Tag Archive for: Diligent Harry

Weather might prove key to Diligent Harry’s bid for third time lucky

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Clive Cox is on weather watch as Diligent Harry eyes a first turf success in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The seven-year-old, who has twice been runner-up in the Group Three, was most recently seen winning the Chipchase Stakes at the same level on Newcastle’s all-weather track.

He is a eight-time winner on synthetic surfaces but despite placed runs at the highest level on turf, he is yet to get his head in front in 16 starts over both five and six furlongs.

Should the weather allow he will aim to put that right on Saturday, where success would be well deserved for a horse that is clearly a popular campaigner.

“Diligent Harry is entered at the weekend, we’re on a bit of a watching brief with the weather so we’ll have to see what the ground is like,” said Cox,

“I’m very pleased with him, his win at Newcastle was very special.

“He is yet to perform quite to the same level on turf, though he is Group One and Group Two-placed.

“He’s certainly as good as ever in his seventh year, he’s a real yard favourite and one of those horses you become really close to.”

He added: “I would say he’ll be on his travels later in the year, he just took a bit of time to come into himself this spring for whatever reason, but he’s really showing he’s in a good place at the moment and we’ve got unfinished business here first.”

Diligent Harry is Chipchase hero for Clive Cox and Saffie Osborne

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Clive Cox was thrilled to see his high-class sprinter Diligent Harry bounce back to his best with a front-running victory in the JenningsBet Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle.

Placed at Group One level in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai last year, the seven-year-old had failed to recapture that form in four previous outings this season, most recently finishing fifth on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle on Good Friday.

The seven-year-old was a 16-1 shot on his return from over two months off and after a fast start, Diligent Harry quickly built up a significant lead over the chasing back and found more once challenged by Annaf to claimed the Group Three prize by a neck under an excellent ride from Saffie Osborne.

Lambourn-based Cox did not make the long trip north to Gosforth Park, but was in jubilant mood when contacted: “That was brilliant, Saffie has been in to ride him in his last couple of bits of work and it’s great when a plan comes together.

“He went to Dubai last year and ran a great race in the Group One there, but it’s tough at the top.

“We always live in hope, he loves the all-weather and he’s still pretty good, so today was a big target and to go all the way up to Newcastle and win a race like that is very satisfying.

“He’s won a Group Three now and we’ll place him accordingly.”

Osborne added: “Clive was really positive about his chances. I started going to Clive’s a couple of months ago, I rode this horse for the last couple of weeks and he’s a seriously classy horse.

“He’s a horse that was third in a Group One, he jumped out of the stalls today and Clive was keen for me not to wrestle him, so I was quite happy to let him slide on.

“I was able to get a breather into him and I always felt I was holding on to enough. He’s seriously tough and as soon as he felt the other horse coming to his girth he was always pulling out a bit more.”