O’Neill thrilled with Holywell success
The eight-year-old was victorious in handicap company at Prestbury Park last March and after showing his worth at the top level with a brilliant display at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, dreams of a tilt at steeple chasing’s blue riband were sparked.
While a Carlisle comeback third behind subsequent Hennessy hero Many Clouds was satisfactory, his failure to complete at Aintree in December was less so and there was no margin for error as he journeyed to the Borders as a 1-4 favourite for the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase.
Having dictated matters from the outset, Holywell turned up the heat heading down the back straight and it was soon apparent his rivals were struggling to keep up.
He safely negotiated the remaining fences under the soon-to-retire champion jockey and passed the post 25 lengths clear of Fentara, with Diocles third and Rose Of The Moon last of the four.
Paddy Power responded by clipping Holywell to 8-1 from 9-1 for the Gold Cup on March 13 with Coral leaving him unchanged at 10-1.
Speaking from his Jackdaws Castle base, O’Neill said: “He had to go and do what he did really, so it’s nice he’s gone up there and done it and you’d have to be happy.
“You would have expected him to do what he did, but it’s nice to have got the run in and he did all he could do.
“He’s economical with his jumping. He’s never going to be the most extravagant.
“Hopefully he comes back safe and sound, that’s the main thing, but that (Gold Cup) is the plan.”
McCoy is unlikely to be aboard at Cheltenham next month, assuming Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough makes it to Cheltenham for his boss JP McManus.
The perennial champion feels Holywell is well worth his place in the field, however.
McCoy said: “He jumped well after the first. It’s amazing how different a horse he is in the spring. He just seems to be better for some reason.
“He was the highest rated novice (chaser) last season after Aintree and he’ll only do nothing but keep improving.
“He is definitely a horse who will have a good chance in the Gold Cup.” Nicky Richards can start considering some lofty targets for Glingerburn after he completed a hat-trick with a stylish display in the Timeform Morebattle Hurdle.
A winner of his first two starts over timber at Doncaster, the 14-5 chance travelled ominously well throughout in the hands of Brian Harding and moved sweetly to the lead two flights from the finish.
Cheltenham Festival winner Hawk High put up a fight on the run-in, but Glingerburn kept up the gallop to take the prize by a length and three-quarters.
Richards said: “I’m very pleased with him. He jumped pretty well on the whole and did it well.
“He’s developed well and has always shown us a good bit. The day I ran him in his bumper at Musselburgh I thought he was the biggest certainty I’ve ever put a saddle on and Peter Niven turned up with Clever Cookie.
“This horse doesn’t half travel in his races. I think he could win over a mile and a half on the Flat, but I don’t think we’ll be going that sort of route with him.
“There are several options for him. He may come back here for Premier Hurdle, he’s in at Cheltenham and there’s always Aintree.
“The Scottish Champion Hurdle (at Ayr) is another possible.”
Richards and Harding completed a double as 9-2 chance Warriors Tale ran out a 10-length winner of the Kelso Annual Members Handicap Hurdle.
William Money came from the clouds to win an eventful Monteith Memorial Handicap Chase under Diarmuid O’Regan.
The 22-1 shot was being scrubbed along in last place heading down the back after failing to fully convince in the jumping department, but the complexion of the race changed dramatically in the straight.
The Last Samuri’s exit when challenging for the lead two fences from the finish appeared to have handed the race to Whats Up Woody, but his stride shortened on the run to the line and was picked off by both William Money and Velator. It was left for the brothers Diarmuid and Denis O’Regan to fight it out and it was the younger sibling who emerged victorious by a length aboard Chris Grant’s charge.
