Weekly Racing Round-up - Week 6
- Will Sprigg
- Feb 11
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 12
Firstly, we would like to send our best wishes to Michael O'Sullivan who suffered a terrible fall at Thurles. He was airlifted to Cork University Hospital in critical condition and remains in intensive care at the moment. Everyone at Grab The Reins sends our best wishes and we are all praying Michael can pull through. This again shows the dangers of our great sport.
Heading into the weekend everyone was looking forward to see Sir Gino in his final preparation run before the Arkle at Cheltenham in March. Sadly he missed the Game Spirit with a cut to his hind leg, in even worse news its reported this morning that he will now miss the rest of the season after suffering infection which has invaded the ligament.
“Unfortunately Sir Gino's situation has deteriorated somewhat and he has been admitted to the Equine Hospital” - Nicky Henderson
Gutting news for everyone involved at Seven Barrows with this highly talented 5 year old and hopefully they can get him back to full health so the Donnelly's have back one of there top talents.
Warwick is where we will start for the action on Saturday. L'Eau Du Sud was the main attraction in the Unibet Kingmaker Novices' Chase over 2 miles on soft ground. Field of 4 went to post with L'Eau Du Sud being 1/5 favourite followed by Paul Nicholls trained Rubaud at 5/1, Tedley and Riskintheground finished of the small field.
L'Eau Du Sud coming into the race was a 10/1 shot for the Arkle Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the front two (Rubaud and L'Eau Du Sud) left the others after jumping 6 from home, Harry Skelton pushed on from 3 out on the short priced favourite leaving Rubaud far behind. Jumping the penultimate fence Rubaud began to claw back the Favourite and jumping the last he was gaining with every stride but L'Eau Du Sud just held on to win by a length.
1st L'Eau Du Sud (1/5)
2nd Rubaud (5/1)
3rd Tedley (16/1)
4th Riskintheground (50/1)
Emotional scenes in the parade ring for the winners connections after the death of the legendary owner John Hales with this being the first win since his death and his iconic colours to boot.
We also had a Listed Mares hurdle over 2 miles 5 furlongs where Willie Mullins brought over classy mare Gala Marceau who went of Evens favourite. The race went as everyone expected the classy You Wear It Well led the entire way before coming down at the last where she got up unscathed.
Royale Margaux ran on to bring home the win for trainer Tom Symonds and jockey Ben Poste, beating Sunday Solider into second by 4 lengths then followed in the evens favourite Gala Marceau who looked outpaced on the home turn after 8 months of the track and ran on well to pick up 3rd.
1st Royale Margaux (12/1)
2nd Sunday Solider (50/1)
3rd Gala Marceau (Evens)
4th West Balboa (7/2)
5th Dameofthecotswalds (14/1)
Fell You Wear It Well (4/1)
It was a fantastic race to watch and we got a great finish which could have been even better if You Wear It Well did not fall. Congratulations to owners Dahlbury Racing for this big listed win and the team at Tom Symonds racing.
Now our focus to turns to Newbury where we had this years renewal of the Denman Chase where 7 runners headed to post, Djelo who had stamina questions going into this race was 6/4 favourite followed by Bravemansgame who was trying to re spark his career.
Charlie Deutsch gave Djelo an amazing ride where he was detached early on under a very patient ride, 13 year old Sam Brown under Sam Twiston-Davies led the field followed by Fugitif and Bravemansgame and Freddie Gingell held Hitman out the rear but in touch. Turning for home Charlie Deutsch began to make his move where he made eye-catching progress where he jumped brilliantly through the pack to win the 2025 Denman chase for Venetia Williams and owner P Davies.
Having his stamina questioned going into the race he absolutely showed his class and staying power by running on comfortably to win by 3+ lengths ahead of Hitman who finished second for the 3rd race in a row.
1st Djelo (6/4)
2nd Hitman (4/1)
3rd Bravemansgame (3/1)
4th Sam Brown (16/1)
5th Ga Law (8/1)
6th Fugitif (12/1)
7th Eldorado Allen (22/1)
Venetia Williams stated he will be targeted at the King George at Kempton on Boxing day. Will be a great addiction to a wonderful race.
2025 renewal of the Game Spirit Chase was an absolute cracker! A classy field of 5 went to post after Sir Gino being pulled out including fan favourite Edwardstone for Tom Cannon and Alan King. Matata went of favourite under J J Slevin for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, followed by Edwardstone, JPR One and Libberty Hunter.
Matata after winning at Windsor from the front and he tried to do the same here but was far to keen but jumped well throughout, Master Chewy was ridden out the back by Sam Twiston-Davies in a patient effort to get him into the race next to Libberty Hunter who was in our horses to follow list for 2025.
Master Chewy jumped brilliant to win the Game Spirit Chase by 1 length ahead of Libberty Hunter under Adam Wedge who ran a superb race back in Graded company. We are very excited to see Libberty Hunter next time out hopefully at the Cheltenham Festival after running another improved race for Welsh trainer Evan Williams. Followed in by Matata, JPR One and Edwardstone.
1st Master Chewy (11/1)
2nd Libberty Hunter (9/2)
3rd Matata (11/8)
4th JPR One (9/2)
5th Edwardstone (7/2)
The final race we will review at Newbury was the richest Hurdle race in Europe which is the William Hill Hurdle over 2 miles with the winner earning £87,000.
17 horses went to post with fan favourite Secret Squirrel going of at 100/30 favourite under Sean Bowen for the Hughie Morrison team. Joyeuse was well backed runner for Nicky Henderson and JP McManus after many thought she was a handicap plot by the team at Seven Barrows.
Even a race over 2 miles became very testing on very soft and sticky ground, Mirabad led the race for Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole under a positive Luke Scott ride. Coming to the final 3 flights the favourites for the race began to come to the for and Secret Squirrel led going to the last where he sadly fell heavily but lucky both horse and rider got up and where none the worse.
Joyeuse was super impressive to win by 8 lengths while going away under Nico de Boinville for champion owner JP McManus and trainer Nicky Henderson.
Lump Sum ran a huge race under claimer Dylan Johnston, the Welsh Champion Hurdle winner ran on well to finish second just ahead of Navajo Indy under Gavin Sheehan who was eye-catching and one to look out for next time out.
1st Joyeuse (7/2)
2nd Lump Sum (16/1)
3rd Navajo Indy (6/1)
4th Favour And Fortune (17/2)
5th Beat The Bat (10/1)
6th King William Rufus (20/1)
7th Go Dante (28/1)
8th Our Champ (33/1)
9th Williethebuilder (50/1)
10th Mirabad (16/1)
11st Aucunrisque (28/1)
12th Iberico Lord (14/1)
13th Washington (14/1)
PU Fiercely Proud (11/1)
PU Josh The Boss (18/1)
PU Minella Missile (25/1)
Fell Secret Squirrel (100/30)
Superb, ultra competitive race capped of a fantastic day of racing on Saturday at Warwick and Newbury. Exeter headlined Sunday with 2 listed races and the return of the highly touted Regent's Stroll in the famous Late John Hales colours for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Harry Cobden. We where on the ground at Exeter to watch a fantastic day of racing.
Two Listed races where the name of the game on Sunday at Exeter, Regent's Stroll headlined the day in the Novices' Hurdle and the Irish raided the Mares' Novice Chase with Willie Mullins and Gavin Cromwell both having live fancies in the race.
Only By Night was a strong favourite looking for a hat-trick of wins for Gavin Cromwell and jockey Keith Donoghue, Willie Mullins sent over Fun Fun Fun for the double green of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede who was also very well backed.
Only By Night travelled strongly through the whole race jumping well and she took the lead of the long time leader Fun Fun Fun under J J Slevin after jumping the penultimate fence, being chased going to last by Sean Bowen on Kilbarry Saint she put her worst jump in at the last and Sean Bowen could only close to a length. Only By Night just held on to win the Listed Novice' Chase on Super Sunday at Exeter. Georgi Girl under Micheal Nolan stayed on well to pick up Fun Fun Fun to finish a very valent 3rd for the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White team.
1st Only By Night (10/11)
2nd Kilbarry Saint (14/1)
3rd Georgi Girl (12/1)
4th Fun Fun Fun (6/4)
5th Lime Drop (33/1)
The headline act on the day was highly touted Regent's Stroll for Harry Cobden and Paul Nicholls, after flopping in the Challow Hurdle this was his chance to get his career back on track.
The race was slightly blighted by a horror incident to Harriet Dickin's 5 year old star Dodger Long, after stumbling after jumping the 3rd last hurdle he sadly broke down and instantly the screens went up, the horse ambulance took him of the course and as of writing this we have no update on him.
Fingle Bridge battled under a action packed Sean Bowen drive to see off Regent's Stroll by 2 lengths. Having led all the way under Harry Cobden but not finding anything for pressure up the run in cost him the race. £600,000 makes another expensive horse flop for team Nicholls alongside £720,000 Caldwell Potter. They both pulled well clear of the remaining 3 runners who finished where Jamie Snowden's Julius Des Pictons battled on to finish 3rd under Gavin Sheehan.
1st Fingle Bridge (7/1)
2nd Regent's Stroll (8/11)
3rd Julius Des Pictons (10/1)
4th Alexei (9/2)
5th Pony Soprano (18/1)
PU Dodger Long (11/1)
Superb weekend of racing over both Saturday and Sunday and it just 4 weeks until the biggest and best week of racing begins, the Cheltenham Festival.
We look forward to cover the whole week of racing bringing you all the news and race previews with our selections for the races. Including a big racing round-up on the Monday following the Cheltenham Festival.
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