Tag Archive for: Jeremy Scott

Wetherby or Ascot in Golden Ace’s sights

Jeremy Scott’s exciting mare Golden Ace is pencilled in to return at either Wetherby or Ascot after a flawless novice hurdling season.

Second to Dysart Enos in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree in the 2022-23 campaign, Golden Ace then graduated to the hurdling ranks earlier in 2024 and was an instant success when striking on her seasonal debut at Taunton before following up at the same track a month later.

Her next run was a steep step up in level to contest the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where she shone brightest of all to prevail by a length and three-quarters from Gordon Elliott’s highly-regarded Brighterdaysahead.

Her final run of the campaign only further proved her promise as she ran away with a Listed mares’ novice over an extended trip back at Cheltenham, winning by eight and a half lengths despite conceding weight all around.

Scott was aiming at Kempton next Sunday for Golden Ace’s seasonal bow this time around, but a minor injury has made a trip to Wetherby or Ascot more likely.

“We’ve had a tiny little setback, we were aiming for Kempton but she won’t be ready for that,” he said.

“There’s a mares’ race up at Wetherby or we may even wait until Ascot, there’s a two-mile-three (furlong) race at Ascot.

“She’s just had a bit of a pulled muscle and that will set us back a fortnight, that’s where we are with her.”

From there Golden Ace will work her way back to the Cheltenham Festival where the Mares’ Hurdle may await, but Scott is mindful the horse will likely have to take on geldings at some point now out of the novice division.

Cheltenham Festival 2024 – St Patrick’s Thursday – Cheltenham Racecourse
Golden Ace crossing the line at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“That’s what we’re thinking, if she retains her ability and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t,” he said of her spring aim.

“We tend to think there’s a marvellous mares’ programme and there is when you’re a novice, but once you’re out in open company there are actually very few races for mares – I think Wetherby was one of the only ones before Christmas suitable for her.

“We’ll have to see how she fares against the boys then see where we are.”

Scott is also the trainer of the much-loved veteran Dashel Drasher, who returns this season aged 11 for a chasing campaign having been kept to hurdles last term.

The gelding was entered at Chepstow on Saturday but did not run due to the ground, with an alternative target to be found in the coming weeks as he embarks on his final season in training.

December Racing Weekend – Saturday 19th December – Ascot Racecourse
Dashel Drasher at Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“He’s all good, we didn’t run at Chepstow because the ground was going to be a bit quick,” Scott said.

“We’ll find something for him in a month’s time or so, it’s probably going to be a bit weather-dependent but the plan is to go over fences.

“He’s doing as well as he ever has, we’ll take each race as it comes and if we felt he wasn’t performing or enjoying himself, then we’ll make the right decision.

“He’s certainly still got his zest for life anyway, but we won’t abuse it and the owners are absolutely on board with that. We’ll know when the time is right.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Golden Ace in imperious form on return to Cheltenham

Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace continued to impress as she cruised to victory on her return to Cheltenham.

The six-year-old is a daughter of Golden Horn and has enjoyed a superb campaign, living up to the promise shown when she was second in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree the season prior.

The winner of two Taunton novice hurdles earlier in the year, the mare then went to the Cheltenham Festival to contest the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle under usual rider Lorcan Williams.

While she did not face her Aintree conqueror Dysart Enos, she still crossed paths with some highly-regarded mares in Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and Willie Mullins’ Jade De Grugy.

Neither could outperform Golden Ace, however, and she triumphed by a length and three-quarters on a day to remember for Scott and the team at Holworthy Farm.

Golden Ace winning at the Cheltenham Festival
Golden Ace winning at the Cheltenham Festival (David Davies/PA)

She was then aimed at the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, but that plan was scuppered when she suffered a bruised foot and was therefore withdrawn.

The Listed Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham was the alternative outing and her prior successes saw her line up the 4-9 favourite, on what was a step up to two and half miles.

In a field of nine she was an effortless winner, striding up the hill to cross the line eight and a half lengths ahead of Ben Clarke’s Ooh Betty.

The form from her Festival win now looks rock solid, with Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy both taking Grade One events since – the same level Golden Ace will be aimed at next year.

“She was very good, there were a couple of sketchy jumps but she always had everything covered,” said Scott.

“Once the Aintree plan fell through this is what we were thinking of for her.

“Lorcan said that if anything she’d probably be happier on slightly softer ground, so we’ve learnt that, but she came up the hill very well.

“We’ll aim at the two-and-a-half-mile race (Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle) here next year if we’re lucky enough to be in that position.”

Of the subsequent performance of the Elliott and Mullins mares, Scott added: “They’ve looked very, very impressive and it was just so frustrating not being able to go to Aintree, but that’s just horses I’m afraid!

“It’s been a very, very good season for her. She’s been great.”

There was some minor movement in the trainers’ championship table, as Dan Skelton collected small amounts of placed prize-money across the afternoon.

Notnowlinda finished fourth in the Catesby Estates Mares’ Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle and Sacre Coeur was runner-up in the NAF Mares’ Handicap Chase, reducing the gap between Skelton and table-leader Mullins by just over £9,000.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Golden Ace steps up for Cheltenham Listed assignment

Star mare Golden Ace returns to the scene of her finest hour attempting to remain unbeaten over hurdles in Cheltenham’s Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Jeremy Scott’s six-year-old hinted at her potential when second to Dysart Enos in a Grade Two Aintree bumper at the end of last season and since switching to hurdles has been flawless, giving her handler a maiden success at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

The form of that triumph was franked by the bloodless success of Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead at Aintree, with Golden Ace missing her own intended engagement on Merseyside due to a bruised foot.

However, she has recovered sufficiently for a step up in trip on her return to the Cotswolds and this Listed event looks the perfect spot for Golden Ace to finish the season on a real high.

Scott said: “I was very cross we weren’t able to run at Aintree but she seems absolutely fine now and we’ll go to Cheltenham and take our chance.

“On ratings she looks the best but who knows what the others have got up their sleeves.

“Gordon’s horse looked very impressive and that was up to two and a half miles and now we are as well. We will see how well, or not, we see the trip out. She won over two-miles-three and a bit at Taunton (earlier in the season), so I have every confidence she will get it, no problems at all.

“She’s a lovely mare and has been outstanding. We’re looking forward to another run, which will be good for experience and then we can hopefully put her away for next year.”

Trainer Jeremy Scott celebrating at the Cheltenham Festival
Trainer Jeremy Scott celebrating at the Cheltenham Festival (Adam Davy/PA)

Dysart Enos may be missing from the line-up but Fergal O’Brien is still represented by Lilting Verse, while Henry Daly’s talented Wyenot, Dan Skelton’s Lightening Mahler and Ben Clarke’s consistent Ooh Betty are others arriving with good form to their name.

Meanwhile, it is Nicky Henderson who has won this race the last two years and with his Seven Barrows string back in form after a short spell in the doldrums, the Henry Ponsonby Racing team can look forward to Aston Martini’s outing in the Cotswolds with more optimism.

Aston Martini was last seen finishing fourth in graded action at Sandown and Liz Rutter, racing manager for the syndicate, said: “I think the ground at Sandown turned out to be far more testing than a lot of people were expecting, so she did well to finish fourth there.

“We are all delighted to see Nicky’s horses back on track and she’s in good form at home. But this is a hot race – the competition is very high – but there are not a lot of opportunities for these mares in novice company, so I think it is worth having a crack at.

Aston Martini in action at Lingfield
Aston Martini in action at Lingfield (Adam Davy/PA)

“She’s not run at Cheltenham before but there is no reason why she won’t handle it and I think the ground will be lovely; it will be nice, beautiful ground. She’s a very good mover and she’s a very long-striding mare and I think she quite enjoys decent ground.

“She’s a lovely mare who we hope will keep improving, but this could be a tough ask.”

There is also Grade Two action on the card in the British EBF Mares’ Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Final, where Mel Rowley’s Malaita looks to win on the card for the second year in a row.

A winner over hurdles at Prestbury Park’s April meeting 12 months ago, the eight-year-old has been a respectable performer since switching to fences this term and will be suited by drying conditions, having opened her account over the larger obstacles at Ludlow last month.

Malaita in action over hurdles at Ludlow
Malaita in action over hurdles at Ludlow (David Davies/PA)

“She won at this meeting last year over hurdles and now needs to repeat the performance over the bigger obstacles,” said Rowley.

“She ran at Cheltenham earlier in the season and was running an absolute blinder before overjumping at the third last and she fell. It was just one of those where she was just jumping so enthusiastically, she forgot to put the landing gear out.

“We’ve put that to the back of our minds and since then she has gone out and won and is in really good form.

“She looks great and the ground won’t be a problem, as she would prefer a sounder surface anyway. We would be hopeful that would play to her strengths, rather than her weaknesses.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Golden mare now looking to Ace stiffer Aintree test

Jeremy Scott’s Cheltenham Festival heroine Golden Ace tests her powers against the boys in the Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Friday.

The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle was billed as one of the races of the week in the Cotswolds last month, with much of the pre-race talk focusing on the unbeaten Irish pair of Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy.

However, Golden Ace upset the apple cart, making it three from three over timber with a clear-cut success, although Scott acknowledges his stable star has more on her plate on Merseyside.

Jeremy Scott celebrates Golden Ace's Cheltenham Festival victory
Jeremy Scott celebrates Golden Ace’s Cheltenham Festival victory (Adam Davy/PA)

“She’s come out of Cheltenham really well, I think we’ve had a decent enough prep,” he said.

“On paper, she looks up against it and I suppose we’ll find out how much she’s up against it on Friday.

“I’m very happy with her, which is all we can ask really, and beyond that we’ll just have to see what happens. I think she ticks a lot of boxes.”

Dysart Enos, who beat Golden Ace in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at this fixture 12 months ago, is six from six for Fergal O’Brien, but missed Cheltenham following an 11th-hour setback.

Dysart Enos winning at the meeting last year
Dysart Enos winning at the meeting last year (Tim Goode/PA)

The Ravenswell Farm handler is pleased the six-year-old has recovered in time for Aintree, but warned her participation is not absolutely guaranteed, with underfoot conditions a concern.

“Dysart Enos is in good form but we’ll have to have a look at the ground, we’ve declared her hoping that it won’t rain more,” said O’Brien.

“Heavy isn’t ideal for her but we’ll have a look and see how we get on.

“I would rather not run on heavy, so we’ll have to just see, we can’t do anything about the rain.

“Control the controllable, as we’re so often told, and that’s what we’ll do, we’ve declared and we’re giving ourselves the best chance.”

Firefox previously at Navan
Firefox previously at Navan (Brian Lawless/PA)

Elliott’s Firefox was last seen finishing third in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, a run the trainer thinks he can build on at Aintree.

“I thought he ran great to finish third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle,” he told At The Races.

“To be honest, I probably gave Jack (Kennedy) instructions that were too negative. It was the first race of the week and maybe we didn’t have enough confidence to be bold with our tactics.

“He finished off really well up the run-in and if I’d given Jack more encouragement to be more positive on him, I’d say he would have gone a fair bit closer. We won’t mess about this time, and I can see him running very well.”

Mystical Power (left) coming up the hill at Cheltenham
Mystical Power (left) coming up the hill at Cheltenham (Adam Davy/PA)

Willie Mullins has a pair of runners entered for the race in Mystical Power and Mistergif.

Mystical Power is a son of the great Annie Power and came close to emulating his Grade One-winning dam when filling the runner-up spot behind Slade Steel in the Supreme.

He now aims again to take a top-flight title at Aintree and will be joined by stablemate Mistergif, who runs in the double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and was fifth in the Festival opener.

“He ran a blinder, jumped well and settled really well,” Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, told the Sporting Life of Mystical Power.

“If he can do the same again in Aintree that would be fantastic, that was only his third run over hurdles, so he has a little room to improve.

“He’s a Galileo, so perhaps really soft ground might come against him, but it was soft in Cheltenham and he handled it really well.

Mistergif ahead of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Mistergif ahead of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Adam Davy/PA)

“He sets the standard, Firefox didn’t get a clear run, so he might have finished a bit closer.

“I take Dysart Enos very seriously, her run in the mares’ bumper last year was phenomenal, but I’m a big Mistergif fan and I think he just didn’t get up the hill at Cheltenham.

“After the last hurdle, he was bang there and this is a faster, flatter track with more emphasis on jumping – that’s his strong point. I think he’s overpriced and I wouldn’t overlook him.”

The field is completed by a trio of British-trained horses in Sam Thomas’ Lump Sum, Neil King’s Lookaway and Ben Pauling’s Personal Ambition.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Jeremy Scott keeping options open for Cheltenham winner Golden Ace

Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace has a handful of options after providing the trainer with a first Cheltenham Festival winner last week.

The six-year-old was second to Dysart Enos in an incredibly deep renewal of the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree last season and was an instant success over hurdles this term.

After winning two Taunton contests in good style she headed for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, where she was a 10-1 chance as Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead led the market.

Under Lorcan Williams the bay took little notice of those predictions, however, and prevailed over the latter horse by a length and three quarters to give Scott his first ever winner at the meeting.

“It was just the best. I never thought it would work out like that but it was just fantastic,” Scott said of the performance.

Golden Ace, who is by Golden Horn and out of a Dubawi mare, could now head to Kelso for the Herring Queen Series Final, or alternatively there are options over both two miles and two and a half miles at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

“She’s all good, she came out of the race really well,” Scott.

“We will see what mark we’ve been given, we’ve got the Herring Queen series at Kelso as an option, otherwise I imagine it’ll be Aintree.

“We’ll probably enter both races and see what the ground is like, there’s two miles and two and a half.

“She’s bred to stay so her trip should be around about two and a half, everything being well we’d want to aim her next year at the mares’ race at Cheltenham.”

Jeremy Scott's Dashel Drasher
Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher (David Davies/PA)

Scott also provided an update on Dashel Drasher, who finished eighth in the Stayers’ Hurdle and is unlikely to run again this term as the ground dries up into the spring.

He said: “He’s grand, I suspect he won’t run again this season. There’s nothing really for him, the ground always seems to be wrong at Aintree.

“We’ll keep an open mind but unless it keeps raining I imagine we won’t run him at Aintree, but he’s come out of the race very well.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Golden Ace passes Taunton test with flying colours

A trip to the Cheltenham Festival remains under consideration for Golden Ace after she maintained her unbeaten record over hurdles with a facile success at Taunton.

Runner-up to Dysart Enos in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree last spring, Jeremy Scott’s new stable star made a successful transition to the jumping game at Taunton early in the new year.

Saddled with a mandatory penalty on her return to the Somerset circuit for the Stables Business Park Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Golden Ace was the 1-2 favourite to follow up under Lorcan Williams and was not hard pressed in the slightest to score by two and a quarter lengths from Linda Moon.

The winner is a 10-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 14 – and while Scott raised the final of the Herring Queen Mares’ Novices Hurdle Series at Kelso on April 6 as an alternative, she would be a worthy runner at the Festival.

“We were slightly concerned about the ground,” Scott told Racing TV. “It was soft ground last time over two-miles-three and over two miles on lovely, good ground I just wondered whether she’d have the toe for it, but she seemed to have every bit of the toe.

“She got a bit keen part way round, she seems to travel well and her jumping is good, but will need to slicken up if we’re going on to bigger targets.

“We’ve got some fairly lofty ambitions for her and I hope she lives up to them. That (Cheltenham) was certainly the plan if everything went well, having said that the final of this race is a fabulously rich race and you wouldn’t rule that out, actually.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Dashel Drasher could take on Shishkin and Bravemansgame before Cheltenham

Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher could briefly resume his chasing career after his placed run in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle.

The fan favourite, now 11 years old, had a lucrative spell in staying hurdles last season but is also a well-regarded chaser with four successes over fences on his CV – including the Grade One Ascot Chase.

Second in the Relkeel Hurdle, the Cleeve Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle last season, the latter a placing gained upon appeal, the gelding returned to action this term to finish third in the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby in November.

He then headed to Newbury for the Long Distance Hurdle, a Grade Two event he won by a head from fellow veteran Paisley Park – another stalwart of the division.

Dashel Drasher at Cheltenham previously
Dashel Drasher at Cheltenham previously (Simon Cooper/PA)

Both horses lined up for the Long Walk to give Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo a run for his money, with the young horse coming out on top as Paisley Park was second behind him and Dashel Drasher in third place.

Scott could now call on his stable star’s versatility as the horse’s next outing could either be a hurdle start or a brief return to chasing, though both paths will likely lead to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“He’s doing really well. He did pull a muscle, I think over the last hurdle because he went quite long there, so we’ve had a little hold-up there,” said Scott.

“That’s probably neither here nor there and we’ve sorted that out, so he’s fighting fit for the end of the month or the beginning of next month.

Dashel Drasher running over fences at Ascot
Dashel Drasher running over fences at Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“He could either go back to the Cleeve (Hurdle, at Cheltenham) or go for the Denman (Chase, at Newbury), I’ve a notion to do that.”

Should Dashel Drasher head for the Denman he may meet Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin and Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame, with the going pivotal to the decision made.

“It’s just a matter of the timing and the ground as to which direction we go in, but he’s very well at the moment and one of those is the plan,” Scott said.

“I’d imagine he’d go for the Stayer’s Hurdle either way, there’s nothing for him over fences really at Cheltenham, only the Gold Cup and I wouldn’t quite think he was up to that.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Dashel Drasher fends off late Paisley Park challenge

Dashel Drasher produced a gutsy display to hold off the fast-finishing Paisley Park in a thrilling conclusion to the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

Jeremy Scott’s Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up was sent off the 2-1 second favourite in the hands of Rex Dingle and showed huge improvement on his Wetherby reappearance, when only third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.

It was Patrick Neville’s Mahons Glory who wasted no time in building up a hefty lead in the early stages, as the other five runners were well-grouped, content to bide their time.

With the business end of the Grade Two event approaching, 20-1 shot Flight Deck led the field into the straight but Dashel Drasher was snapping at his heels and had taken over by the time the final flight approached.

The 10-year-old jumped the last with a narrow advantage, with Dingle soon in full flow searching for the line, as Tom Bellamy in his wing mirrors conjured up the customary end-of-race flourish from Paisley Park.

However, despite the petrol tank flashing red and Dashel Drasher’s lead narrowing with every stride, he was never headed by Paisley Park and showed plenty of heart to pull out extra and score by a head.

“I was worried to death when I saw Paisley Park there, because wasn’t he coming,” Scott told ITV Racing.

Dashel Drasher jumps a hurdle in the home straight at Newbury
Dashel Drasher jumps a hurdle in the home straight at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

“It’s lovely to see the old boys going head-to-head and I thought Paisley Park ran a brilliant race there. A bit further and he might have done us. It was a great race to watch.

“You start to wonder whether Dashel Drasher had lost his spark. He was beaten so many times last year, but only into second, and you just think it must take its toll. You have to keep picking yourself up and go again.

“So, you do wonder whether or not he still had it and that fight, but he did fight today. It’s his kind of trademark and you are always terrified he might lose the trademark, but he keeps fighting, doesn’t he.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him and it’s lovely. It is such a roller-coaster ride having a horse as good as that and it’s just lovely to be a part of it.”

Paisley Park had to settle for second once again at Newbury
Paisley Park had to settle for second once again at Newbury (John Walton/PA)

It was a case of history repeating itself for the connections of Paisley Park, who has competed in the race now for five straight years and came off second best in a similar ding-dong battle with Champ 12 months ago.

Trainer Emma Lavelle was magnanimous in defeat and was thrilled to see the fire still burns bright in her popular 11-year-old.

She said: “It was a great run, it was just so near, yet so far.

“He’s run fantastic and given away 6lb to the winner and done everything in typical Paisley style, he just clearly hasn’t learnt where the winning post is at Newbury.

“Tom has given him a brilliant ride and had Barry (Fenton) in one ear and Aidan (Coleman) in the other telling him how to ride, so he’s had plenty of instruction and he carried it out fantastically.

“He’s run in that race so many times and he’s won it once, but it was like deja vu from last year. I was delighted with him.”

Lavelle also confirmed Ascot’s Howden Long Walk Hurdle on December 23 would be up next for Paisley Park, with Coral making him a 5-1 chance to defend the title he won for a third time when the race was switched to Kempton last Christmas.

She added: “Ascot is the plan, he’s been there plenty before and as I’ve said all along, each race will stand in isolation and we will see what happens going forward.

“He definitely deserves a crack at that and he’s a star, he completely is, and it was brilliant to see the same Paisley back in action.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Conditions could scupper Drasher’s Ascot date

With ground conditions drying out ahead of Saturday’s 1965 Chase, Dashel Drasher looks set to sidestep the Ascot feature and instead head to Newbury next weekend.

Jeremy Scott’s stable star won the Grade One Ascot Chase two years ago and is a four-time winner from six starts at the Berkshire circuit overall.

Following a satisfactory comeback run when third over hurdles at Wetherby earlier in the month, Scott was keen to send his charge back over the larger obstacles on Saturday – but unsuitable ground, coupled with the likely presence of the brilliant Shishkin, has led to the trainer having a change of heart.

He said: “We’ll have to see what the ground does, but it doesn’t look like there’s much rain around. I think running him over fences, I’d rather be running on the slow side of good and not end up on good ground. That would be our thinking at the moment.

“It’s been so wet and now there’s no rain around. My concern is we end up with a month or six weeks of dry weather, which we’re kind of due, and it will mess all our plans up – but there we are, we can’t do anything about the weather, can we?”

Considering alternative plans, Scott added: “We have Newbury next weekend, where we could run in the hurdle (Long Distance Hurdle). The other thing is it’s actually only three weeks since he ran, so it wouldn’t hurt if we waited another week anyway.

“I was desperately keen to run over fences, but the ground has got to be right, and it’s not helped by Shishkin running either.

“All of these things come into it, but I was keen to run over fences because I think he’s got more to give over fences. The trouble is, after this race on Saturday, you’ve got nothing else other than handicaps until after Christmas.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Dashel Drasher may revert to chasing next time out

Dashel Drasher could make his next start over fences after a hurdling comeback at Wetherby.

The popular 10-year-old has switched between the two divisions throughout the last few seasons and has enjoyed plenty of success over both types of obstacles.

He was second to Grand National winner Noble Yeats in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree last December and was then runner-up in a trio of high-quality Cheltenham hurdles, culminating in the Grade One Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival, where he was beaten only three-quarters of a length by Sire Du Berlais.

Jeremy Scott’s charge started the new season at Wetherby this month, contesting the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle and starting as the 7-4 joint-favourite under Rex Dingle.

He led for much of the way and showed plenty of vim, only fading approaching the last and eventually finishing third behind Botox Has and Red Risk.

December Racing Weekend – Saturday 19th December – Ascot Racecourse
Dashel Drasher previously at Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

A switch to chasing could be next on the agenda, with the 1965 Chase at Ascot under consideration if the gelding is ready to go again at the end of the month.

“He’s really well, he probably just got a bit stuck in the mud the other day, maybe it’s just age catching up with him as well,” Scott said of the Wetherby run.

“He’s certainly come out of the race really well and there is a chase at Ascot in a few weeks’ time which is a possibility, but it is quite difficult finding races for him.

“I was very much thinking we’d play it by ear, I’d like to run him back over fences because I think he was just as effective over them.

“It would be nice to find a Grade Two that we could run him in but they’ve taken a lot of them away, last year we ran in the Many Clouds but they’ve taken that away, so it’s difficult to find him somewhere to go unless you run in a handicap.

“He’s never lacking for will, he’s always just a bit stuffy on his first run but I’m very happy with the way he’s come out of the race and we’re just hunting around for the next plan.

“We’ll see how he is when we start doing some proper work – and if we can go to Ascot, that would be great.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Staying stalwart Thyme Hill returns to action over hurdles

Thyme Hill and Dashel Drasher lock horns in the bet365 West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday.

Thyme Hill, now trained in partnership by Philip Hobbs and his long-time assistant Johnson White, has been a regular in major staying hurdles over the past few years and rarely runs a bad race.

Last season connections elected to embark on a novice campaign over fences, but while he managed a Grade One win in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, he disappointed in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival in March and reverts to the smaller obstacles for his reappearance.

The son of Kayf Tara is approaching the twilight of his career as a nine-year-old, but Hobbs feels the fire still burns bright judged on what he is seeing on the gallops at his Somerset base.

“He’s very well indeed, we’re well happy with him,” he said.

“Maybe his confidence wasn’t great over fences, so we thought we’d start back over hurdles and he handles very soft ground.”

Dashel Drasher has similarly been a fine servant to his trainer Jeremy Scott, proving himself a top-level operator both over hurdles and over fences.

The 10-year-old made a successful start to last season in a small field conditions race at Aintree before finishing second in the Many Clouds Chase, the Relkeel Hurdle, the Cleeve Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle.

An outing at Aintree’s Grand National meeting proved one too many, but Scott is looking forward to her stable star’s return to action.

He said: “He looks a picture. Like a lot of horses he may well need the run, he usually does need the run on his first outing anyway, but he looks very well and looks stronger than ever, so we’ll see how we get on.

“He won at Aintree over two and a half first time out last season. We didn’t feel we had him at his best then and I think he’s probably be in a better place than we did this time last year, anyway.

“It will be soft old ground – it’ll be testing. He does go on that ground, whether it ekes out his stamina a bit much, I don’t know.”

Gary Moore’s Botox Has was two places behind Dashel Drasher when fourth in the Cleeve Hurdle in January and makes his first competitive appearance since this weekend.

Jamie Snowden’s Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Ga Law, Peter Fahey’s Irish raider Ambitious Fellow and the Paul Nicholls-trained Red Risk complete the line-up.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Dashel Drasher demotion reversed following appeal hearing

Connections of Dashel Drasher have won their appeal against the decision of the local stewards to demote him from second place to third in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The gelding, trained by Jeremy Scott, was a 40-1 chance for the contest when ridden by Rex Dingle in the three-mile Grade One in March.

The 10-year-old led into the final flight but drifted left on the approach, with the stewards deeming this movement to have interfered with the challenge mounted by Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo.

The eventual winner, Sire Du Berlais, was three-quarters of a length clear at the line and was not involved, but Teahupoo missed out by just a nose and the stewards considered that margin to be equal to or greater than the ground he had lost due to the alleged interference.

As a result the placings were reversed after an inquiry on the day, with the Rex Dingle-ridden Dashel Drasher demoted to third and Teahupoo instated as the runner-up.

Scott represented himself, with his argument heard by an independent British Horseracing Authority panel comprising of James O’Mahony, Alison Royston and Dr Lyn Griffiths.

Charlotte Davison, representing the BHA, defended the stewards’ decision and called Davy Russell, rider of Teahupoo, to give evidence.

Russell felt that not only was his chance of finishing second scuppered, but also that his horse would have gone on to win the race had the suggested interference not taken place.

“My route has been dictated by the horse on my outside (Dashel Drasher) because I’ve no other option, he’s drifting to the left,” he said.

“I can pull my right rein and collide with him, which is something that is not going to go to my advantage or to Mr Dingle’s advantage.

Dashel Drasher (third from left) in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Dashel Drasher (third from left) in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Tim Goode/PA)

“I pull across and came up a length and a half from that point in distance, if I had a straight run I feel not only would I have finished in front of him but I would have won the race.”

Scott called Dingle to give his account of the race, with the rider pointing out that Flooring Porter was also drifting left and suggesting that had set in motion Teahupoo’s crooked jump at the last.

He said: “Flooring Porter is intimidating Teahupoo, we were clear in distance from Teahupoo and Mr Russell has not had to stop riding at all.

“From turning in until after the last, he’s had several opportunities to get by me, Dashel Drasher is idling but he is always holding Teahupoo.”

It was Scott’s position that there was no interference at all, which would negate any discussions on the effect of the interference or the relevance of the margin between the two horses when they crossed the line.

Dashel Drasher at Ascot
Dashel Drasher at Ascot (Julian Herbert/PA)

“We have spent nearly three hours discussing a five-second clip of racing in the context of a three-mile race, probably the most competitive staying race of the season in England,” Scott said.

“The notion that there is not going to be a certain amount of wavering going towards the last hurdle, to enable horses to correct themselves, to jump the hurdle safely, is ridiculous.

“This is not a Flat race, this is a jumping race and we put hurdles in the way to make it more interesting and, in my view, more fun.

“If we are going to penalise every horse that makes the slightest of errors or the slightest of movements going into a hurdle, then we may as well remove them.

“If he’d (Teahupoo) jumped that hurdle on a spot-on stride, then I’ve no doubt he would have got away from the hurdle as quickly as we did, but he didn’t because the horse made a mistake.

Brian Acheson (centre) with Teahupoo after winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle
Brian Acheson (centre) with Teahupoo after winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Brian Lawless/PA)

“The mistake may or may not have been caused by Davy Russell trying to pull his horse further left, but I don’t believe that it was Dashel Drasher that caused that interference.”

The panel retired to consider the evidence and returned to state they agreed with Scott’s submission that there had been no interference and therefore the stewards’ decision was to be overturned.

O’Mahony said: “We take judicial notice of the fact that in approaching hurdles, horses cannot be expected always to run straight. We’ve watched carefully the approach to that last hurdle and, although Teahupoo stayed on, we find he was demonstrably a tiring horse at that stage.

“Mr Russell used the whip three times in his approach to that final hurdle. We find he made more of a move laterally left in order to find a better stride in his approach to the hurdle.

“We conclude there was no interference because Dashel Drasher was clear. We have regard not just to the distance straight ahead but to the distance laterally. With the clearest evidence in our view from the tracker footage, there was daylight in both aspects.”

The decision was not well received by Brian Acheson of Robcour Racing, owners of Teahupoo, who described the panel’s finding as “absolute rubbish” and added: “To the three independent stewards, absolute rubbish. You want to get someone murdered.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Dashel Drasher team lodge Stayers’ Hurdle appeal

Connections of Dashel Drasher have lodged an appeal in a bid to overturn their demotion to third in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Jeremy Scott’s durable stable stalwart almost pulled off a shock in the day three feature, leading at the final flight before being reeled in by Sire Des Berlais in a thrilling three-way finish – beaten three-quarters of a length with a further neck back to Teahupoo in third.

However, Dashel Drasher’s rider Rex Dingle allowed his mount to drift slightly left at the final flight and was adjudged by the stewards to have caused sufficient interference to deny Gordon Elliott’s 9-4 favourite second spot.

The Holworthy Farm handler left Prestbury Park frustrated but proud of the 10-year-old, who is currently recharging his batteries ahead of further endeavours this spring.

“We have lodged an appeal,” confirmed Scott.

“He’s all good, he’s come out of the race really well and options are open – it would be nice to get another run out of him this season.

“I felt if we had a slightly better preparation, he could have ran even better (in the Stayers’), but he did us proud and he did outstandingly well.”

Options for that further outing include Aintree’s Liverpool Hurdle (April 15) and the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival (April 27) and while a trip to Merseyside could come too soon for Scott’s stable stalwart, it would open up the possibility of an audacious double involving the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil on May 20.

“He would have to be absolutely singing to go to Aintree,” continued Scott. “That would be least likely I would have thought, but he does seem to have come out the race really well. So I wouldn’t want to totally rule that out actually.

“Punchestown is one of my favourite trips, so I would love to go over there with him if I could.

“Normally he tells you when he’s ready to run and I was quite surprised by how well he’s come out of it. If you are being really greedy you could do something like Aintree, then put him away and go to France if you wanted a jolly, so I guess all options are open.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Scott left deflated after Dashel Drasher demoted from second in Stayers’ Hurdle

Jeremy Scott felt the decision of the Cheltenham stewards to demote Dashel Drasher to third from second in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle had “pricked his bubble a bit”.

Sent off at 40-1, only the French challenger Henri Le Farceur went off a bigger price but Dashel Drasher massively outran market expectations and looked to have everything beaten when jumping the last flight in front.

He drifted slightly to his left on jumping it, and also caused marginal interference after the hurdle to Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo, the 9-4 favourite.

Only a nose separated them at the line, with Sire Du Berlais a three-quarters of a length winner, but the stewards felt there was enough interference to reverse the order of the second and third.

“To me it’s very harsh. I’ve just spoken to the stewards and I’ve watched it through,” said Scott.

“The trouble is they set the precedent in the four-year-old hurdle at Aintree last year when (Knight Salute and Pied Piper dead-heated but Pied Piper was demoted). To me I felt if it had happened at any meeting midweek it wouldn’t have been picked up on.

“We drifted left going into the hurdle and that is what they are concerned about and they felt the momentum he lost made the difference between the nose he missed out on second.

“For me the eventual second wasn’t quick enough to go for the gap he wanted, then he was pulled out to go around and have another go. I think we’ve been harshly done to, but rules are rules.

“I’ll speak to the owners about an appeal, but it’s a long process and I don’t think we’ll derive any pleasure about doing it – it did prick our bubble a bit and the £30,000 would have been nice.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Scott tempted by Stayers’ Hurdle for versatile Dashel Drasher

A tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle has crept into the equation for Dashel Drasher following his game effort in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Jeremy Scott’s versatile 10-year-old has mixed and matched fences and hurdles with real success of late, winning on his reappearance over timber at Aintree before finishing second to Grand National winner Noble Yeats on a first try at three miles in the Many Clouds Chase when returned to Merseyside the following month.

Keen to keep things fresh for the 11-time winner, the son of Passing Glance was returned to the smaller objects for his latest assignment, leading the field along for the majority of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two and only succumbing to the superior turn of foot of the winner, Marie’s Rock, in the closing stages.

However, what pleased Scott most about the performance was how his stable star bravely battled back for second once headed by First Street up the run-in and it is convincing the Higher Holworthy Farm handler that three miles is worth further exploration – something which could lead to an outing in the Paddy Power-sponsored Stayers’ Hurdle in March.

“I thought it was a great run, I couldn’t have been happier really without winning a race,” said Scott.

“He had a lot of decent horses in behind him and I think we’ve got half an idea that we will up him to three miles over hurdles and possibly look at running him in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

“He isn’t quite quick enough over the two and a half miles and he certainly didn’t have the turn of foot the winner had. But it was really pleasing how he fought back and beat the second horse having been headed and I think it shows an awful lot of guts, which is a very admirable feature in a racehorse.

“He got the trip OK up at Aintree and the more we run him this season the more he seems to see it out OK. His cruising speed would hopefully put one or two under pressure.”

Scott is still to decide how Dashel Drasher prepares for a possible run at the Festival, with a course-and-distance sighter in the Cleeve Hurdle (January 28) an option, but also a return to fences for the Betfair Ascot Chase (February 18) he won in 2021.

Dashel Drasher could return to his beloved Ascot to complete his Cheltenham Festival preparations
Dashel Drasher could return to his beloved Ascot to complete his Cheltenham Festival preparations (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

He continued: “We could go back chasing and I’m not worried about going chasing, but that division could be stronger at the moment. We’ll see how he comes out of this race and our original plan was to have a run in the Cleeve and see how he got on over three miles.

“That might come a bit soon, but we also have the option of going back over fences at Ascot – give him a break now and run in the Graded race he’s won before. Then go to Cheltenham after that if it all worked out.

“We will very much see how he comes out of this race, he’s absolutely fine this morning and I think he has thoroughly enjoyed his experience at Cheltenham.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns