Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Coneygree is reported to be loving life in retirement, almost five years after running his final race.
In an era increasingly dominated by a handful of powerhouse yards and owners with deep pockets, the recently-turned 17-year-old was an all too rare diamond in the rough for the husband and wife training partnership of Mark and Sara Bradstock.
Nine wins from 18 starts tells only half the story of a rollercoaster ride which saw Coneygree become the first horse since Captain Christy 41 years earlier to claim Gold Cup glory as a novice in 2015.
Just minutes after being pulled up in a handicap chase at Ascot in February 2019, Sara Bradstock announced the fairytale had come to an end, but she is delighted with how her pride and joy is enjoying life out of the spotlight.
“He’s at home with me and lives just outside the house. He’s having a lovely time and goes out leading the babies and does whatever he wants really,” she said.
“He enjoys letting himself out of his stable quite often! He has done a bit of ROR (Retraining of Racehorses) in the past and actually he did a team chase with my son in the autumn, which he very much enjoyed, but he won’t be doing too many of those because it’s a bit hard on the old limbs!
“He’s pretty happy really and I think it’s very important these horses stay in a place where people know them well. We know everything about him and therefore we know if he’s feeling a bit sore or what have you, but at the moment he’s in good nick and gets ridden out whenever I’ve got time.
“He deserves everything he gets. He quite likes people coming round and saying ‘can I look at Coneygree’, because he likes to be the centre of attention and is not very happy when there’s people in the yard and they’re not looking at him!
“There is something weird about good horses, they just know they’re important – and he definitely knows he’s very important.”
Coneygree’s racing journey began in November 2011, when the son of Karinga Bay – bred by Sara Bradstock’s late father, Lord Oaksey – made a successful start to his career in a Uttoxeter bumper.
“We had him in training as a three-year-old but he was very big and tall and weak, so he’d probably been with us for a year by the time he ran,” Bradstock recalled.
“We knew he was nice before he went to Uttoxeter, but he was never a flying workhorse. We knew he was a great athlete, in that you couldn’t seem to make him tired, but if anything wanted to work faster than him, he was happy to let them.
“We knew he was pretty good, but we didn’t know he was as good as he was.”
While well beaten in a Listed bumper at Newbury on his next outing, Coneygree bounced back with a vengeance the following season, winning his first three starts over hurdles, including back-to-back Grade Two victories at Cheltenham.
He had to make do with minor honours in third behind two subsequent Festival winners in At Fishers Cross and The New One next time, on what proved to be his final outing over hurdles, as he suffered the first of several injury setbacks which plagued his career.
Bradstock added: “He’s got these very long back legs, which were partly what made him so good, but they were awfully fragile and it was during that season over hurdles when he got his first stress fracture.
“When we were getting him ready the following season, he jumped onto a stone and cut his tendon, so he had another five months off after that, so he ended up being off for about 18 months in all.”
Coneygree’s chasing career belatedly got under way in the winter of 2014, although not at the first time of asking, as he was withdrawn at the start prior to his planned fencing debut at Plumpton by the on-course veterinary team, much to the frustration of his connections.
In the end, though, it mattered not, as the following week he made a successful start over the larger obstacles in Grade Two company at Newbury before striking Grade One gold for the first time when landing the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day by a distance.
If it was not clear already, it was becoming obvious the Bradstocks had a serious weapon on their hands.
“I’d much rather have cruised around Plumpton, but the vets wouldn’t let us, which was just one of those stupid things, so we ended up going into a Grade Two at Newbury and then Kempton,” said Bradstock.
“I remember everybody saying he only won like he did at Kempton because a couple of the others fell over, but they fell over because they were novices trying to jump with him and they just couldn’t.”
It was a couple of months later when the Gold Cup dream came into sharper focus after Coneygree made it three from three over fences in Newbury’s Denman Chase, his first forray outside of novice company.
The Wantage team considered going back into novice company at the Cheltenham Festival, but Bradstock insists the decision to go for Gold Cup glory was ultimately relatively straightforward.
She said: “Everybody thought it was the most extraordinary thing they’ve ever seen, but for us it was a no-brainer because he was very fragile.
“You could see he had a chance in the Gold Cup and if he went and won the RSA (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase) by 30 lengths, we’d have been thinking ‘why didn’t we go for it?’.
“He had already had a couple of stress fractures, so while he was fit and well, we just thought ‘why not give it a go?’.”
What followed was a sensational display in the Cotswolds as Coneygree belied his inexperience with a relentless front-running display under Nico de Boinville.
Asked what she could remember of the occasion, Bradstock replied: “Absolutely nothing! It was a complete blur.
“I remember coming home, but I actually don’t remember the day. The main thing I remember is getting him home and he was OK, which with him was always the main thing.”
The following November, Coneygree made a successful start to his next campaign in a small-field conditions race at Sandown, but it proved to be his final victory.
He returned from another year out to finish second in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and was third in a humdinger of a Punchestown Gold Cup later that season, but only made it to the track five times in the next two years and failed to complete on four occasions.
“He came back and won at Sandown and then he started having more problems, but he did run that great race at Punchestown, where he suffered another overreach, otherwise I think he could have won,” said Bradstock.
“It was difficult trying to keep him in one piece after that. I just think the wear and tear stopped him having control of his back legs and he started to overreach quite badly – and that was, in the end, what stopped him, as you don’t want to go on and on until they get hurt.
“He did extremely well for us and won a Gold Cup – and without all his problems, I think he could have won several.”
Bahamian World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles silver medallist Devynne Charlton gave an early indicator into her form this season with a personal best and national record 7.75 to win at the Corky Classic at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday.
Charlton, who also took 100m hurdles silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, won ahead of Americans Tia Jones (7.80) and Masai Russell (7.88).
She also took the 60m hurdles at the UK Rod McCravy Memorial in Louisville in 7.88 on January 13.
Elsewhere on the track, Jamaican Texas Tech sophomore and former Wolmer’s Boys and Kingston College standout Shaemar Uter ran 46.04 for second in the men’s 400m behind Oklahoma senior Zarik Brown (46.03). Dubem Nwachukwu, running unattached, was third in 46.30.
In the field, Kentucky junior Luke Brown jumped 16.80m to win the men’s triple jump ahead of Miami’s Russell Robinson (16.59m) and Texas Tech’s Garison Breeding (15.82m).
Ralford Mullings threw 18.58m for top spot in the men’s shot put ahead of Baylor’s Gary Moore (18.20m) and Miami’s Milton Ingraham (18.07m).
Two-time World 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams will be honored by her alma mater, The Queen’s School, at the 22nd staging of the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet set for January 27 at the National Stadium in Kingston, the school announced on Thursday.
Williams, who was named as the runner-up for the 2023 Sportswoman of the Year award at the 2023 RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday, addressed students at the school that same morning.
After expressing gratitude to the school’s principal, Ms. Jennifer Williams, as well as the alumnae association, Williams reflected on her years spent at the school.
“I am a proud Queen’s alum. The years I spent here still remain the most formative of my life. I learned discipline, hard work and importance of a community. These are values that have shaped me into the woman I am today,” she said.
Her parting message to the students was to take their education seriously and to always strive for excellence, no matter what others may think.
“Take education seriously, it can be the key that opens many doors. Put trust in God. He’s given us so many gifts and will provide opportunities to use them. Glorify him in all you do. Be kind to others and always seek to do the right thing. Enjoy the time spent at The Queen’s School, form genuine friendships, believe in yourselves, set a standard for your lives. Excellence does not tolerate mediocrity, strive to be excellent in all you do,” she shared.
“People will underestimate you, doubt you, tell you what you can and can’t do but they can’t stop God’s anointing. What is for you will always be for you,” Williams added.
The Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet will commence at 8:30am, with the 400m Class 3. The special 60m event for elite athletes will headline the day’s proceedings.
Vandeek is set to start off his season in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May.
The unbeaten Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt carried all before him in his juvenile year, with his four wins featuring Group One strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.
He is seen very much as a sprinter rather than one for the mile of the Classics and Haydock will be his destination before his first major target, the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
“He’s looking super, he’s trotting and we’ll probably start him off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock at the end of May. One run before Royal Ascot,” Simon Crisford told ITV Racing.
“Commonwealth, July Cups – those sort of races we’ve got up our sleeve. The idea of not starting off in the Pavilion (Stakes, at Ascot) is we’d have to start training him a month earlier. Quite frankly, with the weather we’ve got at the moment, we’re wrapping him up in big, thick blankets.”
He added: “He was a little bit on the leg as a two-year-old. He was tall and lanky and never really looked like a sprinter physically. But now he’s beginning to take shape as a sprinter. His temperament is great and there’s so much to love about him.
“He’s done exceptionally well over the winter and fingers crossed he’s got a big season ahead.”
Oh So Grand swept aside her rivals in the BetMGM Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap at Lingfield.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who saddled Al Agaila to win the race last year, Oh So Grand was a well-fancied 11-8 favourite for the 10-furlong contest after winning each of her last two starts, including the trial for this contest last month.
Miss Bluebelle set out to make all, while Jack Mitchell was happy to settle towards the back of the pack aboard Oh So Grand, with only Queen Regent behind him in the eight-runner field.
The pacesetter was still in front with a furlong to run, but when Mitchell popped the question Oh So Grand picked up and grabbed the lead in a matter of strides.
Queen Regent followed her through down the middle of the track but could not match the winner’s sharp turn of foot, eventually coming home a length and a half adrift, with 33-1 shot Dayzee running a creditable race to be beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third.
Simon Crisford told Sky Sports Racing: “I think she’s still improving. I mean obviously we’ve seen in every race she’s been on an upward curve and she seems to be really developing into a smart filly.
“Hopefully she can be a Group filly for the summer when we get her on turf. I would be inclined to keep her over this trip, a mile and a quarter that suits her well, but she’s nimble and light on her feet – she’s not one of these galumphers, she’s got something about her.
“I really don’t know (what is next), this race was always the target so I haven’t thought even thought about what’s happening tomorrow, let alone in a few weeks’ time.
“We will have a look, see how she is, how she comes out of the race. There could be races coming up for her, obviously you’ve got (All-Weather) Finals Day and stuff like that. Who knows – we’ve just got to work it all out.”
When the Draw for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup took place last month, players from qualified teams to contest Round one waited with bated breath to see where in the bracket their team would be placed.
In fact, much of the anxiety around the announcement was focused on which Round One winner would advance to face last year’s Leagues Cup Champions Inter Miami –the team of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi –in the Round of 16.
In the end, the draw pooled another Major League Soccer (MLS) Nashville SC and Dominican Republic’s Moca FC as Round one opponents, and the two will crosswords to decide who will oppose Messi’s side in the Round of 16.
For Moca’s striker Gustavo Ascona, who is an Argentinian by birth, defeating Nashville and playing against Messi would be the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Playing against Messi would be my life’s dream, like for any Argentine. I went home for vacation at the holidays and everyone in my hometown was talking about me playing against Messi. It’s crazy, and it would be a dream. You really can’t describe it any other way,” Ascona said in a recent interview with Concacaf.com.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground, work hard in the first game, get the biggest advantage possible that we can get here at home and later we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Ascona is well aware that getting by their Round one opponents Nashville is no easy feat, but at the same time, he believes the task is by no means impossible, provided Moca executes efficiently against the 2023 Leagues Cup runners-up.
He recalled Haitian club Violette’s victory over MLS side Austin FC in last season Round of 16 as proof that Caribbean teams can get the job done.
“We know that it (Nashville) is a really difficult opponent. We know what kind of league they play in, but we have confidence in ourselves. We know what we can give, and sometimes football brings surprises. Just look at what Violette did last season. Why can’t we repeat that?” Ascona asked rhetorically.
The 36-year-old attacker enjoyed good form for Moca in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as he scored four goals over the course of eight games. It took a last-second equalizer by eventual champions Robinhood of Suriname, to defeat Moca FC in the semi-final.
However, Ascona and company were still able to secure a coveted spot in the Champions Cup with victory over Jamaican club Harbour View in the third-place decider.
“It was really hard, because we had other objectives and we had the game in Suriname in which they scored in the last minute, and we lost in penalties. That was a tough blow. But we regrouped to try to get that last spot, we set out to make it ours and we got it, so it was satisfying,” Ascona shared.
“It was hard and tough to keep a positive mindset because we had come off of losing another final in the domestic league here. It was really tough in Jamaica. It was a positive to get a win there and then manage the game here, but they fought until the very end,” he noted.
Reaching the Champions Cup was also a historical moment for Moca, as it marked the first ever Champions Cup qualification for the club. They now join Cibao FC and Atletico Pantoja as Dominican Republican clubs to achieve the feat in recent years.
That accomplishment and, by extension, the responsibility as the country’s lone representative on this occasion, is something that Ascona doesn’t take lightly.
“The truth is that when one arrives to a team, you always think about making history, in leaving something. This is my third year with Moca and thankfully things are going well for me. Now we’ll just see if we can keep progressing in this stage that we are in and play against some of the other big clubs in the tournament,” Ascona reasoned.
“It’s really wonderful to have that responsibility of being the only Dominican team in this tournament. I think every fan of Dominican football is going to be following that game, so we are going to have the support of a lot of people,” he ended.
Dan Skelton is relying on Pembroke’s thirst for testing conditions coming to the fore when he lines up in the Download The Racing App Now Lightning Novices’ Chase at Lingfield on Sunday.
Held in high-regard over hurdles last term, he improved on his first two appearances over fences when relishing the bottomless ground at Aintree last month.
That victory came over two and a half miles, but with Skelton expecting stamina to be at a premium in this Winter Million Festival event, he has few concerns about dropping back in distance.
He said: “I think two miles is more his trip. Obviously he won the other day (at Aintree) over two and a half in unraceable ground but I think he handles the type of ground particularly well.
“I’m pretty certain it is going to be testing conditions – I don’t think it will be anything like Aintree, but it will be tacky, they have had the sheets down a long time and it’s going to be hard work.
“Whether it is hard enough work we will wait and see, but having said that this Lightning Novices’ Chase is a good race for the money on offer. I think it’s a very good race and we will get to see where we stand.”
Five will go to post for the Grade Two event saved from Friday’s abandoned Lingfield card and Joe Tizzard will saddle JPR One who was not disgraced in Grade One company last time having previously been set to lay down a statement victory at Cheltenham before a mishap after the final fence saw him unship Brendan Powell.
Djelo has barely put a foot wrong since switching to the larger obstacles and Venetia Williams’ exciting six-year-old will seek to remain unbeaten and add to the Pattern honours he secured at Ascot before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies has a strong hand, saddling two live candidates in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned Matata and Wayward lad winner Master Chewy, the latter impressing when downing Nickle Back at Kempton following some game efforts in defeat.
“Master Chewy was brilliant last time, winning the Wayward Lad at Kempton, so why shouldn’t he be again?,” the trainer told his William Hill blog.
“Matata, similarly, has had a terrific season and was runner-up by just a length at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, giving nearly a stone to the winner.
“This will be a hot race, everyone’s got each other to beat. Hopefully my two will show the others what they’ve got.
“Master Chewy should, if everything goes to plan, be heading straight for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival after this.”
L’Homme Presse sets out to prove he very much remains a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when he makes his eagerly-awaited comeback in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield.
The feature of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival has attracted a field of six and it is Venetia Williams’ high-class staying chaser that sets the standard, despite being off the track for over a year.
He looked booked for second in the King George VI Chase before unshipping his big-race pilot Charlie Deutsch at the last while giving chase to Bravemansgame, and before that had built up an impressive chasing CV which includes victory at the Cheltenham Festival as a novice and a mammoth effort off top-weight in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase.
Following a long 13-month wait, L’Homme Presse – who is as short as 12-1 for the Gold Cup – now seeks to reaffirm his position towards the top of the staying chasing ranks, with connections optimistic of a bold bid in the two-mile-six-furlong affair.
“It’s been a long 13 months and a lot of effort has been put in to get him back,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse in partnership with Peter Pink.
“This trip, for his comeback is ideal really, it’s an intermediate trip and it should suit him down to the ground.
“He doesn’t lack in pace and he certainly doesn’t lack in staying power as we saw in the Brown Advisory.
“He is ready to go, but he has had 13 months off. He’s run well fresh before, but whether he can run to the top of his form having had so long off we will find out.
“It’s no good looking at basic ratings because that is the best he has ever done and it’s unlikely he can achieve that first time out, but of course we are hopeful that he can.”
L’Homme Presse will be in receipt of 4lb from former Gold Cup third Protektorat, with Dan Skelton switching tactics to target this race after the nine-year-old’s failure to defend his Betfair Chase crown in November.
He has since run in handicap company at Cheltenham and his handler is confident he has his Grade One scorer in peak condition as he searches for a slice of the £165,000 prize-fund.
“He’s in good form and we were always coming here after the December race,” said Skelton.
“He’s got a job on giving weight away to a few, but it’s a race we’ve always had in mind and I’m very happy with him.
“If it’s not happening, you have got to change and we’re changing up. The trip is no issue and I’m really looking forward to running him.”
Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter and Sam Thomas’ Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit are both 11 now and will attempt to land a blow for the veterans, while Kim Bailey won the inaugural running of this race with Two For Gold and attempts to repeat the dose with Does He Know.
The field is rounded off by Gary Moore’s Full Back, who is a long way adrift of his rivals on ratings and returns from 434 days off the track.
The final day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Sunday is expected to go ahead as planned, although it will be subject to an 8am precautionary inspection on raceday.
The three-day fixture was due to begin with a jumps card on Friday, but a frozen track saw that cancelled. Saturday’s middle day on the all-weather had no issues.
With temperatures rising ahead of Sunday’s National Hunt action, a 2pm inspection was called on Saturday to assess any progress in the condition of the ground, a check which showed conditions had improved significantly.
Charlie Moore, head of clerking at Arena Racing Company, told ITV Racing: “We’ve had difficulty with the forecast this week, it’s been four degrees wrong on two nights. It’s amazing this track has taken minus 8C and minus 7C in the last two nights.
“If we had to race today, we could make this track raceable with some track adjustments. We’re going to pass the inspection, but we are going to put in a precautionary inspection at 8am tomorrow purely because we are aware at around 10/11 o’clock tonight it could get down to just touching freezing.
“If that was wrong and it was minus 2C we could have a moment of sweat in the morning, but if we get what is forecast we’ll be texting everyone around seven o’clock in the morning saying ‘we’re on’.
“I will be very surprised and hugely disappointed if racing did not take place tomorrow.”
The ground is reported to be good to soft, soft in places, but it was not such good news for Fakenham’s Sunday card, as officials were forced to abandon due to a frozen track.
Arena Racing Company has announced its two Winter Million jumps fixtures will be switched from Lingfield and staged at Windsor from next season.
The Berkshire track hosted National Hunt racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to hold a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.
It was confirmed in the summer of last year that jumps racing would return to Windsor, with the Thameside track being reconfigured to utilise previous dormant areas of the site, with the jumps course a continuous left-handed circuit rather than the current figure of eight. The first meeting is scheduled for December 15.
Windsor will partner with Ascot to present the ‘Berkshire Winter Million Weekend’ in January next year, with the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot the centrepiece of Saturday and the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase headlining Sunday at Windsor.
Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said: “We were delighted to announce the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor last year, and to make this further announcement regarding the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend.
“We hope that, alongside the fantastic day’s racing at Ascot Racecourse, the three days will be hugely exciting for racing fans to look forward to in the New Year.”
Felicity Barnard, commercial director and deputy CEO at Ascot, said: “We look forward to being a part of the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million Weekend in 2025 and hope it will be an exciting weekend for racegoers to combine a visit to both tracks as well as those watching from home on both Sky Sports Racing and ITV Racing.”
Harvard Guy made it a hat-trick of course wins in taking the Listed Navan Handicap Hurdle.
Running off a mark 22lb higher than when successful in November, the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained gelding was given a patient ride by Mark Walsh in the JP McManus colours, as Kilbree Warrior bowled along well clear in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.
The 7-4 favourite still had work to do over the last, but in the end was able to reel in the gallant Kilbree Warrior for victory by three-quarters of a length, giving the mare 15lb in doing so.
“It was hard fought. In fairness to the second horse I thought he had gone mad on the ground, but he nearly got there,” said Eddie Harty.
“We couldn’t have ridden him any differently with the weights, but he did get there and it was a good performance.
“I’d say myself that would rule him out of Leopardstown (Dublin Racing Festival), I don’t think you could turn out after that run on that ground.
“He’s had a cracking season and if they said to me ‘that’ll do him for the year’, you couldn’t be disappointed with the season.
“We’ll have a rethink now about what is next. It was either here or Leopardstown, unless it had been lovely ground here and he’d won on the bridle. I don’t think he’ll recover enough to go three miles.”
He added: “He’s a lovely horse and he has a future over fences, he jumps very well. He’s improved physically and has improved mentally from race to race. He’s becoming a racehorse now.
“You could make a case for going for a graded novice hurdle somewhere. He likes it here.”
Dan Skelton is willing to bide his time before deciding whether Warwick winner Grey Dawning heads to the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Chase next or goes straight to the Cheltenham Festival.
A drop back in trip for the Sandown Grade One had been mentioned as a potential next stepping stone for the versatile Hampton Novices’ Chase victor, but his handler would like to wait a little longer before deciding if that would be the right thing to do by his likeable charge.
The Grade Two scorer could instead head straight to Prestbury Park where the three-mile Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has been nominated as the likely port of call at the Festival in March.
“I’m going to have a think about Grey Dawning,” said Skelton.
“Immediately after the race I thought we would go to Sandown. Whether that is clever or not, I will give it a week to think about.
“I think we would just go for the three-mile race at Cheltenham if we didn’t (go to Sandown), but that’s not me looking to not run.
“I want to run him because he’s a horse who loves racing, but I would only run him if I was really, really certain it was the right thing to do.”
Stablemate Galia Des Liteaux was also in action at Warwich, where she was stayed on strongly in vain when second in the Classic Chase.
The classy eight-year-old will now be pointed towards the Randox Grand National, with Skelton following the same route he took to Aintree with Le Milos 12 months ago by stopping off at Kelso’s bet365 Premier Chase in March first.
“Galia Des Liteaux will go for the Listed chase up at Kelso on March 2 before going for the Grand National,” continued Skelton.
“We tried it with Le Milos last year and it didn’t quite come off, but it doesn’t mean we won’t try it again.”
Asian Master earned Cheltenham quotes in taking his record to two from two under rules in the Race Displays Rated Novice Hurdle at Navan.
A point-to-point winner for Tony Costello, he switched to Willie Mullins for his hurdling campaign and struck at the first time of asking at Thurles.
Made the 4-6 favourite to follow up in the hands of his amateur rider Thomas Costello, the market leader was always moving well on the heels of pacesetter Better Days Ahead.
Ridden to take over going to the last, Asian Master quickly went clear to score by 10 lengths from Better Days Ahead.
The seven-year-old was introduced at 40-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by Betfair and Paddy Power.
“I thought my horse travelled very sweet and I could see Jack Kennedy niggling his lad (Better Days Ahead) to stay in front,” said Costello, who is the grandson of the renowned late bloodstock dealer Tom Costello, whose graduates included such luminaries as three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate.
“I thought he travelled way better than him everywhere and jumped better. I fancied him today and thought he’d win to be honest. His work at home was very good, he has a fantastic attitude and takes everything in his stride.
“Jack’s horse was the horse to take out of it and I thought he’d beat him.
“We’re enjoying every day we have with him and fingers crossed, if he stays safe and lucky, we’ll have another few days out of him.”
Costello is extremely tall for a jockey and said: “I’d like to say I’m 6 (foot) 4 (inches) but I wouldn’t like to measure myself at the same time in case I got a fright!”
Allaho bids to bounce back from King George defeat in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles on Sunday.
The Grade Two contest has twice proved a springboard to Cheltenham Festival glory for the Willie Mullins-trained gelding, with his 2021 and 2022 triumphs preceding a pair of stunning front-running victories in the Ryanair Chase for owners Cheveley Park Stud.
He was similarly jaw-dropping when winning the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup, but having since spent 19 months on the sidelines, there is a question mark over how much of his former brilliance he retains.
The 10-year-old was solid rather than spectacular when making a successful comeback in November’s Clonmel Oil Chase and could finish only third as a hot favourite for Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece.
“Allaho came out of his last race fine,” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson.
“I think it’s fair to say we were hoping for a bit more from him (in the King George), maybe the ground was a bit lively and there is maybe a slight question mark whether he really stayed the three miles.
“I think coming back in trip will suit him well, so hopefully he can run well on Sunday and then we can head back for the Ryanair again.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen, who proved a super-sub for Allaho when winning last season’s Ryanair Chase, has also been declared for the Cheveley Park team.
Allaho is one of four runners for the champion trainer alongside Appreciate It, Capodanno and Stattler, with the Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite completing the field.
The latter has been kept fresh since finishing third behind Classic Getaway, trained by Mullins and owned by Cheveley Park, at this track in November.
“He’s grand, the ground is good so I’d be hoping for a good run,” said Morris.
“It’s a good race, they always are but this is the right race for him. It’s a Grade Two on good ground and I don’t have a lot of options.
“I still have to get him qualified for the National, he needs to be in the first four over three miles so I don’t know just yet. I’m hoping for a big run this weekend anyhow.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
