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Magnificent Four Timer

We ended a highly productive week with a four timer on Saturday at Ascot, all well ridden by Harry Cobden, and a good run by Bravemansgame into second place in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The positive results moved us clear at the top of the trainers’ table with £900,000 in prize money from 44 winners at a strike rate of 25%.
Bravemansgame was in top form going into the race and travelled and jumped with his usual zest before perhaps just getting outstayed by Royal Pagaille from the back of the second last. He got a great ride from Daryl Jacob and was fine on Sunday morning. We will get him fresh and well for his bid to land the King George V1 Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day for the second year running.
Brave Kingdom’s fine victory at Plumpton on Monday on his return from a long absence set the tone for the week. He was given an excellent ride by Bryony Frost.
We then enjoyed doubles at Wincanton on Thursday and Chepstow on Friday before all four of our runners were successful at Ascot on Saturday.
Farnoge was the first to strike with a fluent win under a penalty in a Class 2 Novice Hurdle over two miles, five and a half furlongs. He is a horse I really like and could be one for the Leamington Spa Hurdle at Warwick. It wouldn’t surprise me if he becomes a candidate for the Albert Bartlett Hurdle.
Pic D’Orhy was then well on top in the Grade 2 Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase. Obviously it helped that the favourite Shiskin refused to start but Pic D’Orhy was hard fit and I was confident beforehand. He is a big horse and might have found the ground at Ascot quicker than ideal after a dry week. I’ve not made a plan for him yet.
Blueking D’Oroux completed a rapid double for the de la Heys with a really pleasing victory in the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle.
While he had a bit to find on ratings I was expecting a decent show and he didn’t disappoint as he stayed on stoutly to beat Strong Leader by a length.
Blueking D’Oroux is still only four and has an exciting future in staying hurdles as he grows older. I’m not in a rush to turn him out again quickly.
We ended the day at Ascot by landing the Class 3 bumper with Regent’s Stroll in the colours of Chris Giles.
He is a lovely prospect out of a half sister to Denman and kept finding when challenged turning for home and was pulling away again at the end. At this early stage I’d put him on a par with our other recent bumper winners Touquet, Kap Bay and Captain Bellamy.
Harry Cobden loved Regent’s Stroll who has time on his side and is likely to be seen next in a decent bumper in the spring.
We have a few promising youngsters to run in the next few days before turning our attention to Newbury’s two day meeting at the weekend where Hermes Allen could turn out on Friday and Complete Unknown goes for the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday.
For all the latest news on my runners on both days please check out my Betfair column which goes live early in the afternoon the previous day.

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Drama at the last

Stage Star lived up to his name after surviving a dramatic mistake at the final fence on his way to an emphatic victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The horse and his rider Harry Cobden pretty much came to a standstill and did brilliantly to stay together because on another day they could easily have ended up on the floor. Stage Star then rallied so strongly that he was four lengths clear of the runner up Notlongtillmay at the line.
It was another classy performance by a horse who obviously had plenty left in the tank given the way he picked up again on the hill. He needed to take a step forward from last season, has obviously done so and jumped superbly apart from the last fence where he did well to stand up and Harry did well to stay in the saddle.
Stage Star has lots of improvement to come and has now won first time out in the last four seasons. He has always been at his best when fresh and the Paddy Power has been the target since he came back from his holiday early in July. Now all roads for him lead to the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Il Ridoto ran a fine race in finishing third behind Stage Star. He will be a serious contender when he returns to the course in a month’s time for the AIS December Gold Cup.
On Sunday Ginny’s Destiny kept up the good form of the team with a fluent victory from the front in a Class 3 £30,000 novice handicap Chase. He is one of mine that can’t have the ground too deep, has improved plenty from his debut for us three weeks earlier and pulled clear on the run in to win by ten lengths from Es Perfecto. As he is quite lightly raced there should be plenty of improvement to come.
Others to run well on the day include Sonigino, fourth in the Greatwood Hurdle and Fire Flyer who stayed on stoutly to finish second in the Listed bumper and will now be going over hurdles.
Afadil sulked in the Greatwood and was eventually pulled up. He probably wants better ground and we will try him with cheek pieces next time.
On Friday Captain Teague was narrowly beaten in the Grade 2 novice hurdle over two miles, five furlongs but my faith in him remains as strong as ever. He is still an exciting prospect, shapes like a thorough stayer and we will probably make more use of him next time.
We enjoyed a tidy double at a Taunton on Thursday with Matterhorn and Panjari both winning well after making the running. I can’t wait to see Matterhorn over fences , while Panjari looks one to keep improving as he gains experience.
We are set for a busy time this Saturday with Bravemansgame likely to run in the Betfair Chase if the dry forecast for the week is correct.
With Harry Cobden heading to Ascot to ride Pic D’Orhy, Blueking D’Oroux and Sabrina, I have booked Daryl Jacob for Bravemansgame. He is riding out regularly at Ditcheat, won the Grand National for me on Neptune Collonges and has a good record in the race .
For the latest news on my Saturday runners please be sure to check out my Betfair column which goes live early on Friday afternoon.

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Monday 13th November

The Badger Beer meeting at my local course Wincanton on Saturday turned out to be one of the most enjoyable day’s racing I’ve experienced since I started training.

Although we didn’t manage to win the big race sponsored by Hall & Woodhouse for the 62nd year, Threeunderthrufive and Frodon ran well to finish second and third behind Blackjack Magic.
We still won four races during the afternoon with the highlight the exciting success of Knappers Hill in the Rising Stars Chase in the colours of my close friend Paul Barber who died in June and backed me to the hilt from the moment he gave me the keys to his stable yard back in 1981. Paul would have been hugely proud to be there to watch Knappers Hill win in such great style with a tremendous round of jumping. He has now has now won eleven races since we bought him together as a young horse and there is surely more to come. The future is very bright. He needed his first run over fences at Chepstow where a clear round was the priority, gained plenty of confidence from it and was foot perfect on Saturday. Paul adored Knappers Hill and used to walk down from his house each day to see him in his stable.
I don’t mind admitting I miss Paul every day. He was so good too me and has left a big hole in my life. His sons Chris and Giles have taken over his horses and were thrilled at the triumph of Knappers Hill along with co owner Paul Vogt who kindly agreed to Knappers running in Pauls colours this season, he could possibly run next in the Grade 2 John Francome Novice Chase at Newbury on December 1.
Rubaud also shone with a highly professional victory from the front in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle. He is progressing swiftly and his jumping was mustard as he came clear after seeing off the brief challenge of Hansard with a spectacular leap at the second last flight. He is going to make a really exciting chaser next season but before then we will see what he can do against Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. We should find out then where he stands in the the pecking order and if he finishes second to Constitution Hill we will be delighted.
My hopes of winning a twelfth Badger Beer Chase were ended by the fine success of Blackjack Magic. Top marks to his trainer Anthony Honeyball who is making quite a name for himself and used to work and ride for me and is a very good trainer .
I was pleased with the run of Threeunderthrufive in second place on his first start since a wind op while evergreen Frodon kept on to be third under top weight despite not jumping quite as fluently as he can on the tacky ground.
The day had begun with a double for Team Ditcheat from Meatloaf and Huelgoat. Huelgoat was very well ridden by Freddie Gingell and Meatloaf provided the first leg of an excellent treble for Harry Cobden.
Twenty four hours earlier we had enjoyed two winners at Exeter thanks to Insurrection and Stay Away Fay who made the perfect start over fences with a resolute success in the Future Stars Silver Bowl. He was headed after the third last but rallied strongly and soared over the last fence on his way to beating The Changing Man by one and three quarter lengths to the delight of his owners Chris Giles and Dave Staddon.
I’m sure there is plenty of improvement to come from Stay Away Fay who is being aimed at the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March and could appear next in another three mile novice Chase at Sandown early in December. You’d like to think he will end up a Gold Cup horse one day in the future because he stays so well. That’s what we would like to think and what his owners dream of, and he has put his foot on the first step of the ladder.
We ended a rewarding three days by landing the bumper at Sandown with Touquet on his racecourse debut in the colours of Graeme Brooks.
Later this week we will be taking some interesting runners to Cheltenham’s three day meeting starting on Friday when the impressive Chepstow winner Captain Teague is pencilled in for the Grade 2 Trustatrader Novice Hurdle. A day later Il Ridoto and Stage Star are both intended starters in the Paddy Power Gold Cup while on Sunday Blueking D’Oroux, Afadil and Sonigino are all under consideration for the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.
Everyone at Team Ditcheat would like to send their best wishes to Graham Lee for a full recovery from injuries sustained in a fall at Newcastle on Thursday evening.
For the latest news on my thoughts on my runners on all three days do please take a look at my Betfair column which usually goes live early the previous afternoon.

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