Cheltenham Saturday

THE Paddy Power Gold Cup, worth £150,000, was won at Cheltenham on Saturday by the Paul Nicholls-trained Il Ridoto (Freddie Gingell), the lesser fancied of a pair from the Ditcheat stable at 10/1. Always in a good position, Il Ridoto led on the run to the home turn and built up a seven-length lead after flying the final fence; Ga Law (Jamie Snowden/Gavin Sheehan) lost his footing briefly on the turn, but ran on best to reduce the deficit to four and a half lengths at the line, with Let’s Go Champ (Henry de Bromhead/Mike O’Connor) third, having been on the pace throughout.

The win was another big-race success for Sir Alex Ferguson who owns the horse in partnership with Ged Mason, Jim McGoff, Chris Giles and Paul Hogarth. Ferguson had seen his colours carried to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy on Friday and he had an interest in another two Cheltenham winners over the three-day meeting.

For the winner, this was a story of perseverance, with Il Ridoto making the frame in the last two runnings of the Paddy Power and a regular in most of the big handicaps run at the track over the intermediate trip. The presence of the 167-rated Protektorat meant that Il Ridoto was 3lb out of the handicap but he’d been given a chance by the handicapper having raced off a higher mark 12 months ago when also ridden by Gingell, Joe Tizzard’s talented nephew.

Nicholls, whose previous Paddy Power winners were Al Ferof (2012), Caid Du Berlais (2014) and Stage Star (2023), said: “It was a great ride by Freddie and this horse deserved to win a big one.

“Il Ridoto will come back for the December Gold Cup as he loves it here. The ground was perfect for him today. He is not a Grade 1 horse; he is a good handicapper and has won his big race. He had had a run at Chepstow, a month’s work at home and had a nice light weight.

“Freddie is coming along nicely. He is riding a lot of ours and for his uncle. He is very much like Harry Cobden was at the same stage of his career – he is keen, works hard and deserves all the success he gets.”

Gingell said: “That was a buzz and a half. He has been electric today and jumped for fun. I came down the hill cruising and I didn’t want to get there too soon. My instructions from Paul were to give him a kick turning in if we were in contention, so turning in I gave him a little squeeze and he took off. He has won with loads in hand.”

Dock follows suit

There was a sense of déjà vu in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial as East India Dock (James Owen/Sam Twiston-Davies), a half-brother to 2023 winner Burdett Road and also carrying the Gredley family colours, ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 2 contest.

East India Dock disputed the lead early before allowing the tearaway Continuance to take over; Static (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen) took over as that gelding weakened from the fifth hurdle, but East India Dock led again on the bridle at the third-last hurdle and sauntered clear to score by 18 lengths, justifying the market support which saw him sent off 4/5 favourite. Static held second, half a length ahead of Torrent (Nigel Hawke/David Noonan).

James Owen said: “He is a lovely horse. He took to it well at Wincanton and we knew the staying track would suit him. He will be lovely on the New Course – all he does is stay and has a lot of class. It’s really exciting. It’s amazing horses like this are staying in training as there is a market for them to be sold abroad.

“The Gredleys want winners at Cheltenham. We did it last year with Burdett Road and we have now got to try and get to the Festival and have a bit more fun and a bit more success. He relaxes more than Burdett Road and I think the New Course will suit him better. He has run twice over hurdles now and hasn’t made a mistake. He’ll have one more run and then go for the Triumph.”

L’eau has high aims

L’Eau Du Sud (Dan/Harry Skelton) followed up a facile win in handicap company at Stratford to land the Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Trial Novices’ Chase in equally impressive fashion, kicking off a Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason double on the card with a horse co-owned by John Hales and daughter Lisa.

The 10/11 favourite tracked the solid pace set by Western Zephyr (Charlie Longsdon/Sean Bowen) before being sent on at the penultimate fence and, aside from betting in a little tight to the final fence with the race at his mercy, he jumped with real assurance throughout.

There where four horses within a length of each other approaching the second last, but when Skelton gave L’Eau Du Sud the office, he put the race to bed immediately and had more in hand than the 11-length margin over Western Zephyr, who had three-parts of a length to spare over Lookaway (Neil King/Jack Quinlan) for minor honours.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “I am delighted with him today and you couldn’t have asked for more than that. I think with a horse like him you are entitled to get excited [about the Arkle]. He has done it around the track and has got the form in the book.

“Yes, there will be shorter-priced horses who achieved more over hurdles, but they have yet to prove their suitability. We’ve got one box ticked and he’ll go to Sandown now and hopefully cement his place as the best two-mile novice in Britain although I know Nicky and Paul might have something to say about that.”

Martin and Twomey strike a blow

There were two Irish-trained winners on the card, with Tony Martin celebrating his first winner since returning from his much-publicised ban as Hamsiyann (Daniel King) took the two-mile, five-furlong intermediate hurdle by two and a half lengths from Long Draw, justifying strong market support that saw him go off 2/1 favourite.

The listed bumper that ended the card felt like a lesson in the Irish language, with Seo Linn (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee), who was showing improved form to win her second bumper from four starts, beating Siog Geal (Fergal O’Brien/Jonathan Burke) by five lengths.

The winner justified strong support and won well but has a useful flat pedigree and whether her future lies over hurdles or reverting to the flat remains to be seen.

Cheltenham Sunday

JAMES Owen and owners the Gredley family struck for the second time at the meeting when 7/2 second-favourite Burdett Road (Harry Cobden) made all the running to capture the £100,000 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle on Sunday.

Winner of the Grade 2 juvenile at this meeting 12 months ago, the four-year-old had also taken the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket in September; helped by a switch to positive tactics for that flat success, the son of Muhaarar saw off the strong challenge of market leader Dysart Enos (Fergal O’Brien/Jonathan Burke) before the last, and although he was challenged again by Be Aware (Dan/Harry Skelton) after the last hurdle, he held on well to win by half a length with Dysart Enos third, a further three lengths away.

“Tim (Gredley) and I both agreed we were going to change tactics,” said Owen. “We learnt a lot with him on the flat and wanted to make the running. He settled lovely and Harry gave him a fantastic ride.

“He jumped impeccably for a four-year-old and, for me, was just idling up the hill. It looked like he was going to get caught but when the other horse came to him, he has just gone again.

“It was a great performance by a four-year-old in a strong race and he really wants cut in the ground. There is a long way to go until the Champion Hurdle. Obviously on his flat form he is more than capable of getting there. We’ll aim that way and I’m not sure where we’ll go next although I’m sure it will be a graded race.”

Heartbreak for Greatrex team

The Holland Cooper Handicap Chase over an extended three miles and three furlongs saw triumph turn to heartbreak.

Victorious Abuffalosoldier (Warren Greatrex/Sean Bowen) produced an exceptional round of bold jumping from the front to beat favourite Hymac (Harry Fry/Bryan Carver) only to collapse after the race with a suspected heart attack.

In a sad coincidence, Bangers And Cash suffered the same fate when seemingly travelling comfortably on the previous circuit, and those incidents cast a pall over the rest of the day’s racing.

The concluding contest, a listed bumper saw a quartet of last-time-out winners clash, but it was 5/2 shot Fortune De Mer (Dan/Harry Skelton) who came out on top, turning around course form from the October Meeting as he beat Block Rockin Beats (Oliver Signy/Gavin Sheehan) by a very cosy half a length.

Harry Skelton barely moved on the winner, who made stealthy headway from the rear before pouncing on the runner-up close home.

Fortune De Mer (by Doyen) got to the front on his previous start only to idle and allow Block Rockin Beats to rally, and his rider made sure there would be no repeat by hitting the front as late as possible.

Around The Tracks

THERE were two listed races at Newcastle on Saturday, with 9/2 chance The Foxes (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) winning the mile and a half Churchill Stakes by three lengths from Dubai Honour (William Haggas/Adam Farragher).

This was a first win since the 2023 Dante Stakes for the winner, who may head down the Winter Derby route after this (third in the trial last year before being tried in the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh last year. The runner-up is also a player in the Winter Derby and was conceding 7lb here having won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June.

Murphy made it a double in the following Golden Rose Stakes over six furlongs on the Karl Burke-trained Night Raider, who ran his rivals ragged from the front to post a visually impressive three-and-a-quarter-length success over Annaf (Mick Appleby).

Impressed

Timeform were impressed enough to give him a rating of 122, the same as Champions Sprint winner Kind Of Blue, but while Night Raider is now unbeaten in four all-weather runs, he’s been well held in three turf starts, although it’s possible to forgive those efforts, and his trainer is hopeful that he can develop into a leading sprinter, granted quick conditions.

Burke said: “It was a very good performance and he’s a very quick horse. We’ve always felt he has a huge amount of ability and Oisin was pretty impressed with him. There’s not loads of options for him in the winter and the plan was to send him out to Dubai, but I need to speak to the owners. He has to prove he’s as good on turf as he is on the all-weather but I see no reason why he wouldn’t be.

“We probably made a mistake trying to stretch him out to a mile for the Guineas. He’s never run over a sprint distance on fast ground, though, so hopefully if we head out there it’s quick ground as that will tell us what route we’re looking at for next season. I’m hoping he could be a Group 1 sprinter next year but to do so he’ll have to handle both surfaces.”

John McConnell sent out his fifth British winner of the season at Carlisle on Tuesday as Ira Hayes (Ben Harvey) justified heavy market support in the maiden hurdle at the track with an all-the-way success.