Tag Archive for: Evan Williams

Trainer Evan Williams denies assaulting man

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Grade One-winning trainer Evan Williams has denied assaulting a man.

Williams pleaded not guilty to two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm to Martin Dandridge on December 4 last year in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan.

Williams, 54, of Llancarfan, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and enter his pleas during a brief hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, fixed a trial date for March 3 next year.

Williams was released on conditional bail until his trial.

Byron Broadstock appeared on behalf of the prosecution, while Leah Pollard represented the defendant.

Williams is a multiple Grade One-winning trainer, with his most recent success at the highest level coming in the 2020 Christmas Hurdle via Silver Streak.

He also trained State Of Play to be placed in three Grand Nationals and came second in the Aintree highlight with Cappa Bleu in 2013.

Libberty in the hunt for Punchestown honours

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Evan Williams may look to Punchestown with Libberty Hunter after his unfortunate exit when running promisingly in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old has been both sparingly and successfully campaigned this season, winning a Cheltenham handicap before finishing second in the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.

He was then sent off a 33-1 shot under Adam Wedge in the Champion Chase and looked poised to run a big race when he blundered three fences from home and fell.

Both horse and rider emerged unscathed and though luck was not on the gelding’s side at Cheltenham, his trainer is still able to take plenty of positives from the experience.

“He’s all good, everything is fine with him. It’s just one of those things that can happen at that fence when they go fast,” said the trainer.

“He was going beautifully, we were absolutely delighted with where he was. It’s somewhat frustrating but that’s racing and that’s the way the cards fall sometimes.

“He looks like a Grade One horse, I don’t think we’re silly in thinking that. The little steps have enabled us to be confident that we deserve to be taking our chances in such races.”

The Punchestown Champion Chase in on April 29 may now be on the agenda.

“I suppose we’d better look at Punchestown for the two-mile chase there, I can’t see why we shouldn’t look at that,” Williams added.

“There is a thought that maybe a step up in trip to two-and-a-half might not be the silliest thing to look at in Aintree but the fact is we were running very well over two miles, so Punchestown could be the sensible option.”

Williams happy to take his time on Cheltenham target for Libberty Hunter

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Evan Williams is yet to decide if Libberty Hunter will take his chance in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival or bid to go one better in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual 40 minutes later.

The nine-year-old has shown a real liking for Prestbury Park, winning twice at the undulating Cotswolds venue and finishing second in his only other appearance at the track during last year’s Festival.

Libberty Hunter has been given the option of correcting the record in the Grand Annual after the entries for the handicap contests were revealed on Tuesday, currently disputing favouritism as a general 8-1 chance.

However, he is also engaged in day two’s feature event and would be more than worth his place judged on his fast-finishing second in Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase earlier this month, with his Champion Chase odds ranging from 25s to 40-1.

Williams will weigh up all possibilities before making a final call, with the weather forecast leading up to the Festival and the likely opposition that his charge would face in each race set to prove key to deciding which race the soft ground-loving gelding ends up.

“I suppose we will have to see what the weather does and that will be the deciding factor with him,” said Williams.

“He’s in both races because the two-mile option is best to stick to and it will be very much down to what stays in what races and of course the weather is going to have a massive impact as well.

“I don’t know if it will be a late call, but he wants cut in the ground, it is as simple as that. Cheltenham can change very quickly and a couple of wet days can make it a very different place to a couple of dry days.

Evan Williams is still to decide where Libberty Hunter will head at the Cheltenham Festival
Evan Williams is still to decide where Libberty Hunter will head at the Cheltenham Festival (David Davies/PA)

“Cheltenham suits him and we’d love to get there. We’ll have to look at the handicap and there’s a few higher than us in there at the moment. Could the Grand Annual look a different race this year? I guess none of us are going to know until nearer the time and something like that could have an impact.

“The weather is probably the main factor though and very soft ground could change the look of the Champion Chase massively. Very soft ground is a huge leveller.

“It’s probably silly to have concrete ideas at this stage, but we’re very keen to get to Cheltenham and if we can get there in the same form as we went to Newbury then we’d be looking forward to it.”

Libberty Hunter poised to take aim at Sir Gino

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Evan Williams’ Libberty Hunter is set to take aim at Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase providing the ground remains soft.

The nine-year-old was the runner-up of the Grand Annual last season and then third in the Grade One Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree, the highlights of a profitable novice campaign.

He returned to action this season to contest a Cheltenham handicap in December and immediately picked up where he left off, prevailing by four lengths under Harry Cobden on a good to soft surface.

The Clarence House was discussed as a next port of call, but that dismissed when the ground became too quick for him to be seen at his best.

The Game Spirit is now the aim instead should the weather cooperate, the Grade Two at Newbury on Saturday which is the intended destination for Nicky Henderson’s Arkle favourite Sir Gino.

“He’s grand, as long as the ground stays soft then we’ll be going to Newbury on Saturday,” said Williams.

“It went good at Ascot and I wouldn’t run him if the ground was good, but if the ground is soft then we’ll go for it.

“It’ll be tough for him wherever he goes now so we’ve got to be there, it’s as simple as that.

“As long as the ground is all right we’ll give it a go.”

Williams has another nice prospect in Juby Ball, also owned by the Ruckers, a six-year-old last seen winning his hurdles debut by four lengths.

Prior to that he had some useful bumper form having won at the first time of asking before taking second place behind subsequent Grade Two winner Sixmilebridge next time out.

After his pleasing first hurdles attempt the gelding holds two entries for the weekend and is currently in the mix for a two-mile Chepstow contest and a Listed event at Exeter over half a furlong further.

“He won a maiden hurdle nicely and he’s been in good form since,” said Williams.

“He’s in at Exeter and he’s in at Chester over the weekend, we’ll just keep an eye on the ground.

“He’ll want a bit of cut in the ground, as long as there’s soft ground at one of these places, we’ll be there.”

Libberty Hunter given Game Spirit aim after Ascot ruled out

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Libberty Hunter will divert to Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase next month after he was not declared for Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot due to drying ground.

Evan Williams’ progressive two-miler was runner-up in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival last term before subsequently making the frame in his first attempt in Grade One company at Aintree.

Libberty Hunter impressed when making a winning return at Prestbury Park in December and Williams had been keen to test his mettle against the likes of Jonbon and dual Champion Chase hero Energumene.

However, drying conditions at the Berkshire venue have seen Williams search for a Plan B and having avoided a clash with one Nicky Henderson chasing star, he could now be on course to take on another in Sir Gino at Newbury in early February.

“The ground has dried far too much for him, it has gone good in places and I would imagine it will have dried considerably more by the weekend,” said Williams.

“He’s a soft ground horse and it’s disappointing, but that’s the way it goes.

“We’ll try to get to Newbury on February 8 for the Game Spirit. That’s what we will try to do and we need cut in the ground really. It’s a tough enough ask (taking on these horses) as it is, without running on ground he doesn’t want.”

Libberty Hunter is a general 33-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Libberty Hunter in Clarence House contention against the big two

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Evan Williams feels Saturday’s mouthwatering BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot might offer the right sort of opportunity for Libberty Hunter to step up in class.

After winning on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham the nine-year-old is now rated 151.

That still leaves him some way shy of Jonbon and Energumene, but it would also see him carrying top-weight in most handicaps and Williams feels now might just be the time to step him up in class.

While there is no rain forecast through the week, there is still a thaw imminent and Williams hopes that will ensure there is enough cut in the ground to enable Libberty Hunter to run, given his preference for ease underfoot.

“The sort of rating he’s got now sort of makes you think a bit, where is the right place to go,” said Williams.

“It’s a very interesting situation with him and I couldn’t honestly say either way what is the best thing to do.

“You’d obviously love him to keep winning, but we all know none of them can keep winning all the time.

“There’s only six in there and to be honest there’s nothing in there that we didn’t expect to be there so I suppose we’d have to think about it, definitely.”

Libberty Hunter looked in a different league to his opponents on his comeback, and Williams says this race has been in the back of his mind ever since.

“He’s been grand since his last race, absolutely fine and we’ve had no issues whatsoever,” he said.

“We were always going to have a look at this race after Cheltenham and then take it from there.

“I think he’s a horse that handles soft ground beautifully, but we’re in the middle of the winter, it’s not as if it’s spring or autumn is it. We’ve had frost and a lot of rain and snow.

“I think he does need cut in the ground really, he’s a winter horse.”

Juby gets the Ball rolling with impressive jumping bow

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Evan Williams was delighted to get the show on the road with the talented Juby Ball after he impressed on his belated hurdling debut at Ffos Las.

Owned by Williams’ long-time backers the Ruckers, the six-year-old had looked a useful proposition when winning a bumper at the track in November 2023 and lost nothing in defeat when bumping into the well-regarded Sixmilebridge at Sandown in that sphere last February.

He was due to return to the Esher track to make his hurdling bow in Listed company in December before suffering problems getting to the South London venue on a weekend when strong winds battered the country.

Finally stepping out on course for the DragonBet Supporting British Racing Maiden Hurdle, he was sent off at 5-1 in the hands of Adam Wedge and having been up with the pace throughout, looked a cut above his rivals as he galloped clear after the last for a four-length success.

Williams said: “He’s a nice horse and the weather has been against us, he’s been entered a few times and we’ve lost the meetings to the frost.

“We would have started him at Sandown but we couldn’t get there, so it has been a long time coming and we’re very grateful they have put this meeting on. It was nice to get the job done.

“Oh, I don’t know where he will slot into things and at the end of the day, this is only a starting point. I was aiming for the Listed race because it was a small field and that would have been a nice start.

“I don’t know where we’ll end up but he’s a nice raw horse who has a certain amount of ability. Where that’ll take us, I don’t know, we just hope he is lucky because he is a very nice horse.”

There was a shock in the DragonBet Born From The Betting Ring Maiden Hurdle as Neil Mulholland’s Elysian Knight edged out fellow outsider Mountain Mike to strike at 40-1.

Keep Running was in the winner's enclosure once again
Keep Running was in the winner’s enclosure once again (David Davies/PA)

Meanwhile, 100-30 favourite Keep Running did just as his name suggests to see off top-weight Sir Psycho and follow up his Ludlow win in November in the Download The DragonBet App Handicap Chase.

Winning trainer Warren Greatrex said: “He seems to be improving fairly fast and that was the best race he’s run in and he was very impressive, I thought.

“He jumped right-handed at times and it is the first time he has gone left-handed for me. I think we will probably have to go back right-handed but he loves his jumping and he handled that ground well and he’s a very likeable horse with not many miles on the clock – I would expect him to keep on improving.

“That was very pleasing and he’s a horse who since I’ve had him, I’ve always liked. Just last year, he wasn’t finishing his races as I liked and I was pretty sure there was an underlying wind issue, which we got sorted in the summer and he’s just turned the corner since then.

“I’m not sure what happened at Carlisle (on his reappearance) but his win at Ludlow was impressive and this was equally impressive in a better race, so I’m chuffed to bits and I would say he has a bright future going forward.”

Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen combined with Dangerous Touch (9-2) in division one of the DragonBet Still Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle, while the concluding DragonBet Real People, Real Bookmakers Open National Hunt Flat Race went the way of Dan Skelton’s 6-5 favourite Giantsgrave.

Jamie Snowden enjoyed a quickfire double in between those races with 3-1 favourite Double Click, partnered by Will Featherstone, and 7-1 chance Up For Parol, the mount of Gavin Sheehan.

Williams may look to step Libberty Hunter up in class

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Plans are fluid for Evan Williams’ Libberty Hunter after his winning return to action at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The eight-year-old began to come into his own when jumping the larger obstacles last season, winning two novice handicaps before finishing second in the Grand Annual at the Festival and third in the Grade One Maghull at Aintree.

The start of his season this time around was delayed as the ground was too quick throughout the autumn, but after a spell of rain, Cheltenham came up soft enough for him to run at the weekend where he ran out a four-length winner.

Williams will now weigh up whether Libberty Hunter’s next start should either be a step back up in grade or another start in handicap company following a 7lb rise.

“We were over the moon, it was a lovely performance and everything is fine with him,” he said.

“He’s a horse that wants soft ground, so it wasn’t a hard decision to wait for it – it’s what he needs, so we have to stick with that.

“It’s difficult now with the programme, we’ve been pushed so far back because of the ground that there are now very few options without dipping your toe at a higher grade.

“It’s quite difficult in the short term, there are some fancy races about, but they are a long, long way from handicap company, so I don’t quite know what our next step will be.”

Libberty Hunter proves patience pays off

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Evan Williams is excited to see how far Libberty Hunter can climb the chasing ladder after making a successful start to his campaign at Cheltenham.

A dual winner as a novice over fences last season, including a New Year’s Day verdict at Cheltenham, the eight-year-old went on to finish second in the Grand Annual at the Festival before rounding off his season with a third-place finish in a Grade One contest at Aintree.

Following a dry autumn, Libberty Hunter (7-2) was making a belated comeback in the BetMGM Handicap Chase and cruised into the slipstream of the pacesetting 5-2 joint-favourite Issar D’Airy halfway up the home straight.

Once given his head, the Williams runner soon sealed the deal, finishing off strongly without being asked for maximum effort and passing the post with four lengths in hand.

Master Chewy, the other joint-favourite, finished third.

Williams said: “We’re delighted. We’ve been waiting to run for a few weeks and you’re thinking ‘Jesus, is the rain ever going to come’! We had to start to day and it was nice he’s done it the way he did.

“He travelled nicely and jumped well. He’s obviously improved from last season, which is always nice to see with a second season chaser. It was just a good starting point.

“We’ve been very slow to get going this season. I’m a bit of an old dinosaur I’m afraid and I’ve got a lot of horses that want proper winter ground.

“I’ve learnt over the years that going a week too early is a lot worse than going a week too late and that bit of rain last night made the ground a little bit more like what we wanted.

“He’s not a young horse, but he hasn’t got a lot of miles on the clock. Some of them progress and some don’t, but this fellow looks like he’s getting stronger.”

Whether Libberty Hunter sticks to major handicaps or tests the water at graded level later in the season remains to be seen, with Williams in no rush to firm up future plans.

He added: “It’ll be very interesting to see what happens really – he’s won of 144 today.

“Our season hasn’t panned out as I would have liked, not just with this horse but a lot of my horses. I’m so far behind getting started and then the season takes a different path.

“It all depends how they come out, what happens with the weather and we’ll go from there.

“I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas! I think we’ve just got to keep things fluid.”

Adam Wedge handed 14-day ban for Warwick ride

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Jockey Adam Wedge was suspended for 14 days and trainer Evan Williams fined £3,000 for “schooling and conditioning a horse on the racecourse” after Klic Boum finished seventh at Warwick.

The four-year-old was sent off a 250-1 shot for the Cheltenham Supporting Breeders’ Day “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle and came home 36 lengths adrift of the winner Castle Ivers in the two-mile affair.

Wedge reported his mount had hung right-handed, but the stewards inquired into the performance.

The rider explained he had been told to drop his mount in with “the intention of getting the gelding to finish its race strongly”, but the rider felt his mount was “flat out” and unable to make up ground with the front runners, with a resulting use of the whip causing the horse to hang in the home straight.

Williams’ representative said he was “unaware” of the riding instructions and Wedge said he had spoken to Williams on the phone after the race, with the trainer “satisfied” he had ridden as told.

The stewards report said: “Wedge was suspended for 14 days and Williams fined £3,000 for schooling and conditioning the horse on the racecourse in that Wedge had failed to ride his mount in such a way that he could be seen to ask for timely, real and substantial effort to obtain the best possible placing on Klic Boum.

“The stewards formed the opinion that the Wedge’s riding up the home straight was not hampered by the horse hanging right-handed as he had reported and that his body language on the horse was not that of a rider unable to ride his mount forwards.”

Wedge’s ban runs from December 5-18 inclusive, while Williams was fined an additional £290 for “failing to inform his representative of the rider’s instructions” and Klic Boum suspended from running for 40 days.

Libberty Hunter return put on hold until rain arrives

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Evan Williams is waiting on soft ground before resuming the career of his promising chaser Libberty Hunter.

The eight-year-old enjoyed a solid novice chasing campaign last season, winning twice before placing second in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham and then third in the Grade One Maghull at Aintree.

The Haldon Gold Cup had been mentioned as an opening run for this term, but after a dry autumn and early winter, the ground at Exeter was too quick for him to line up in the race.

The gelding holds entries across the next two weekends at both Cheltenham and Ascot, but the weather will be pivotal, as soft ground is required for him to make his seasonal debut.

“He’s absolutely grand, but like everyone else, we’re just looking for a little drop of rain,” said Williams.

“He’s a soft ground horse, he’s entered all over the weekend but he needs soft ground, so we won’t run until we get some rain.

“We’re not panicking, but it would be nice to get him started.”

Williams has another smart horse in Minella Missile, who won two hurdle starts last season but has not been seen on the track since.

The latter of those two victories came at Grade Two level in the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle, where he defeated subsequent Grade One victor Captain Teague before a setback interrupted his career.

The six-year-old is ready to make a comeback, but although he would not want the ground as soft as Libberty Hunter, he still needs at least some rain to fall before he returns.

“He’s ready to run, he is a horse who wouldn’t want it too soft but it’s the same sort of situation with him, he still needs a drop of rain before we start him somewhere,” said Williams.

“He’s ready and he could do with running somewhere, we’ll keep an eye on Newbury now in about two weeks’ time.

“Like all winter horses, he’s just waiting for a splash of rain.”

Williams taking watching brief on Festival run for Libberty Hunter

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Ground conditions are set to have a major bearing on Libberty Hunter’s participation at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

Trained by Evan Williams, the eight-year-old has made a bright start to his chasing career and having recovered from a fall on his fences bow by winning with ease at Wincanton on his second outing over the larger obstacles, landed a blow in a highly-competitive event at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day.

He claimed the scalp of Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Arkle-bound Matata on that occasion and is as short as 9-1 in places for the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual.

However, with the best of Libberty Hunter’s form coming with soft underfoot conditions, Williams is willing to delay confirming the gelding’s participation until the going at the track becomes clearer.

He said: “I couldn’t say we’re aiming at it (the Grand Annual), as that would be a lie, but he has an entry and we will see how the weather is and everything like that because he will want plenty of cut in the ground.

“We’ll keep an eye on the weather and the opposition and go from there. He’s certainly not been aimed for the race.

“I’m not sure if it’s an ideal opportunity for him, but it is always a plus when they have shown a bit of form around the track. I have always had the notion horses who run well round Cheltenham will run well again round Cheltenham.

“We will have a look at it and there will be plenty in there that won’t turn up. But the ground will have a massive impact on which way we think and I’ll speak with Mr and Mrs Rucker closer to the time and go from there.”

Evan Williams will make a late call on Libberty Hunter's participation at the Cheltenham Festival
Evan Williams will make a late call on Libberty Hunter’s participation at the Cheltenham Festival (David Davies/PA)

Williams has struck at the Cheltenham Festival with High Chimes (Kim Muir, 2008) and course specialist Coole Cody (Plate, 2022) in the past, but Libberty Hunter could be the only horse flying the flag for the Vale of Glamorgan handler this time around.

However, the Welshman has no issue with missing out on the action in the Cotswolds and will quite happily point his horse box in whatever direction necessity dictates during Festival week.

“The other fella (Minella Blueway, Pertemps) won’t get in and is not qualified so the only chance of a runner will be Libberty Hunter,” continued Williams.

“We won’t be watching from the sofa though, if we’re not there we’ll be watching runners at sunny Sedgefield.

“We don’t want to be idle and there’s plenty of races around the country for fellas like us, we don’t have to be concentrating on Cheltenham every year – there’s plenty of meat on the bones of British racing and we don’t have to be looking for a piece of that fancy stuff all the time.”

Challow Hurdle may be next up for Minella Missile

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Evan Williams classes the Coral Challow Hurdle as the obvious next port of call for Minella Missile but is keen to see what others have in the locker before firming up plans for his exciting Cheltenham winner.

An impressive scorer at Chepstow on his rules debut, he immediately took the step into Grade Two company at Prestbury Park during the November Meeting, where he kept on gamely to claim the scalp of Paul Nicholls’ highly-touted Persian War winner Captain Teague.

Having shown he handles undulating tracks, the Welsh handler is refusing to rule out a return to Cheltenham for the talented five-year-old, with Sandown’s Betfair Winter Novices’ Hurdle (December 8) another enticing option.

However, if Minella Missile is to avoid the burden of a penalty, then a move up to Grade One level is in order, which brings Newbury at the end of December into the reckoning.

Williams said: “Going forward, we will be guided by the horse really. It will be very interesting to see how he comes out of that race and we will be guided by him on where we will go from there really.

“The obvious thing, and it’s not as easy as that, but the obvious thing is to avoid carrying a penalty – and the only way to avoid carrying a penalty is in the Newbury race.

“Against that, he does go well around Cheltenham and Chepstow, which are undulating tracks and completely different to Newbury.”

The trainer went on: “Cheltenham has so many of those trials, there is an Albert Bartlett trial at the December meeting, or you could go to Sandown for the Winter Novices’ Hurdle, which is two-and-a-half miles and a Grade Two.

“So, I don’t want to be fixated on going to Newbury, but the Newbury race would seem the obvious next target if we had a target.

“The coming weeks will tell us. We are where we are now, but there will be plenty of others that will come out in the next weeks which will be of a very high quality – plenty of stables are yet to run their good novice hurdlers.

“I guess that is part of the fun of it and part of the jigsaw, and we’ll watch what comes out closely and then we can take a view and go from there.”

Minella Missile could become one of the leading players for Williams this season, as he searches for candidates to fill the position of stable star vacated by the now retired Coole Cody.

The strapping bay has already provided his handler with one memorable day, supplying loyal owner Janet Davies with her 100th winner when successful at Cheltenham.

Minella Missile returns with owner Janet Davies after winning at Cheltenham
Minella Missile returns with owner Janet Davies after winning at Cheltenham (PA)

Williams added: “He improved a lot in a very quick time after Chepstow, we were caught out a little bit by him and we were very lucky there was that race at Cheltenham, because the race at Chepstow brought him on significantly.

“It was lovely and it was lovely to get the 100th winner up for Mrs Davies in such a good race

“It’s fantastic; a lot of our nice horses have finished, for whatever reason, and we were a bit light on having a very nice horse, but as is often the case in this old game, things can surprise you in both a positive and a negative way.”

Minella Missile rockets to ‘fairytale’ Cheltenham success

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Minella Missile dented some lofty reputations in the Trustatrader Novices’ Hurdle for Evan Williams at Cheltenham.

The point-to-point winner had caused a 20-1 shock when scoring on his hurdling debut from a Paul Nicholls-trained favourite at Chepstow and he repeated the feat here – but this time at Grade Two level at an even bigger price.

Sent off a 22-1 chance the five-year-old looked up against with Nicholls’ Captain Teague and several Irish-trained runners appearing to hold stronger claims. However, Adam Wedge moved within his comfort zone for much of the race, despite sitting well off the pace.

Harry Cobden had Captain Teague close to Kinbara up front, but did put in a couple of noticeably novicey leaps.

He was still in the box seat turning for home, but The Big Doyen had tracked him while Wedge charted the inside route on Minella Missile.

All three had a chance on jumping the last, and it was the Williams runner who found most to win by a length and a half from the 4-6 favourite with The Big Doyen a further half-length away.

Minella Missile (right) comes to claim Captain Teague (left) and The Big Doyen
Minella Missile (right) comes to claim Captain Teague (left) and The Big Doyen (David Davies/PA)

“He’s just one of them you know, he quickens and is very laid back,” said Williams

“You can drop him in and I love a horse you can drop in and then quickens. There’s not many of them that get there in two strides and he can do that.

“It’s the trainer why he is the price he is, nothing to do with the horse. It’s the trainer, not the horse.

“Talk is talk and it’s November. The men in March don’t talk they just turn up don’t they. We’re under no illusions and he has won his good race. He’s a brother to a horse who I think is a good horse in Monbeg Genius and his future will be over fences somewhere down the line.

“I just think in these novice hurdles, a step up in trip wouldn’t be a problem and he quickens.”

Minella Missile provided a poignant 100th winner for owner Janet Davies, who has endured a difficult time following the death of her husband, Peter, and the winning trainer was thrilled to give his loyal owner with a day to remember.

“That’s racing, it pulls in the emotions of life which are important to the very trivial pursuit of going faster than another horse round a grassy field,” continued Williams.

“It is her 100th winner and she has been very successful, had a lot of winners and some very nice horses. But, as often happens with racing, it sometimes just gives back that little bit of a fairytale.

“I’m blessed with the owners I train for. I’m a dinosaur and I train for some very old-fashioned owners and it makes my life very easy. But sometimes that cross-over between real life and racing is fantastic. Isn’t it crazy how the cards fall sometimes.”

On future plans, he went on: “He handles this place which is an undulating track and sometimes you can get dragged into doing things for the sake of doing things.

“Lets be brutal about it, the second horse carried a penalty and we have only won a length and a half. So we have a bit to find to go and win a Grade One.

“He’s the type of horse who might be able to step up to that, but as far as I’m concerned, in his life as a novice hurdler he has won a good race and what happens now as a novice hurdler is almost irrelevant.

“Today is Janet’s day and that’s what makes it special to me. It’s a special day for Janet.”

Davies said: “How amazing was that. We won last (here) with Court Minstrel and I never thought we would have another like that.

“Evan said when he won at Chepstow, ‘you have a nice horse’. But I didn’t think he would be that nice.

“I was trying to keep my cool, as this time last year I lost my husband suddenly in his sleep. It’s been a difficult year, but that was amazing.”

Coole Cody out to bolster fine Cheltenham record

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Evan Williams’ Coole Cody will head back to his second home as he takes on the Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

The 12-year-old is a firm favourite at Prestbury Park thanks to an impressive record that has seen him come home in the money nine times when running at Cheltenham.

He is a Cheltenham Festival winner having taken the Plate last season and returned to the same race when last seen, coming home eighth in a creditable run as the oldest horse in the field.

Coole Cody has run in this particular Grade Two event before, finishing fourth in 2021 and third last season but now running off a mark 12lb lower than his most recent tilt at the contest.

“He ran a good race at the Festival, he’s older now and it’s obviously very tough but we’ll give it a go,” said Williams.

Coole Cody winning at the Cheltenham Festival last season
Coole Cody winning at the Cheltenham Festival last season (Tim Goode/PA)

“It will help him massively (the lower handicap mark), he’s not the same boy as he was last season but there’s no doubting he ran a very solid race last time.

“We’ve been very, very lucky, if you’re going to like anywhere then it’s a good place to like!

“I think it’s the only major two-and-a-half-mile handicap around Cheltenham that he hasn’t won, he seems to have won all of the others so it’d be really nice if he could go well.”

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero are represented by Herbiers, a French-bred six-year-old who runs off a career-high mark after taking a Newbury contest by two lengths last time out.

Prior to that he was beaten just a neck in a Kempton novice handicap and so comes to Cheltenham in form having run well at the track over hurdles at the same meeting last year.

Herbiers at Ascot
Herbiers at Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“He was beaten a neck there last year and it seemed to suit him,” said Greenall.

“He’ll like the ground as it is drying out and his jumping seems to be improving with every run so we have our fingers crossed.”

The market is led by Dan Skelton’s Heltenham, a highly consistent six-year-old who has won his last three races.

His latest success, a two-mile-four-furlong Newbury handicap chase, was a particular step forward as he moved from class four to class two company and won neatly by five and a half lengths.

Venetia Williams’ Gemirande has alternated winning with coming home in second place all season and heads to Cheltenham off the back of a good run in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury where he was beaten just a head.

Venetia Williams' Gemirande
Venetia Williams’ Gemirande (Steven Paston/PA)

Dr Richard Newland runs Captain Tom Cat, with Nigel Twiston-Davies saddling Super Six and Chris Gordon represented by Unanswered Prayers.

Alan King’s Deyrann De Carjac, Nicky Henderson’s Caribean Boy, Donald McCain’s Presentandcounting, Gary Moore’s Zhiguli and Sophie Leech’s Cilaos Emery complete the field of 12.