Elsworth takes over on Iris’s Gift
Tony McCoy rode the former Stayers’ Hurdle hero in six chase starts last season but Elsworth will take the reins as connections look to cement and nurture a winning combination.
“Dominic’s been getting on well with the horse and we felt that we would like a jockey to ride him from start to finish,” Lester explained.
“We felt that Tony McCoy might have to ride for JP McManus as the season went on so we wanted to get a jockey who could ride him all year.
“But I would like to thank AP for all the work he has done on the horse.
“Dominic rode the horse schooling 18 fences and reported that he jumped like a gazelle.”
While many of the leading contenders in this weekend’s £90,000 contest would be more at home on a sound surface, Lester will be very happy if the forecast rains arrive as Iris’s Gift will only race on an easy surface this term.
“The horse is only going to run when the ground is soft,” he added.
“The horse is in great form and Jonjo’s thrilled with him so we are looking forward to a good season.”
Eight horses confirmed for the Charlie Hall yesterday also hold engagements in the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot on the same day.
Among those are ante-post Charlie Hall favourite Star De Mohaison and Peter Bowen’s battle-hardened campaigner Take The Stand, who returned to action with a gutsy win over timber earlier in the month.
“Everything’s been fine with him since Plumpton where he ran a nice race over hurdles, enjoyed a nice pipe-opener and broke the course record in the meantime as well,” explained the Haverfordwest handler.
He is reported to have come out of that race in grand shape and is more than likely to head North in his quest to go two places better than he managed in last year’s renewal, won by Ollie Magern.
“I think he’ll probably head to the Charlie Hall,” Bowen added.
“He’s in real good form and he’s as good as ever so he should run well, with a bit of luck.
“He’s run well on softish going at Wetherby before so the ground wouldn’t be too much of a concern.
“The quicker the ground the better, but he’s not going to get it quick I don’t think.”
Connections of Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Star De Mohaison also intend to run him in the Charlie Hall, providing the ground does not deteriorate too badly.
“He’s in very good form and he’s summered really well,” Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden, told Racing UK.
“He’s a little bit stronger than he was last season and wherever he runs - whether he runs at Ascot or at Wetherby – I think he’ll run extremely well.”
Siding with Lester in the hope the rain materialises in the run-up to Saturday is Leyburn handler Ferdy Murphy, who could be represented by course-and-distance winner Leading Man.
“If the rain comes he could go – we will monitor the weather – although he will need his first run,” he said.
“He won the One Man Novices’ Chase impressively at the track, so the Charlie Hall would be a nice race to start him in.
“If the ground stayed as it is we would definitely consider the contest.
“We made a mistake running him at Cheltenham after Wetherby, where he got jarred up on ground too lively for him.
“But he’s been put away and has grown up a lot and he looks like a nice horse for the future.”
