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Editeur raises roof in Desert Orchid

Emotional scenes were played out in the Kempton Park winner’s enclosure after part owner Trevor Jacobs watched Editeur Du Gite successfully defend his Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown 12 months on from celebrating victory in the same race from the confines of his hospital bed.

Having been forced to watch the Grade Two contest on a television at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome earlier in 2022 Jacobs showed the giant steps he has made when joining friends and family at the Sunbury track this time around.

In a race that was not short of drama with Malystic pulling up early, and favourite Boothill departing mid race, it was left to Editeur Du Gite, who had been previously well held in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter and Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, to battle it out with the hat-trick seeking Elixir De Nutz.

Although without a victory to his name since winning the re-arranged Grade One Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January the gelded son of Saddex was not to be denied on this occasion with regular rider Niall Houlihan getting the perfect tune out of his partner.

Despite the late rally of 2020 winner Nube Negra over the last it was not enough to stop the Gary Moore-trained 5-1 chance from registering victory by three lengths to become the third dual winner of the race behind Special Tiara (2014 and 2016) and Voy Por Ustedes (2006 and 2007).

Jacobs said: “Last year I was in a hospital bed shouting as I couldn’t move this time last year. Coming here today I was shouting again, but I’m here and lucky to be alive let alone anything else. All the bells were ringing on the intensive care bed as everyone thought I was having a heart attack, and I was shouting and balling (when he won last year). They couldn’t believe it, but that was the first big winner I had.

“I died twice in hospital, and they brought me back. I’ve said it before the nurses in the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth were just lovely. They were fantastic. This is my life. Every Saturday I would put the television on and watch the racing all day. I used to give the nurses a few tips, and some of them won. They wanted me to give them the winner of the Grand National and I said you’ve got no chance as it is a lottery.

“I had 11 months in intensive care and then I had four or five months in rehab. Now I’m home and I’m doing rehab every day and I’m getting there every day.”

Game Spirit next for winner

A trip to Newbury in February now awaits Editeur Du Gite for the Game Spirit Chase according to Moore ahead of a potential outing in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Moore said: “It is the first time he has been able to dictate this year. The rain hadn’t quite got into the ground yet and it is the first time he has had his ground this season. He will go up again for this probably. He is probably a little bit better going left handed than right handed. He will probably go to Newbury for the Game Spirit then we will take it from there.

“He is not getting any younger and he is only going to last so long. He looks like he is back to his best now and he will probably have a go at it now (the Champion Chase).”

Henderson mare signs off in style

Tweed Skirt signed off her career on the racetrack in perfect fashion when giving Robbie Dunne a winning spare rider after powering clear of her rivals late on in the Ladbrokes Get Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase to complete a double on the card for trainer Nicky Henderson.

The six-year-old Martaline mare, who is now set for a spell at stud, quickly put matters to bed between the final two fences in the three-mile contest before crossing the five lengths clear under Dunne, who was deputising for Nico de Boinville who was stood down with a hand injury.

Eric Windsor, member of the Just Four Men With Rose Tinted Glasses syndicate, said: “I think the plan for her is to go to Walk In The Park now. It was always the plan for her to go to stud. We took her to Newbury last Wednesday and pulled her out at the last minute because of the ground.

“The Seven Barrows team entered her here today and Doncaster on Friday and they decided to come here in a handicap as opposed to a Listed race. It was great for the whole team, and we always knew she could do it. She has had a few niggly things go wrong in the past but today she was unbelievable.”

Chewy lands the Wayward Lad

Master Chewy enhanced his position among the pecking order at the yard of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies after scooping the most valuable pot of his career when resuming his progression over fences in the Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase.

Since making a winning debut over larger obstacles at Aintree in October the six-year-old had subsequently filled the runner-up spot on his next two starts when finding one too good on his return to the Merseyside track before chasing home Elixir De Nutz at Newbury last time out.

As Nickle Back and Bourbali took the quintet of runners along at a fair rate of knots Tom Bellamy bided his time in behind aboard the 13/8 chance before sending him into a lead he would not surrender over the second last.

Quickly opening up a healthy advantage the Anne-Marie and Jamie Shepperd-owned Walk In The Park gelding measured the last as if it was the first before bounding up the run in to score by four- and three-quarter lengths.

Willy Twiston-Davies, son and assistant trainer, said: “You can’t knock his form at all as he has been very good. He has been called a few names, but I think it is important that he gets there late.

“He was beaten by a more experienced rival last time then at Aintree (on his second start) they took three fences out up the home straight and that completely mucked him up as his jumping is where he gets his air in his lungs and that helps him and that is why he is so much better over fences than hurdles.

“Tom (Bellamy) said he gave him a squeeze going to three out and he was then straight back on to the bridle. He is a very pacey horse. I’m delighted for Jamie and Anne-Marie as they are very big supporters of the yard. It is great to get them a big winner over Christmas.

“This will never make up for it as I Like To Move It (who suffered a fatal injury earlier in the season for the same owners) as he was so special, but it is so nice to repay Jamie and Anne-Marie on give them good winners on the big days as they put a lot into our yard. It is lovely to support them to.

“We have got a really good squad and a really good bunch of owners who keep supporting us. We are allowed to buy what we want, and we are left to it. We are very lucky as we don’t have too much stress.”

Master Chewy is likely to be kept at Grade Two level on his next start according to connections with the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase or the Lightning Novices’ Chase (now run at Lingfield) earmarked as possible targets.

Twiston-Davies said: “He is very talented. We will either look at the Kingmaker at Warwick or the Lightning with him before Cheltenham. He is a very decent horse. We will then see how goes after that. The Arkle can often be a small field, so why not (give it a go).”

Henderson unearths Triumph contender in Sir Gino

Sir Gino put himself in contention to try and give trainer Nicky Henderson a recording extending eighth victory in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after making his British debut a winning one.

Arriving on the back of a Listed success at Auteuil 253 days ago the gelded son of It’s Gino was sent off the 4-9 favourite to follow up that victory in the ladbrokeslive.co.uk To Win Free Music Tickets “Introductory” Juvenile Hurdle.

And despite the odd the sketchy jump in the two-mile affair the long odds-on favourite made light work of his rivals when powering smartly clear during the closing stages of the race under Nico de Boinville.

After jumping the second last as if it was an open ditch the Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned three-year-old then fluffed his lines at the last, but it failed to halt Sir Gino’s momentum who eventually passed the post with 14 lengths to spare.

Henderson, speaking away from the track, said: “He is a lovely horse and his life is in front of him. You could say he nearly wants a fence already, but we won’t be doing that for the time being. He can sharpen up a lot as he was a little bit novicey a couple of times. He was either spectacular at them or he kicked the hurdle out. There was no inbetween.

“He has been a lovely horse to deal with, however he can be a bit keen. He was a little bit green, but that was only his second run of his life. He is a big horse and he needs to fill into his frame. He does look like a chaser, but hurdles are what he will be going over for the time being.”

Following the race Betfair and Paddy Power trimmed Sir Gino into 8/1 from 10/1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle which Henderson intends to work back from.

He added: “He will need to go up in grade now and we can’t pussy foot around with him. You would have thought that the Triumph Hurdle will be where he goes. He is not a typical Triumph Hurdle horse as he is not an ex-Flat racer. He is a proper horse.

“I’d think he will be okay with everything at Cheltenham, but I would like to give him at least one or two more runs before we go there.”

Mill wins again for Weld

Owner Sally Weld might have swapped the English winter for a Caribbean cruise, however Aurigny Mill ensured her silks were carried to victory in her absence when running out a clear cut winner of the Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Handicap Hurdle.

After opening his account for the campaign with victory last time out at Wincanton the Victor Dartnall-trained six-year-old backed up that success when defying a rise in the weights to secure a facile win in the opening two-mile contest.

Hitting the front between the final two flights the 9-1 chance maintained a good gallop all the way to the line before securing glory by seven and a half lengths to leave Devon handler Dartnall dreaming of bigger and better targets.

Dartnall said: “I’ve always thought he was up at this level. This is the second run of his career that we have had a problem free run up to. He had bruised feet all last season between every run, but we have got on top of all that. My son’s partner rides him out most days and she said he was as good as ever, and she has got it right.

“Sean Bowen finished fourth on him in a bumper, and he said he would win loads of races, but he was backwards, and it took him time to get his breathing right. Fergus (Gillard) said he was off the bridle down the back straight, but he is settling now. He only had the hood on to help him settle.

“He is just a lovely horse. His owner Sally Weld has been brilliant to us, but she has not been very well. She is actually on a cruise at the moment and I think she is somewhere in the Caribbean. She has been a supporter of the yard for years. I think this will put him in the bottom weights of some of the big handicaps. This race fell apart as they went too hard down the back straight, but we will take today and enjoy it.”

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