Tag Archive for: Blow Your Wad

Lump Sum secures Dovecote riches

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Lump Sum confirmed Doncaster form with Fiercely Proud as Sam Thomas’ bright prospect impressed in winning the Coral Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton.

In dominating the Grade Two, the duo paid a handsome compliment to Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet, who had them both behind when booking his Cheltenham ticket on Town Moor.

Lump Sum was sent off the 13-8 favourite and Sam Twiston-Davies dropped his mount out in the rear early on as Fiercely Proud was close to the pace, racing keenly for the in-form Ben Jones.

When he joined Panjari on the turn for home, Fiercely Proud looked to have things under control but Twiston-Davies had bided his time on the favourite and ran out a comfortable four-and-a-half-length winner.

Thomas said: “I’m delighted. We’re not having as many runners as we may be have done in the last season or two and as a trainer I don’t have as much confidence as I should do going into races like that – I was nervous beforehand.

“I was delighted to see the horse transfer that Doncaster form, but he’s a smashing horse and learning all the time.

Lump Sum does not hold any entries in the Grade One novice events at the Cheltenham Festival, but does have options in the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Prestbury Park.

Aintree is also an option later in the spring, but further down the line a trip to Ffos Las appears in order to try to fulfil owner Dai Walters’ long-held ambition of winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle.

“We left him out of the novices (at Cheltenham) because of how competitive it is,” continued Thomas.

“He’s in the handicaps and he could still be well handicapped, but that is a decision for Mr Walters and myself to have a chat about in the next week or two.

“Absolutely Aintree could be an option, but there is never any pressure from Mr Walters with any of the young horses and we’ve got a young horse to look forward to for many seasons to come.

“He’s a smashing hurdler for now and we’ll enjoy today before we think about the future. He’s up there with Good Risk At All who is a real mudlark and I just think he could keep going the way he is. He’s such a nice, straightforward one to train at home and is definitely one of the best ones yet. He’s done everything right.

“Our dream would be to try to win the Welsh Champion Hurdle and I know Mr Walters is desperate to win that, so that will be our first target next season.”

Tom Lacey’s Kempton specialist Blow Your Wad denied Paul Nicholls a fourth successive win in the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase.

Blow Your Wad (left) won at Kempton once more
Blow Your Wad (left) won at Kempton once more (Steven Paston/PA)

Having already won over hurdles at the Sunbury venue, Blow Your Wad then won a competitive event at the King George meeting over fences.

He disappointed behind Nicholls’ Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham last time out but fitted with first-time cheekpieces and back on a flat track, he beat Tahmuras by three-quarters of a length, justifying 13-8 favouritism for Stan Sheppard.

“We have run him in Grade Ones before over hurdles but he was a five-year-old taking on six-year-olds, which was probably a bit harsh on him to be fair,” said Sheppard.

“We’ve always liked him and I think he probably has to stay right-handed now because he’s won three times round here. I would say here and Sandown would be where he goes I imagine.

“He’s probably still 10lb off the top races, but with another summer he might improve again because he’s only six and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

Earlier on the card, Gary Moore and Caoilin Quinn teamed up to go back-to-back in the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle with 9-2 shot Mark Of Gold.

Golden Son wins the Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap Chase
Golden Son wins the Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap Chase (Steven Paston/PA)

Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden added to their victory in the Adonis with Kalif Du Berlais by teaming up to claim the Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap Chase with Golden Son (10-1), who ran on strongly to land the spoils after the last.

“We half-fancied him a little bit today and you can put a line through his last two runs,” said the champion trainer.

“Cheekpieces just focussed his mind a fraction and he stays well and it was a good ride for a big prize.

“I thought that was the right race for him today rather than the Pendil and it’s good to get him back.

“There’s quite a valuable race back here in three weeks time and he’ll probably come back for that. He’ll improve and keep improving and that was very good.”

There was a shock in the concluding Coral We’re Here For It Open National Hunt Flat Race where Keiran Burke’s Thistle Be The One (40-1) made all for a cosy one-and-three-quarter-length triumph in the hands of Gavin Sheehan.



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Lacey has another Kempton target for Blow Your Wad

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Blow Your Wad looks set to return to Kempton for the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase on February 24.

Tom Lacey’s six-year-old won a decent handicap at the track over Christmas, having previously chased home a subsequent Grade One winner in Le Patron.

The Grade Two Pendil over two and a half miles has been dominated by Paul Nicholls in recent years, with the champion trainer responsible for 13 winners in all since 2006, but Lacey feels Blow Your Wad could potentially be one of the best he has trained.

“We are potentially going to go back to Kempton for the Pendil Novices’ Chase next month. It is just so competitive at Cheltenham that you could go to the Pendil, miss Cheltenham, then go to Aintree,” said Lacey.

Blow Your Wad returns victorious at Kempton
Blow Your Wad returns victorious at Kempton (Steven Paston/PA)

“He is not a horse that I want to over-race, as he is still relatively young. He has only had two runs over fences so far but he is a good horse with plenty of progression to come.

“His jumping was outstanding at Kempton the last day. To be honest, it wasn’t until they were turning in that I saw him coming through, as he was very much on and off the bridle.

“He is a horse that is not hard on himself and he is an exciting prospect. He is potentially one of the nicest horses I’ve ever had come through the yard.”

Stablemate Tea Clipper could be going hunter chasing and looks like another with Aintree, rather than Cheltenham, as his ultimate aim.

“After having a discussion, we are going to go hunter chasing with him. He is getting older and he has been running around in those big staying handicaps without winning one. If we could get his head back in front, it might give him some confidence,” said Lacey.

“I think he is more potentially an Aintree horse, as I’m not sure he would get that extended three and a quarter miles around Cheltenham, although he has finished fourth in an Ultima there over slightly shorter.

“After Aintree, you could look at the hunter chase meeting back at Cheltenham for him. We have always got the option of going back in those types of races he has been running in if we want to. He does deserve to get his head back in front, as he has run some great races in defeat.”



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Lacey has plenty to look forward to with Blow Your Wad

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Time may prove Blow Your Wad faced a very stiff ask on his chasing debut but he made no mistake on his second run over fences at Kempton.

Tom Lacey’s five-year-old was giving almost a stone to Gary Moore’s Le Patron at Sandown and came off second best to the tune of 10 lengths.

The winner franked the form in no uncertain terms when winning a Grade One on his next outing and running off a mark of 135 in the Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, Blow Your Wad (100-30 favourite) and Stan Sheppard saw off Outlaw Peter by a length and a half.

“Stan 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,” said Lacey.

Blow Your Wad (right) jumps upsides Outlaw Peter at the last
Blow Your Wad (right) jumps upsides Outlaw Peter at the last (John Walton/PA)

“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 eyeball 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.

“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.”

He added: “Possibly we could look at the Scilly Isles at Sandown next.”

Outlaw Peter is trained by Paul Nicholls, who incredibly finished second in all six races on the card.

Court In The Act (far side) just holds off Onethreefivenotout
Court In The Act (far side) just holds off Onethreefivenotout (Steven Paston/PA)

Hermes Allen chased home the impressive Il Est Francais in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Rubaud was second to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle and Bravemansgame was second in defence of his King George crown.

The nearest he came to a winner was in the ladbrokeslive.co.uk To Win Free Music Tickets Maiden Hurdle when Onethreefivenotout went down by just a neck to Court In The Act (11-4) – trained by Nicholls’ nephew, Harry Derham.

In the closing Ladbrokes Get Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle Patrick Neville’s Mahons Glory (11-1) made every yard of the running under Sam Twiston-Davies, beating Nicholls’ Emailandy by 11 lengths.

Mahons Glory in splendid isolation
Mahons Glory in splendid isolation (John Walton/PA)

Neville and Twiston-Davies were out of luck with The Real Whacker who finished fourth in the King George, but having just his second run for the yard Mahons Glory galloped on relentlessly.

“It didn’t go to plan the last day (at Newbury). 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,” said Neville.

“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.”



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