Tag Archive for: Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle

Lanzarote seen as the perfect destination for Jipcot team

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Kempton’s Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle is seen as the “perfect opportunity” for Jipcot to back up his impressive win at Newbury over the Christmas period and extend the Megson family’s winning streak.

Always held in the highest regard, the six-year-old underwhelmed in his first two starts for new training team Jonjo and AJ O’Neill.

However, a wind operation combined with a step up in trip worked the oracle at Newbury last month, with Jipcot serving a reminder of his talent to win by a bloodless six and a half lengths.

As short as 6-1 for Saturday’s £100,000 feature, the gelding now heads to the Sunbury venue with the chance to not only enhance his own reputation but also give his owners more cause for celebration after seeing their last three runners all find the scoresheet.

“We were really pleased with the win at Newbury, there’s not too many good races over two and a half miles but off his mark the Lanzarote looks a perfect opportunity,” said owner Andrew Megson.

“After the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las and then his run at Bangor, it was Jonjo who turned round and said he didn’t think he was a two-miler and to try him over two and a half because he has a really high cruising speed.

“But he also said he was convinced he had an issue with his wind and that you don’t stop like he was doing unless it is to do with wind.

“He had his wind done and all of a sudden he was a lot calmer before the race and the plan at Newbury was to put him to sleep and let his speed come through at the finish and it was a phenomenal run.”

This weekend’s Lanazarote bid has a familiar feel to it after Jipcot headed to March’s Imperial Cup with high hopes after a similarly impressive win in preparation.

Jipcot in action over hurdles
Jipcot in action over hurdles (Tim Goode/PA)

The four-time winner could only finish a respectable third on that occasion, but having credited the persistence of the O’Neills for reviving Jipcot’s fortunes, Megson is confident the best is yet to be seen from Jipcot as he attempts to scale the ranks over timber.

“He is a proper horse and he is only six and what we will be doing with him is keeping him hurdling,” continued Megson.

“The guys at Jackdaws have said he has a very French hurdling style and he flicks the front of the hurdles and is very low over them.

“He didn’t take to fences last season, but Jonjo seems to think we should stay to hurdles and if we wanted he will get three miles.

“We think he is potentially very smart and he has done it well in one relatively big handicap, ran well in the Imperial Cup and did well in France, but he has to back Newbury up now.”

Lee backing Nemean Lion to roar over longer distance

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Kerry Lee is relishing the chance to step Nemean Lion up in trip in Kempton’s Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle.

The seven-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Bell House handler and, following an encouraging novice campaign, won the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his reappearance before running with credit in the Greatwood.

However, having shown staying prowess on the Flat and also finding the scoresheet over an extended two-and-a-quarter miles at Kelso during his novice season, Lee has decided now is the time to try Nemean Lion’s hand over further.

She said: “It’s very exciting and as a Flat horse back in the day, he was a winner over staying trips and he was second in the Group Two Prix Chaudenay on heavy ground over two miles at Longchamp. On that basis, you have to assume he will get a trip.

“Possibly his best run to date was in a Grade Two at Kelso last spring, where he did all his best work at the end of the race and that was over two-and-a-quarter miles. This is only another couple of furlongs and there is no reason to doubt he will stay.

“He’s only just turned seven and I think Golden Horn horses are a little bit slower to mature than some, so he might just be coming into his prime.”

A quick look against Nemean Lion’s name will show entries for both the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, those lofty ambitions are firmly on the back burner for the time being, with Lee appreciating her stable star faces yet another stern challenge in the Kempton feature.

She added: “He’s got some crazy Cheltenham Festival entries in the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle just in case things go exceptionally well, but I think you have to treat this kind of race with the respect it deserves and there are a lot of good horses in here.

“You’ve got a Betfair Hurdle winner (Aucunrisque) in there and Sonigino, who won well at Aintree before Christmas, not to mention Nicky Henderson’s runners – and it’s a very hot race.

“But Nemean Lion is a great horse and, off 140, we’re actually pleased not to be carrying top-weight for once. He’s a great horse to have and a lot of fun. He’s in rude health and has been ready to run for three weeks or so now and we’ve hung on to him until we got the ground we want for him.”

Nicky Henderson has won the Lanzarote four times in the past and saddles progressive pair Impose Toi and King Alexander in search of victory number five.

Impose Toi winning at Cheltenham in November
Impose Toi winning at Cheltenham in November (David Davies/PA)

The former was only a neck away from registering a hat-trick when mistakes at the final two flights of hurdles ultimately stopped him reeling in stablemate Luccia, but now has the chance to gain some compensation and is the big-race favourite with the sponsors.

“He ran a cracker at Ascot and just missed the last two a little bit,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“He was probably a little bit unlucky, but this is a nice race for him and Nicky is very happy with him. We’ll learn a bit more about him and we’re looking forward to it and hoping for the best.”

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is also double-handed, with Ditcheat number one Harry Cobden electing to ride impressive Aintree scorer Sonigino and Bryony Frost taking the reins aboard Irish Hill.

Sonigino winning at Aintree
Sonigino winning at Aintree (Richard Sellers/PA)

“The Lanzarote has been the plan for Sonigino from the moment he bolted in at Aintree early last month,” Nicholls told Betfair when assessing the seven-year-old’s chances.

“He has progressed nicely this season and was well suited by stepping back up in trip at Aintree, where he looked like the winner a long way from home.

“The key to his improvement is that he is settling better in his races with experience. He was raised 6lb after Aintree and will not find things easy under top weight.”

It has been some time since Up For Parol has found the scoresheet, but Jamie Snowden’s eight-year-old made the podium in this race 12 months ago after being sixth in 2022 and now tries to make it third time lucky off an ever-decreasing mark.

Jamie Snowden hopes to see Up For Parol make it third time lucky in the Lanzarote
Jamie Snowden hopes to see Up For Parol make it third time lucky in the Lanzarote (Mike Egerton/PA)

Snowden said: “He’s run in this race the last two years and was only beaten eight lengths off a mark of 133 a couple of years ago and was third in it last year off 129, and he comes in it here off 126.

“We would have appreciated a little bit softer ground perhaps but he’s in good order and fingers crossed he can run a decent race.”

Joe Anderson hit the headlines with his miraculous recovery at Plumpton recently and now rekindles what has previously been a successful partnership with Neil Mulholland’s Mothill.

The six-year-old struck at Uttoxeter in the hands of Anderson in the spring and, after a pair of outings on the Flat, was ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr when hosing up at Sedgefield on Boxing Day.

“I would say that he has got a good old chance,” said Anderson. “It is a super competitive race, and he will have to step up again, but he is a progressive young horse that has the right sort of profile for a race like this, as he is a strong traveller that stays very well.

“He went up five pounds for his last win, but my claim takes care of that, and he did it nicely up at Sedgefield.

“He got the job done at Uttoxeter and then he was good at Sedgefield the other day. He hasn’t really raced in a big field, but this race should suit him and he is a horse going the right way.”

Green light for Irish raider after ferry problems threatened to derail Lanzarote bid

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Green Glory is primed to continue his progression in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle after overcoming travel problems.

The Charles Byrnes-trained Irish raider was a bumper winner at last year’s Punchestown Festival and following some encouraging efforts in defeat in maiden hurdles finally opened his account on handicap debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

That saw the six-year-old head the betting for this competitive affair – but inclement weather interrupting the ferry schedules had put his participation in doubt.

However, having battled the wind and rain, Byrnes reported Green Glory had made it to the Sunbury track safely and he can now look forward to seeing how he gets on in this £100,000 contest.

“He’s OK, he arrived at Kempton at seven o’clock Friday morning,” said Byrnes.

“They took him on the half eight on Thursday night, but they were waiting for an hour and a half at Holyhead going into dock, so instead of the sailing taking three and a half hours it took five hours. Then the drive down was windy enough.

“But he’s there now that’s the main thing and he should have enough time to recover.

“We’re looking forward to the race now, hopefully the ground doesn’t come up heavy, but it is what it is. He has a nice weight, but it is a step up in grade from a novice handicap to an open handicap.

“It’s a nice pot and he’s in good form, so we’ll hope for the best.”

The best of the home contingent could well be Paul Nicholls’ Outlaw Peter, who followed up a second in the Persian War by romping to a 19-length success at Exeter in November.

Outlaw Peter could give Paul Nicholls a fourth win in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle
Outlaw Peter could give Paul Nicholls a fourth win in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (David Davies/PA)

“I think he’s got a good chance,” said big-race rider Harry Cobden. “I’m not saying he’s well handicapped, but I think he’s got a good, fair mark and he’s in good form. He could be a horse that might just progress a little bit.

“It’s a big field, so we’ll have to have our wits about us.”

Harry Fry’s Dubrovnik Harry and Alan King’s Greatwood Hurdle third Harbour Lake are others high up in the betting lists, while Dan Skelton has had this race in mind for West Balboa for some time and believes his seven-year-old has a “fair chance” of hitting the target.

He said: “I think she’ll like the track. I’ve had this race in mind for her for a while and I think she has a fair chance.”

Ben Case’s Cobblers Dream will attempt to become the first horse in the race’s history to retain the Lanzarote Hurdle as he reverts to the smaller obstacles.

“He just didn’t jump as well as I would have liked over fences in his first two starts,” said Case.

Kempton Park Races – Saturday 15th January
Cobblers Dream ridden by Jack Quinlan goes on to win the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton Park last year (Steven Paston/PA)

“He hasn’t run badly, he just didn’t run brilliantly and it was either we continue pursuing jumping fences and hope he gets better as he goes along, or go back over hurdles and I thought we would do that and revisit fences if we wanted in the autumn.

“Timing-wise the Lanzarote suited and seemed to fit in if we were to go back over hurdles.

“You couldn’t say he has done badly at the beginning of this season and he obviously did well last year. It’s just we knew we were on an upwards curve last year and whether we have got to our handicap mark or not we’ll find out on Saturday.

“I think it will be quite hard work round there on Saturday, so it’ll be a test for everybody.”

Jane Williams’ string is in fine form and she believes Hermes Boy could be ideally placed if conditions turn testing at the Sunbury track.

She said: “He’s got the right sort of profile for the race and we think he wants a bit more of a trip. He’s had a couple of really nice runs recently, his last two have been super.

“The horses are flying at home, he seems really well and this was always a tentative target for him. We’ve won it a few times in the past and it’s our sort of race really.”

“The conditions are spot on and at the end of the day you can only train your own horse, so if you think the conditions are right then you have to give it a go.

“We’re lucky we just got in at the weights, we’re a bit on the low side and we would prefer to be a bit higher in the weights. But actually, if the ground does come up soft or gets really bad, our horses seem to cope with it and we have a nice weight for dealing with those conditions.”

Meanwhile Joe Tizzard’s Scarface has been foot-perfect this season and looks to seal a hat-trick on his handicap bow.

“We were odds-on for his return and he had to win and then at Ascot last time he did it the hard way,” said Tizzard.

“It didn’t suit him making all and he was dossing and that. He made a mistake at the last and then battled back.

“So he’s done good and we just thought we’d have a crack and see where we are handicap wise.

“I think he’s got a manageable mark and he’ll love the ground. Two-mile-five round there on hard-work ground will be right up his street.”

Byrnes hoping weather relents in time to get Green Glory to Kempton

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Charles Byrnes has his fingers crossed Coral Lanzarote Hurdle favourite Green Glory will be able to line up at Kempton on Saturday despite encountering problems in his efforts to cross the Irish Sea.

The six-year-old heads the market at 9-2 with the sponsors for the ultra-competitive two-mile-five-furlong handicap on the back of opening his hurdles account at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

But his bid to quickly double his tally over timber has hit a stumbling block with the current inclement weather halting Byrnes’ plans to travel Green Glory on the ferry from Dublin.

He said: “It looks a nice race for him, but our biggest problem at the moment though is travelling.

“We haven’t been able to get on the ferry. We’re going to try again tonight, but I don’t think it’s looking great.

“We’ll try again first thing in the morning and if they don’t take livestock then we won’t be travelling. It’s as simple as that and the biggest problem at the moment. It (the weather) seems to be worse in Holyhead than it is in Dublin.

“We could come over tomorrow but it is cutting it very fine to get settled in and is not ideal. If we can get travelling tomorrow morning we’ll probably come over. If they don’t let us on the half eight though, we won’t be travelling any later than that.”

For now all Byrnes – who has his plane ticket booked to attend Kempton – can do is hope for an upturn in conditions which will allow his progressive hurdler to take his chance.

He continued: “It is what it is and we can’t change that. We’ve got the flight booked and all set to go, so fingers crossed we get travelling.”