Thesis thumps Ladbroke rivals
Venetia Williams’ Thesis earned top marks when the 33-1 chance stayed on best in the mud to take the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot today.
Persistent rain throughout the day led to conditions becoming increasingly testing as the afternoon progressed.
But the mud proved to be no problem for Thesis, who got the best of a fine three-way battle after customary pacesetter Benbyas did his usual job of sorting the men from the boys with a fierce gallop.
Approaching the final obstacle only the winner, Sud Bleu and Saintsaire were in with a chance.
And it was Brian Crowley’s mount who found most for strong pressure close home to hold the challenge of Sud Bleu (7-1) by two lengths, with a further length and a quarter to Saintsaire (7-1).
Monkerhostin, the each-way punters’ friend, came from out of the pack to take fourth at 33-1.
Winning trainer Williams said afterwards she was slightly surprised to win such a valuable contest, but had reckoned he was worth his place in the line-up.
“This isn’t our normal kind of race,” she smiled. “I’ve been saying to myself all week that if he finishes in the frame I’ll be delighted, but to win is absolutely fantastic.
“After that I think quite probably we’ll be looking back at novices.
“He’s still a novice hurdler and was in the novice hurdle yesterday, which was a very good race. We didn’t think he’d have a great chance there, and we thought we’d never have such a good weight in a 100-grand race again.”
Thesis has proved something of a revelation this season, winning four times after failing to get off the mark in his four starts last term.
“When he got beat by Well Chief we were a bit worried, particularly as ’AP’ had got off him to ride ours and they didn’t seem to think he was much good,” Williams recalled.
“But when Well Chief went on to finish second in the Triumph Hurdle that form didn’t look so bad after all.
“He was also a bit weak last season, but he has strengthened up well and is doing very well.
“But as we got nearer the course, driving through the rain, the telephone calls to the owners – who live in the North – were becoming increasingly ‘oh dear, oh dear’. We didn’t think he wanted the rain at all.”
Thesis is a 20-1 chance for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Irish layers Cashmans and Paddy Power.
Connections of the next two horses home are considering their options for the rest of the season.
Sud Bleu’s trainer Paul Nicholls reported: “The aim is the Tote Gold Trophy and the flatter course at Newbury should suit him.
“The breathing operation he has had seems to have sorted him out and there is a nice race in him.”
Newbury could also be the target for Saintsaire, although Nicky Henderson will also consider the valuable Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown next month (9-1 with Paddy Power from 12-1).
“He gives the impression that he doesn’t like the ground but he kept going on it today and he has proved wrong all the people who said he didn’t stay,” said Henderson.
It was a day for up-and-coming jockeys, as Crowley was not the only rider gaining the most valuable win of his career.
Rising star conditional Jamie Moore hit the same landmark as Horus denied the battling Behrajan in a good finish to the cantorsport.co.uk Silver Cup.
The son of trainer Gary and brother champion apprentice Ryan, 18-year-old Moore looked confident as he approached the last upsides the winner and travelling strongly.
But when the chips were down on the run-in, the Martin Pipe-trained 11-2 chance had to be driven right out to account for Behrajan – who was giving 25lb to the winner and emerged with most of the credit, if not the £21,745 first prize.
Questions about the stamina of Impek, who loomed up strongly on the home turn, were soon answered when he started backpedalling rapidly between the final two fences, allowing Dear Deal to stay on from the rear to snatch third.
Pipe’s assistant Chester Barnes revealed: “Martin is at home with a terrible cold and he is on antibiotics, which the doctor gave him yesterday. Fortunately, the horses are rather better!
“I don’t know that he found quite as much as Jamie thought he would, but he fought hard where it mattered.
“I have just spoken to the boss and told him to open another bottle of champagne.”
Behrajan delighted his connections with such a brave effort to win the race for the second year running and remains a 33-1 chance for the Martell Cognac Grand National with Paddy Power, although Chandlers cut him to 20s.
Supreme Prince showed admirable resolution to rally on the run-in for the cantorsport.co.uk Novices’ Chase.
With favourite Lilium De Cotte turning in a below-par effort, it was left to the remaining three runners to fight out the contest.
Jumping the last, Supreme Prince looked to have thrown it away with a rather stuttering leap, but Paul Flynn galvanised him back into momentum on the flat to win going away from See You Sometime.
“He is still a big baby and he is learning all the time,” said trainer Philip Hobbs, who still thinks plenty of the six-year-old.
Jim Culloty moved on to 28 winners for the campaign as he gave Hot Shots a fine ride to take the Cantor Mobile Handicap Chase.
The Mark Pitman-trained gelding led on the run-in to deny Upgrade, who had tried to make all.
“Jim gave him a peach,” said the winning trainer. “Although to be fair to Timmy (Murphy, his usual partner) I did change the tactics slightly this time.
“I was up in the stands, screaming the place down with his owners. He didn’t jump the last very well but he came out of the fence fastest. What a finish!”
Favourite-backers had the Doumen double act to thank after Krach got punters off to a good start in the opening John Lewis Memorial Novices’ Hurdle.
The muddy conditions were no problem to the Francois Doumen-trained winner, the 11-10 market leader, who quickened up between the last two for the handler’s son Thierry and stayed on strongly on the run-in to hold Material World by 10 lengths.
A non-thoroughbred, he came into the contest with impeccable credentials from his native France, having won the Derby for half-breds at Maisons-Laffite as a three-year-old.
“We haven’t rushed him because his owner (JP McManus) wanted to give him as much time as he needed,” said Doumen snr.
“He will have a break for a month or so now, like all of mine, and then we will think about where we want to go next, but he is a nice horse for the future.”
The easiest winner of the day came in the concluding Ascot Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, when Jonjo O’Neill’s highly-regarded filly Refinement beat her 19 rivals with embarrassing ease under Liam Cooper.
“Nice mare, travels well,” smiled the winning rider, with a substantial degree of understatement.
