Kempton Boxing Day reports, reaction and free video replays

Wad has Lacey predicting bright future

Tom Lacey described Blow Your Wad as ‘lovely horse with a bright future’ after he moved a step closer to making an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival when securing a first victory over fences in the Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Having chased home subsequent Grade One winner Le Patron on his debut over fences at Sandown Park last month, the Tom Lacey-trained five-year-old went one better when building on that effort under a power packed ride from Stan Sheppard.

Although on and off the bridle throughout the extended two and a half mile contest the 100/30 favourite worked his way into contention as the field turned in to face the line of three fences down the home straight.

After enjoying a battle over the third last and the penultimate fences with Outlaw Peter it looked like Blow Your Wad had come off second best in the argument with the Paul Nicholls-trained runner seizing a slender initiative over the last.

However, Blow Your Wad was not to be denied and with one late surge the Jerry Hinds and Ashley Head-owned gelding forged on into the lead in the shadows of the post before prevailing by a length and a half.

Lacey said: “We were giving the winner Le Patron weight at Sandown. Stan (Sheppard) came in for a bit of unfair criticism at Sandown. I didn’t think it was fair for Blow Your Wad to go and eyeball Le Patron and someone said he gave him a soft lead on the front end and it all went his own way.

“In some ways it did, but the fact of the matter was that Blow Your Wad was having his first run over fences around Sandown and I think to eye ball him on the front end would have been foolish. In hindsight he has had a good education around Sandown and jumped really well and he has come and won at Kempton on Boxing Day so there are no complaints.

“He is a course and distance winner over hurdles. Maybe a flat track helps, but he was on and off the bridle there a few times. There were a couple of times I thought he was going nowhere and the next thing he was hard on the bridle travelling like the winner. All the way up the straight I thought he would win. He is a lovely horse with a big future.

“Today was a target. We will just have to have a think and the lads will want to go to Cheltenham in March if they can. I don’t think we would step him up in trip. A strong run two and a half miles would be fine.

“Possibly we could look at the Scilly Isles at Sandown. I think this was a deep novices’ handicap chase as you had four all on 135 and it was a 0-135 so it was as deep as you can get really. We don’t need to worry about that yet (Cheltenham Festival targets). We will take it one day at a time.”

Kempton Glory for Neville

Patrick Neville might have been out of luck with stable star The Real Whacker in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase but his stablemate Mahons Glory ensured he left Kempton Park with a winner when enhancing his own prospects of a visit to the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The gelded son of Fame And Glory, who finished fifth in the Grade Two Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last time out, made the most of both a drop back in trip, and class, when leading his rivals a merry dance in the concluding Ladbrokes Get Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle.

Racing straight into the lead of the two miles five prize the 11/1 chance had most of his rivals in trouble rounding the home turn with Sam Twiston-Davies still yet to ask any real questions of his mount.

Although favourite Emailandy emerged as a potential threat in between the final two flights he could not get on terms with Mahons Glory, who eventually scored by 11 lengths to keep alive Neville’s dream of an outing in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at The Festival in March.

Neville said: “It didn’t go to plan the last day. We knew today he was in super form. The last day probably knocked the gas out of him as he was a bit fresh and he probably got a hold of Sam and ran away with him.

“We changed a few things around with him. We put a different bit in his mouth, and we got him to chill out a bit more. He is actually a lovely horse to ride. He wasn’t straightforward when we got him, and he was nearly unrideable. He has really turned the corner.

“He has loads of ability and I think he is a horse that will jump fences as well. We will look at every option. Take the run out of the last day and put him back in that three mile division after a run or two under his belt and I wouldn’t write him off in it.

“It is a division that is not hectic, and we are looking at maybe that (the Stayers’ Hurdle). I think he is graded material. He is not straightforward, but we are getting inside his head.”

Harry Derham marked the anniversary of his first winner as trainer in perfect fashion after Court In The Act rewarded the time and effort put into him by jockey Paul O’Brien and groom Joe Wroe after hitting the jackpot in the ladbrokeslive.co.uk To Win Free Music Tickets Maiden Hurdle.

Twelve months on from saddling the now retired Seelotmorebusiness to glory at Huntingdon the Boxford handler watched on with a broad smile across his face after the Court Cave gelding opened his account over hurdles when going one better than at Hereford last time out.

Although pressed all the way during the closing stages of the two-mile contest by Onethreefivenotout the 11/4 chance pulled out more when it mattered most to prevail by a neck under Paul O’Brien.

And following the race Derham earmarked a trip to Sandown Park on the final day of the season for the bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle as a potential long-term target.

Derham said: “He was really good until four out then he completely lost concentration. Joe Wroe, who has led him up today, and Paul have worked an awful lot with his jumping as at the start of the season it was not pretty.

“He is just an improving horse, and he will keep getting better as he is still quite weak. Paul gave him a magnificent ride as he is not the easiest as he is a little bit keen. That was very satisfying.

“I’ve been waiting for nice ground as that is the key to him. Paul is a very good jockey and you saw that on a fast one of Nicky Henderson’s (Luccia) what he can do.

“We have literally put hours of work into his jumping. He didn’t show it down the back straight, but when he needed him up the home straight he was good.

“That novices’ handicap hurdle final at Sandown on the final day of the season would be a good target.”

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