Tag Archive for: Brides Hill

Brides Hill strolls to Punchestown victory

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Brides Hill extended her unbeaten run to four with an impressive victory in the Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase at Punchestown.

Gavin Cromwell’s seven-year-old missed out on running at the Cheltenham Festival due to soft ground but gained ample compensation in this Grade Two contest over two and a half miles.

Paul Townend set out to make it a true test with a positive ride on Allegorie De Vassy, but Sean Flanagan always looked confident and comfortable on 15-8 chance Brides Hill in behind.

They picked off the favourite at the penultimate fence and then powered clear to score by 21 lengths, with Instit plugging on for second for Willie Mullins, while stablemate Allegorie De Vassy faded out.

Cromwell said: “She was very good. I was concerned, as I thought the ground was gone for her, to be honest.

“She was foot perfect, she has had issues with her jumping in the past but she’s become very good now.

“Keith (Donoghue) has done a lot of schooling with her and it’s unfortunate he can’t be on her, but Sean does a lot of work with these horses too and it’s nice to see him getting a day.

“At Cheltenham, we took her out because of the ground, but isn’t it great to win here.

“She’s a talented mare. The ground at Cheltenham this year was a bit of an extreme and it wouldn’t have worked. I’m glad we didn’t run her because we wouldn’t be here if we did.

“It’s been a brilliant season. All the horses are running great and that was my 70th jumps winner for the season. It’s fantastic, 62 was my best, and that was the target.”

Punchestown Festival – Day Four – Friday May 3rd
Hgranca De Thaix ridden by Michael O’Sullivan (Brian Lawless/PA).

Barry Connell and Michael O’Sullivan teamed up to land the Listed-class EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase with 16-1 chance Hgranca De Thaix, who stayed on strongly to reel in long-time leader Perceval Legallois and went on to prevail by four lengths.

Connell said: “Lets Go Champ was third to him in Limerick last month and he won the equivalent race on Wednesday, so the form was there in the book.

“That will be his last run of the year. I want to give him a break, as he’s had five runs now. He’s only seven and he could be a Munster National horse or one for the Paddy Power.”

Its On The Line and jockey Derek O’Connor
Its On The Line and jockey Derek O’Connor (Brian Lawless/PA)

Its On The Line and Derek O’Connor both had to dig deep into their respective reserves to complete an Aintree-Punchestown double in the Event Power Champion Hunters’ Chase, just wearing down Lifetime Ambition in the closing stages.

The latter had looked all over the winner when forging ahead after the second last but was steadied approaching the final obstacle by Susie Doyle and that allowed 6-4 favourite Its On The Line to build up enough momentum to swoop on the run-in and claim this prize for the second straight season.

Trainer Emmet Mullins said: “Derek came back in and said there’s not much point in instructions, as he’s a unique animal. He doesn’t make life easy but Derek has the trick to him.

“I was very happy the whole way around until the third last and there was a bit of a panic when Lifetime Ambition went on. Once he got over the second last, I was always fairly confident he was going to get him back.

“He’s very well named, that’s not the first occasion he’s done that. He’s just a horse that you have to hold his hand and bring him along, he’s got a big engine.”

O’Connor enjoyed a far easier ride when Don’tstopthemusic stormed home to take the Howden Insurance Brokers INH Flat Race for trainer Martin Brassil in the Sean and Bernardine Mulryan colours of Fastorslow, with the 5-2 shot scoring by six lengths on his first outing since August.

Punchestown Festival – Day Four – Friday May 3rd
Private Ryan ridden by Jamie Scallan jumps the last on the way to victory (Brian Lawless/PA).

Private Ryan (9-4) pulled out just enough to get the better of brave front-runner De Nordener under Jamie Scallan in the opening Stanley Asphalt Hunters’ Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup, restricted to horses owned by local farmers.

“That’s brilliant,” said winning handler Sean Doyle. “We had him as a young horse and we sold him. He appeared in Doncaster last year, he had never raced for Nicky Henderson, as the syndicate fell out, and Henry (Chamney), a local farmer, was looking for something for this race.

“By luck, we stumbled across this lad and he fitted the bill well, so it all worked out. It’s like a dream come true for this man, he’ll absolutely love this. It’s all about getting a kick and it’s absolutely brilliant when it works.”

Eagle Fang secured a thrilling 22-1 win in the Uniquely Novice Hurdle for trainer William Durkan and jockey Oakley Brown.

Victory looked assured for the Townend-ridden 11-8 favourite Anotherway when he jumped the last three lengths clear, but an awkward landing cost him dearly, with Eagle Fang and 25-1 shot Ataboycharlie both coming through strongly to fight out the finish.



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‘Brilliant’ Brides Hill completes hat-trick at Huntingdon

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Gavin Cromwell’s Brides Hill remains unbeaten this season after a smooth success in the Pertemps Network Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon.

The seven-year-old has been in the money twice in her native Ireland this term, taking a Listowel novice event by eight lengths in September and then winning by a head at Fairyhouse last time out.

She already had Listed form on her CV and was incredibly well-fancied to win for a third time after travelling over to England and starting as the 10-11 favourite under Keith Donoghue.

That faith in the mare proved well placed as she made light work of the contest to stride to an unchallenged six-length win ahead of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s La Renommee.

Though members of the Brides Hill Syndicate may not have previously been able to place Huntingdon on a map, their journey was made worthwhile as they returned nearly £30,000 better off after taking the first-place prize fund.

Co-owner Pat Murphy said: “That couldn’t have gone any better. She was brilliant. The horse running out in front (Sacre Coeur) helped her and we have ended up winning it by a mile and that is all that counts.

“In fairness to Gavin Cromwell, he is the man that picks the races for us and he targeted and told us about three months ago he was going to come for it. We were saying ‘where the hell is Huntingdon?’

“She did have some nice form in the book last season. We were over in Perth at the end of last season and we were disappointed with that (when falling at the first fence), but we got her sorted out and here she is.

“We were reasonably confident, but you can never be over-confident. She did what we expected her to do, but Gavin is a good trainer.”

Following the race, Brides Hill was cut from 25-1 into 8-1 for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival by the race sponsor, though Murphy said that an outing in the Grade Two contest was not set in stone.

He added: “That is a matter up for debate. I’m not going to make any comment on that, as I don’t want to put any pressure on anybody.

“It could be that we go there, but we don’t know that for sure. We will see how she comes out of the race.”



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Brides Hill seeking Huntingdon double for Cromwell

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Gavin Cromwell has the chance to go back-to-back in the Pertemps Network Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase when he saddles the hat-trick-seeking Brides Hill at Huntingdon on Thursday.

The Irish handler made a successful raid on the two-and-a-half-mile Listed event with Jeremys Flame 12 months ago and now attempts to repeat the dose with the in-form seven-year-old who is unbeaten this term.

A winner at Listowel in September, she showed plenty of guts to oblige favourite-backers at Fairyhouse last month and now crosses the Irish Sea looking to continue on her upward curve.

Cromwell said: “She’s really suited to the race, conditions should suit and she’s going there fresh. She hasn’t run since the Winter Festival meeting at Fairyhouse in December and I’m looking forward to her running.

“It would be great to win it again. This has always been the plan after Fairyhouse to come here.”

Cromwell is no stranger to plundering these mares events and as well as winning this in 2023, his Limerick Lace landed a blow at Doncaster in the Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase over the Christmas period.

Pink Legend is one of the horses standing in Brides Hill's way at Huntingdon
Pink Legend is one of the horses standing in Brides Hill’s way at Huntingdon (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s La Renommee (second), Amy Murphy’s Carole’s Pass (third) and Venetia Williams’ Pink Legend (fourth) were left to fight it out for minor honours on that occasion and will be hoping for a better result this time, while Syd Hosie’s Plenty Of Time arrives off the back of a wide-margin victory at Wincanton.

Dan Skelton has got his hands on this prize twice in the last 10 years and entrusts the versatile Sacre Coeur with providing him with another success.

The eight-year-old’s victory at Ludlow last month was her fifth in 10 chasing appearances and having struck up a useful partnership with conditional jockey Tristan Durrell, could now provide the 22-year-old with the first Listed triumph of his career.

Durrell said: “This is a step back in trip and grade for her, but she was really good at Ludlow last time out. She always runs her race and she has had a bit of a freshen up since the last day.

“I won on her over an extended two miles five (furlongs) earlier in the season at Fontwell and that is a stiff enough finish there up that hill so going back up in trip should be no problem at all.

“I thought she ran a good race at Aintree as she was keener than usual, but she kept going on ground that was really testing.

“I think when you have ridden a horse a few times on the track it does mean that bit more when you win on them and we will be doing our best to go for it here.”

Elsewhere on the card, the Nicky Henderson-trained Steal A March bids to make up for lost time in the Pertemps qualifier and move a step closer to giving the King and Queen a runner at the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old – who has the distinction of being a winner for the late Queen on Platinum Jubilee weekend – had been in line to become the royal couple’s first runner at the showpiece meeting last year after winning a qualifier for the Pertemps Final at Wincanton on Boxing Day in 2022. 

However, a late setback meant those plans had to be shelved and while he was only fifth of six on his return at Newbury in December, Henderson is expecting a step forward back up in trip.

Steal A March (left) pictured in action at Newbury
Steal A March (left) pictured in action at Newbury (John Walton/PA)

“Steal A March was going to the Cheltenham Festival last year, and he was all ready for it, but he had a little issue three weeks before which was real bad luck,” said the Seven Barrows handler, who also runs Chantry House.

“He has got a run under his belt, which is a help, as he needs a huge amount of work. He is a horse that takes plenty of getting ready.

“I hope he is more ready than the first time as he definitely needed it, but that is him. The step back up in trip to three-miles-one (furlong) will suit him as well.

“That was the plan, to have Steal A March run at the Cheltenham Festival last year, so let’s hope we can do it this year.”

He added: “This is a good race for Chantry House as it has been a long-term project for him back over hurdles. That ground at Sandown last time was desperate so you have got to excuse him that run. 

“I need them both in this race as I want them both qualified for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham so we will be trying to win it, don’t you worry.”



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