at the moment because it is a Grade Three and the prize money looks too good to miss.

“I was pleased with his run at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, especially against some quality opposition. The ground was possibly a bit too soft for him which affected his jumping but he did come back into the race on the home straight where the best ground was. He needs good ground, especially in graded races.
“He’s come out of his two runs in quick succession over the Christmas period in great order. He’s a tough horse and he had all summer off. We brought him back quietly and he seems none the worse for wear at the moment.

“We have run him over various trips this season but he gets three miles on decent ground so his target at The Festival will be the RSA Chase.”

Goldsworthy is also set to be represented on Festival Trials Day by the unexposed mare Shenanigan, who is being considered for the £30,000 Grade Two Classic Novices’ Hurdle, run over an extended two and a half miles.

The eight-year-old was third behind subsequent Ladbroke Hurdle second Belcantista on her racecourse debut in a novice hurdle at Exeter in mid-November and followed up with another third in a maiden hurdle at Newbury on December 17, before going on to victory in a mares’ novice hurdle at Taunton on December 30, when she defeated Over Sixty, who had previously been second in the Grade Two Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at The Open.

Goldsworthy continued: “We are also hoping to run Shenanigan in the Grade Two Classic Novices’ Hurdle. People assumed that Over Sixty didn’t run her race at Taunton, but our mare is very good and she’s certainly going places.

“That was only her third appearance and if you look at her racecourse debut, she finished third to Belcantista and Fistral Beach, from the yard of Paul Nicholls, which is a good level of form.

“We will see how she goes on Festival Trials Day but she will aimed at either the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle or the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle in March.”

A superb seven-race card on Festival Trials Day also features the £100,000 Grade Two Letheby & Christopher Chase (2.35pm), which has been a useful pointer to Festival glory, with past winners including totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Master Oats, See More Business and Looks Like Trouble.

Last season, Our Vic was runner-up to Knowhere in the Letheby & Christopher Chase and the David Pipe-trained chaser returned to Cheltenham to triumph in the Grade One Ryanair Chase at The Festival, while Neptune Collognes finished third for Paul Nicholls prior to filling the same position behind stablemates Denman and Kauto Star in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Further Grade Two action comes courtesy of the £30,000 Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle (3.10pm), won last year by subsequent JCB Triumph Hurdle runner-up Franchoek, and the £60,000 Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle (3.45pm), which went to Inglis Drever last season, who went on to record an historic third victory in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

The card is concluded by the £25,000 Brightwells Cheltenham Bloodstock Auctions Handicap Hurdle (4.20pm).

TOMPKINS EYES WILLIAM HILL LINCOLN FOR SMOKEY AND DEVONSHIRE

Smokey Oakey, who is owned by Dame Judi Dench and her chauffeur Bryan Agar, scored by a length and a quarter from the 2006 victor Blythe Knight in what was a high-class renewal of the William Hill Lincoln last season. It was an especially memorable day for Tompkins as he also saddled the third horse home, Babodana, who previously won the William Hill Lincoln in 2004. Both the winner and runner-up subsequently triumphed in Group Three company with Smokey Oakey taking the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown and Blythe Knight the Diomed Stakes at Epsom, while Babodana is now enjoying a career as a stallion in Somerset.

Tompkins, who spent his formative years in South Yorkshire, revealed today that the five-year-old Smokey Oakey was gelded at the end of last season and is in good heart as he attempts to make history by becoming the first dual winner of the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster. Babur (1957 &1958) and Obb (1906 & 1907) were successful when the race was run at Lincoln racecourse prior to its relocation to Town Moor in 1965.

The trainer reported: “I will be entering Smokey Oakey again in the hope that he can repeat last year’s success. He’s fine at present. I had him cut at the end of the season and gave him a little holiday up in Yorkshire. He’s back in now and has just started to trot - we’re getting him ready to canter so we’ll see if we can get him ready.”

Tompkins could also saddle the four-year-old Alan Devonshire who competed in Pattern company last term, including when 13th to New Approach in the Derby at Epsom.

He said: “I’ll enter Alan Devonshire as well. It’s the same story with him - he’s fine and we’ll try to get him ready.”

The William Hill Lincoln was first staged as the Lincolnshire Handicap at Lincoln Racecourse in 1853 when Caurire was successful at 5/2. The race is traditionally the first leg of the Spring Double, which also comprises the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree.

The Peter Easterby-trained Old Tom won the first Lincoln to be staged at Doncaster in 1965. Scobie Breasley triumphed on the 22/1 shot and the jockey followed up 12 months later atop Riot Act.

The most successful current trainer in the William Hill Lincoln is Paul Cole. The master of Whatcombe has been successful with Kuala Lips (1997), John Ferneley (2000) and Nimello (2001).

Entries for the 2009 William Hill Lincoln will be revealed on Wednesday, January 14.

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

©Racenews
designed and produced by Racenews Internet Services