Jack put away after Cheltenham heroics

Crack Away Jack will not run again this season following his victory at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Emma Lavelle has decided the four-year-old has done enough for the campaign thanks to win in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

“He’s come out Cheltenham really well and seems absolutely fine, but he won’t go anywhere else this season. That’s him done,” said the Andover trainer.

“At the start of the year he looked so weak I thought we were only going to get one or two races into him and then he improved and improved.

“Having won at Cheltenham he’s looking leggy and a bit lean and I think he’ll be a much nicer horse next year.

“I was never really tempted to go to Aintree as I think it’s not his sort of track. The runs he’s had have been at Newbury, Sandown, Ascot and Cheltenham - big galloping tracks rather than on the quicker

tracks.

“Aintree was never a serious option. Punchestown might have been more likely if we had decided to go anywhere with him.”

Connections had thought of switching Crack Away Jack over fences next season but that is likely to be put on hold, at least for the short term.

“Before Cheltenham the view was that we were going to straight chasing with him next season,” Lavelle continued.

“Now that’s going to change a little bit after what happened at Cheltenham. The owner and I will have a discussion and see.

“Realistically he’s more likely to have his first run next season over hurdles and we’ll take it from there.

“We may start him off October-November time but he doesn’t want the ground too heavy.”