- Monday, 23 November 2020 16:30
- Written by David Pipe
It was another memorable weekend for the stable. The success of the amazing Main Fact in the Stayers’ handicap hurdle at Haydock following on from Ramses de Teillee’s Cheltenham win means that we have enjoyed big race victories on successive weekends. It is important for any yard to have ‘Saturday horses’ to keep you in the public eye so I really couldn’t be more pleased. The good form of the yard continued with a couple of other winners elsewhere taking our tally for the season to 20, not bad at all given the delayed start to the campaign.
Paricolor started the week off in the best possible fashion when winning the 2m selling hurdle at Leicester on Monday. Given a canny ride by conditional jockey Fergus Gillard, he made all the running and kept our four year old wide down the back straight in the search for the best ground. He clearly managed to get his fractions right as he had plenty up his sleeve when challenged in the straight by his main market rival, with 2¾ lengths separating them at the line. He will head back to Leicester on Sunday for a similar contest.
Another Sexy Success!
Sexy Lot (pictured right) maintained her recent excellent form by following up her facile Ffos Las success with another easy victory at Chepstow. Stepping up in trip to 2m3½f, she was given a supremely confident ride by David Noonan who settled her well in rear and just for a moment I was concerned as the leader seemed to slip the field in the straight. However, Sexy Lot picked up really well and quickened to clear after the last to score by six lengths. She was unpenalised for her previous win and was 12lbs ahead of the handicapper so she was entitled to score as she did, although things will get tougher from her new rating. We have entered her at Doncaster this week but will see what the handicapper does with her tomorrow before deciding on future plans.
Getting Your Facts Right!
What more can I say about Main Fact? He just keeps on surprising me! His performance in landing a ninth consecutive race, especially in one of the stature of the Stayers’ handicap hurdle was quite remarkable. Turning for home he was well in rear and was pushed extremely wide on the home turn, to the point that I thought he had no chance. However, he really picked up in the straight on this first try at three miles and joining the leader halfway up the run-in, he forged 2¾ lengths clear by the line. He certainly stayed every yard of the trip and may even have been idling close home!
This was my fourth victory in the race and he is certainly in good company. I won it with Grands Crus from a mark of 132, Dynaste (141) and Gevrey Chambertin (143) so to land this from a rating of 147 is an excellent effort. Paisley Park won the same race from 147 in 2018 en route to Cheltenham glory and whilst talk of replicating that may be premature, he will certainly warrant his place in any company from now on. Mark (Munrowd) of the Munrowd’s Partnership featured on ITV’s coverage before and after the race and it was refreshing to see someone enjoying the sport and this incredible journey as much as him. Of course, I must mention his young jockey Fergus Gillard who gave him a super ride and remained cool and collected on the big occasion. He is certainly carving out a big name for himself and needs only one more winner before his claim drops to 5lbs.
First Lord de Cuet again ran well when runner-up at Market Rasen on Friday. He has finished in the frame on all three outings this term and deserves to get his head in front. Umbrigado was second in a valuable race at Haydock on Saturday – a mistake at the last costing him dearly. There should be a nice prize in him this season, whilst Duc de Beauchene also performed with a good deal of promise at Uttoxeter on Sunday on his first try at three miles. He bumped into a very progressive rival and is very much a staying chaser in the making.
The Week Ahead
Our first runner this week will be Neon Moon at Southwell tomorrow. A new recruit to the yard, our four year old was the winner of an Irish point-to-point last time out and has pleased me since his arrival. He will start out in the bumper at 1.37pm and I am hopeful of a decent effort, although there look to be a number of promising types among the line-up.
Wednesday will be a busy day with six runners at Hereford and Wetherby. They will include Bumpy Johnson, who makes his debut over timber in the 2m3½f novices’ hurdle at Hereford at 12.05pm having impressed when scoring on his rules debut in a Fontwell bumper.
Nordic Combined and Nobel Joshua are likely runners at Taunton on Thursday, whilst Maggies Mogul could make her hurdling debut at Lingfield the same afternoon.
Evergreen veteran Dell’Arca could return to Newbury (scene of his latest triumph) on Friday, whilst Paricolor will run at Leicester on Sunday. There look to be some decent chances (and hopefully a winner or two!) among those.
