Huntingdon Thursday reports and free video replays
By Graham Clark
16:55 · THU January 25, 2024
A review of the pick of the action from Huntingdon where Kansas City Star showed the benefit of a recent schooling session.
Cromwell conquers Huntingdon
Members of the Brides Hill Syndicate admitted they didn’t know where Huntingdon was three months ago, however the quickly became familiar with the Cambridgeshire track after Brides Hill completed a hat-trick of victories for the season in the Pertemps Network Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase.
Arriving on the back of wins at Listowel and at Fairyhouse the improving seven-year-old barely needed to get out of second gear to give trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Keith Donoghue back-to-back victories in the Listed prize after the pair claimed the race 12 months ago with Jeremys Flame.
The Dan Skelton-trained Sacre Coeur ensured there was a good pace to aim at in the two and a half mile test after quickly racing into a commanding advantage in the hands of Tristan Durrell soon after the tapes went up with the rest of the field content to let the eight year old get on with things in front.
However, as the field turned for home to face up to the final two fences it soon become apparent that Sacre Coeur was a sitting duck with Cheltenham Festival winning rider Donoghue sitting almost motionless aboard the 10/11 favourite.
After breezing into the lead between the final two fences the odds-on favourite quickly asserted before crossing the line six lengths clear of the staying on La Renommee.
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
Pat Murphy, member of the Brides Hill Syndicate, said: “That couldn’t have gone any better. She was brilliant. The horse running out in front (Sacre Coeur) helped her and we have ended up winning it by a mile and that is all that counts.
“In fairness to Gavin Cromwell he is the man that picks the races for us and he targeted and told us about three months ago he was going to come for it. We were saying where the hell is Huntingdon.
“She did have some nice form in the book last season. We were over in Perth at the end of last season and we were disappointed with that, but we got her sorted out and here she is. We were reasonably confident, but you can never be over confident. She did what we expected her to do, but Gavin is a good trainer.”
Following the race Brides Hill was trimmed from 25/1 into 8/1 by Paddy Power for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival by the race sponsor, however Murphy admitted that an outing in the Grade Two contest was not set in stone.
Murphy added: “That (going to the Cheltenham Festival) is a matter up for debate. I’m not going to make any comment on that as I don’t want to put any pressure on anybody.
“It could be that we go there, but we don’t know that for sure. We will see how she comes out of the race.”
Kansas City Star pictured with winning connections
Derham's Star shines brightest
Kansas City Star appeared to benefit from a recent schooling session under now retired 20 time champion jump jockey Sir Anthony McCoy after giving Harry Derham another victory at the scene of his first ever winner when making a successful stable debut at Huntingdon on Thursday.
Out of luck in nine starts for Gordon Elliott, the Bryan Drew-owned seven-year-old hit the ground running on his first start for Derham, who celebrated the first winner of his career at the Cambridgeshire track on Boxing Day 2022 with Seelotmorebusiness.
Putting in an assured round of jumping, with the exception of a mistake at the last, the 16/5 chance found more than enough up the run in to defeat Aggagio by two and a quarter lengths in the Pertemps Network Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Derham said: “I was saying to Bryan (Drew, owner) that I will always love this track for that one day in 2022 with Seelotmorebusiness. Brentford Hope also won here in the spring as well, but that was my first runner here this season.
On Kansas City Star he added: “We were just schooling a couple of weeks ago in Lambourn and I needed another jockey and AP (McCoy) was about so he schooled him. He jumped him and said it went well and that suited me.
“He had struggled a bit over hurdles, but he is a horse that we thought going chasing would be the thing for him. He jumped well apart from the last. I am very pleased for Bryan and it was good of him to send me the horse.”
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
Jewell keeps success in the family
Karen Jewell kept two of her biggest supporters happy after Galway Mahler left his previous form behind when opening his account under rules at the 10th attempt of asking in the Pertemps Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Possessing more letters than numbers next to his name the lightly raced seven-year-old, who is owned by Jewell’s mother, and former trainer, Linda, and Peter Oppenheimer, set the record straight with a six-length success in the hands of Caoilin Quinn.
Jewell said of the 16/1 winner: “It is really nice to train a winner for mum, and for Peter who has been an owner with us as a family for over 20 years.
“Unfortunately, last time out he made a mistake at the first and it was game over for him. I think this sort of trip (extended two miles seven furlongs) and this sort of ground is key to him.
“I probably need to give a shout to Jerry McGrath as he found him for us. We were all scratching our heads as we thought he was going to be a good horse but hopefully he can improve now he has got his head in front.”
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
50 up for O'Neill
Jonjo O’Neill reached the 50 winner mark for the campaign after Beachcomber, who he described was a ‘bit of a character’, showed what he is capable of when everything clicks together after scooping the most valuable pot of his career in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.
Having suffered an odds-on reversal when pulling up after becoming unrideable in an amateur jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Catterick last month the gelded son of Bathyrhon left that effort behind when making it two wins from as many visits to the Cambridgeshire circuit.
Showing that stamina is his forte the 4/1 chance, who contested the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March, dug deep when it mattered most in the three-mile one furlong prize under the triumphant trainer’s son Anthony to repel Loup De Maulde by three- and three-quarter lengths.
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
The winning trainer said: “He is a bit of a character. He won a bumper at Chepstow, and we thought he was going to be okay, and he probably will be as he is a big weak horse. He seems to have got the hang of things now, and he won around here the last time he came here. He seems to like flat tracks.
“He jumped the right the day Jonjo (O’Neill Jnr) lost his irons at Kempton Park. At Catterick last time he basically ran out at the bend near the stands and he ended up being pulled up. He wanted to go home before everyone else!
“That win will give us a bit of leg to find a bit of a plan for him and we will take it from there. That wasn’t a too bad pot today. He is not the most reliable, but when he is good he is good. He jumps well so I can’t see why he wouldn’t jump a fence in time.
“I hope he will end up being a nice chaser and his owner will have a bit of fun with him as he is a nice horse.”
Chime strikes the right note
Connections of Moon Chime could have useful type on their hands after the Graeme McPherson and David Killahena-trained six-year-old, who finished third in a Listed bumper at Cheltenham earlier in the season, secured a three and a half-length success in the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle.
David Adams, part owner, said of the 10/11 winner: “He was just green the last day at Kempton, but there is definitely something there with him.
“We were hopeful coming here today, but there was a big field, and you still need everything to go right.
"We knew he was well at home and the team have done a fantastic job.
“He has come on for the Kempton run and he was more professional today. There is no firm route for him. We just want to build up his experience.”
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Fast Results
Scores
