Delight for Kerry Lee as Top Gamble lands graded race at Easter Festival
On Sunday, rookie trainer Lee claimed her first Grade One success when Kylemore Lough took the Ryanair Gold Cup, while on Monday afternoon Dan Skelton’s Value At Risk and Kim Bailey’s Emily Gray proved too good for the home guard in their respective contests.
Despite some concerns about the drying conditions, Top Gamble was allowed to take his chance, and he rewarded that decision with a decisive victory.
Out the back as Flemenstar and Days Hotel set a strong pace, he crept into contention steadily, and was on the heels of the leaders as they turned for home.
Sent to the front by British champion jockey-elect Richard Johnson before the second-last, the eight-year-old asserted going to the last, and won readily from Sizing Granite.
Victory justified connections’ decision to skip Cheltenham.
“Not a bad piece of race-planning,” said Lee, laughing, after welcoming back her second winner from three runners at the meeting.
“I had a mild concern about the ground, obviously the wetter the better for this horse.
“He really does relish soft ground, and Cheltenham really wouldn’t have suited him which is why we held back, and came here.
"Aintree was also on the cards, but this looked very much the right race for him, and I’m very pleased Richard made the effort to come over and ride him.
"He suits this horse very well, and gave him a belting ride.
“They went very, very fast early, and the race was run to suit him. It just goes to show he’s quite versatile tactics-wise — he can win from the front or win from the back.”
On the prospect of a return visit to Ireland for next month’s Punchestown Festival, Lee added: “I’d say it is very likely, as long as his owners are happy to come.
"He has won three Grade Twos now so I think he possibly deserves a step up in grade, so we’ll look for a bigger prize, if we can find one.
“Naturally, that is ground-dependent, as I would never risk him on anything better than good-to-soft.
"I’m not going to nail my colours to any mast yet, but he’s a very nice horse to have, and I wouldn’t mind one or two more like him.”
Lee has made quite an impact in her first season, and this was a 23rd win for the Hereford-based handler, who took over from her father, Richard.
She reported Sunday’s winner, Kylemore Lough, in great shape following his exploits, and he will join Top Gamble on the return journey to these shores, for Punchestown.
“I think we might just take the two,” she confirmed.
“They’d be a very nice pair to take over. I’m really pleased with Kylemore, he came out of the race really well, and has really enjoyed his trip to Ireland.”
As did the winning trainer, who admitted: “I’ve been shouting these winners home and it has taken its toll.”
After years of having to settle for second place behind AP McCoy in the jockeys’ championship in Britain, the winning rider holds a significant lead in the 20-times champ’s absence, and that virtually unassailable advantage allowed him to travel over for this race.
“Yeah, if it had been tight, it would have been a struggle,” laughed Johnson.
“But it worked out well.”
Of Top Gamble, who was a touch outpaced early, he added: “He’s not the fastest, even though he’s a two-miler, but once we jumped three out, I knew we were in with a very good chance.”
