Nicky Henderson hails Windsor jumps return

Despite seeing two odds-on favourites beaten on Sunday, the Lambourn handler was thrilled to have the National Hunt track reinstated.

“The track looks brilliant. We’ve been quite involved all the way through. At the beginning of last season we actually brought Jonbon here as he quite likes an away day. They’ve had a couple of trial days as well. I think it’s wonderful,” said Henderson.

“I’m probably the only trainer who can remember being here before, sadly! I can remember it quite well.

“I rode a winner round here and we had our first ever double as a trainer here in 1978.

“We’ve been practicing the bend quite a bit, I’m not sure why that first race didn’t fill more but four runners was a nice start, it’s on the right configuration now.”

Further jumps action at the course looked a long way off when the decision was taken in 2005 to run it is a Flat-only track, but when Arena Racing Company, who own Windsor, came up with the idea of the Winter Million meeting, it was seen as the ideal venue – the only trouble being at the time it did not stage National Hunt racing.

In the interim the Winter Million has been held at Lingfield, when the weather allowed, but this season it will form part of the Berkshire Winter Million, with Ascot’s Clarence House card in the middle of the two days in January.

Mark Spincer, group operations director for ARC told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s a really good crowd but it wouldn’t be a raceday without a few challenges and the boats (transporting racegoers) got cancelled very late because the Thames is too high, which put a bit more pressure on the taxis.

“We were hoping for 5,000 and it looks like being pretty close to that.

“Credit will go to Martin Cruddace (CEO) and quite rightly. He had us all in a board meeting saying he wanted to return jumping to Windsor. Out of that came the Winter Million but we weren’t ready so it took us a couple of years to get Windsor ready, hence why the Winter Million started at Lingfield.

“Once we got everything ready we had a conversation with Ascot and they were excited to be partners with us and there’s the three days.”

The Windsor track was previously a figure of eight, but remedial work was carried out and it is now a more conventional layout.

Spincer added: “There have been a lot of people involved in getting us to where we are now, the British Horseracing Authority have been a big help. It’s taken a fairly sizeable chequebook to get where we are, in the region of £400,000 to £500,000 but we’ve also spent money on the track which will benefit Flat and jumps.

“The new layout was down to Richard Langley and Charlie Moore. They wouldn’t allow us to go back to a figure of eight on the grounds that in this day and age you wouldn’t want horses potentially running back on to themselves, so we accepted that and had to find a way to come up with a solution.”

Trainer Jamie Snowden was another who had taken part in the pre-racing gallops.

He said: “We came down here for a couple of gallops and it’s great that Windsor is opening up. It’s great to have another turf track on our doorstep, it’s only 45 minutes from Lambourn so we came down with two today.

“It all appeared fine after the first. The concern was with it being a tight track that if you got in front you might stay in front, but the race changed up the home straight.”

Ma Shantou takes opening honours

There was a minor surprise in the first jumps race staged at Windsor since 2005 as Ma Shantou beat odds-on favourite Excello.

Only four went to post for the Fitzdares Welcomes Jumping Back @ Royal Windsor EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle and Nico De Boinville headed straight into an early lead, attempting to make all on Nicky Henderson’s Excello.

Things appeared to be going according to the script with De Boinville trying to stretch the field round the top bend, but he could not shake off the attentions of the Emma Lavelle-trained Ma Shantou (15/8).

Champion jockey Harry Cobden sensed his chance approaching the final flight and Excello had no more to offer as Ma Shantou went clear for a one-and-three-quarter-length win.

“We went a nice, even gallop and I just thought mine outstayed him in the end, they are two nice horses and I’d say Nico’s is one that will keep improving,” said Cobden.

“Mine has improved every run, he didn’t jump well first time and at Warwick he was a bit buzzy but today he was more the finished article, a bit of an armchair ride really – just the type I like.”

Cobden later doubled up on Jimmy Frost’s Asian Spice (3/1) in the Fitzdares Windsor Castle Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

Sam Thomas rode a winner at Windsor before its closure and added one as a trainer to his record when Vincenzo (9/2) battled back to win the Fitzdares Royal Windsor Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

It was another example of the talents of rising star jockey Dylan Johnston, who told Sky Sports Racing: “It rides OK, it suited him. We went a gallop and we half sprinted, you probably won’t be coming from too far behind I’d say.

“He’s done it well and finished out his race well. He hasn’t done loads of schooling but the fences at Sam’s, we usually say if they can jump them, they can jump pretty much anything."

Thomas added: “He’s been disappointing over hurdles to be honest, given how he feels at home, he just hasn’t lived up to what I thought. The fences have been the making of him.

“It’s great to have it back, there’s a chance of more tracks closing than starting unfortunately, so I think it’s a great initiative. It’s my passion and long may jumping last. There’s huge prize money for the Winter Million and hopefully Lump Sum will be in the big hurdle.”

Starcrossed Lover (4/1) was a winner on his debut for Neil Mulholland and James Bowen in the Fitzdares Royal Windsor Racecourse Maiden Hurdle, having previously had two runs for Colm Murphy in Ireland.

Bowen said: “He’s a nice horse, I rode him out a few weeks ago and he gave me a nice feel. They went a good gallop and that suited us. You wouldn’t want the ground to be any quicker as the bend after the winning line is sharp, but the hurdle course rode fine.”

In what was an eventful race, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Boston Boy was still in with every chance when diving out through the wing of the second last, just as he had done last time out.

Richie McClernon emerged unscathed and later partnered Hasthing (11/8 favourite) to victory in the Fitzdares Telephone Betting Handicap Chase.

Ballycamus (6/1) provided Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies with a winner in the Fitzdares Thames Handicap Chase, staying on strongly to beat Minella Blueway.

The jockey was complimentary of the track, saying: “They are well built fences, they take some jumping and that is his biggest asset.

“It’s a straightforward track to ride, obviously the ground is pretty soft as they water all summer for the Flat, so you are going to need to stay well. There are lots of twists and turns so you can get in and out if you want, rather than being dictated to in behind.

“You need a fit, good jumper and hopefully that is what we’ve got a few of.”

Robert Walford’s Loverdose (9/4 favourite) came home clear under Harry Kimber to win the Fitzdares Windsor Christmas Handicap Hurdle.

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