Tag Archive for: Toby Lawes

‘Mixed emotions’ for connections of Surrey Quest after epic Scottish National

Connections of Surrey Quest may have suffered agony at Ayr in the Coral Scottish Grand National, but could have bigger and better days on the horizon, with next year’s Grand National now entering calculations.

After four miles of action, Toby Lawes’ progressive seven-year-old was left to fight out a thrilling finish to the Ayr feature with Willie Mullins’ Macdermott, with the trainers’ title-chasing Irishman’s runner coming out on top after not only a titanic battle to the line but an excruciating wait while the judge deliberated over the result.

A standard-bearer over jumps for the Surrey Racing syndicate, Surrey Quest’s owners headed to Ayr full of confidence in their Kevin Brogan-ridden 20-1 shot after some promising results this season.

And despite being left with “mixed emotions” following the nose reversal at the hands of the Danny Mullins-ridden winner, they can take comfort that their charge has continued on the upward curve that has already seen him strike twice in his four starts this term.

“We’ve got mixed emotions and we thought the horse was in absolute brilliant shape heading up there,” said Clive Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.

“Statistically we might have needed the run, but other than that everything went to plan and Toby was very meticulous in his preparations. He came here in great shape and everything went to plan, we just lost out on the nod.

“Winning is everything in this business and coming second, not matter how close, it feels like we came nowhere. We’d have been happy with a top-seven finish to be honest so we have to be proud. Kevin and Toby have done a fantastic job with this horse.

Warwick Races – Saturday 15th January
Surrey Quest just missed out on glory at Ayr (Robert Perry/PA)

“We know he is a good horse and we wouldn’t have come up here if we didn’t think we had a chance. Surrey Racing as a company doesn’t go to races we don’t think we have a chance in and we’re just so proud of the run – we honestly thought at the line we had done it.

“Willie Mullins has so much ammunition and it’s just unfortunate we have come up against one of his and I guess the funny thing is if he wasn’t going for the championship he might not have been here today.”

Surrey Quest holds an entry for the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the final day of the jumps season, but his exertions north of the border make it unlikely he will try to replicate what Kitty’s Light’s achieved 12 months ago and make a rapid reappearance.

Instead sights are fully turned to Liverpool and the famous Grand National fences where Surrey Quest could take in December’s Becher Chase ahead a crack at the big one itself in 12 months’ time.

Hadingham continued: “It’s just mixed emotions, we’re so proud of him and we’ve had a super time up here in Ayr. I guess now we know we’re going to go on to bigger and better things with him.

“We might have a look at the Grand National now and we might look at coming back to Ayr again. He’s such an economical jumper that now the National has changed a bit and the fences are slightly lower, that is something we can look at.

“There’s so many big races next year he can go for and the Becher is one we will look at and we’ll take it from there.”



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Surrey Quest the ace in Mandarin pack

Surrey Quest provided Toby Lawes with one of the biggest victories of his training career to date when landing the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury.

Formally a right-hand man to Nicky Henderson, it was somewhat fitting it was a former Seven Barrows inmate that provided him with his finest hour as he followed up an impressive stable bow at Huntingdon with a battling success in the rain-softened ground.

Having been up with the leaders throughout, Surrey Quest stuck to his task gamely when asked for maximum effort by man-of-the-moment James Bowen, who was striking for the third time on the card.

Although not fluent two from home, the 7-2 chance still had enough in reserve to hold off Kerry Lee’s 11-4 favourite Atlanta Brave by three-quarters of a length and give owners Surrey Racing plenty to dream about moving forward.

“The ground didn’t come up as soft as we were worried about and James rode him perfectly to plan,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.

“We know he stays and it looks like from that performance he will stay another couple of furlongs. The front two pulled away handily from the rest. It opens up a lot of options.

“That is the biggest win for Toby and he would be probably one of the better horses in Toby’s yard. We have to give plenty of credit of Jackie Du Plessis in Cornwall, who looks after horses with niggling issues for us and she found a little issue with Quest and helped put it right – without that we wouldn’t now have the horse we have got.

“Toby has then taken that further with the training and it has been a team effort from all of them.”

Surrey Quest clears the water jump at Newbury
Surrey Quest clears the water jump at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

He went on: “We will have to see what the handicapper does and there’s a few options. We’ll sleep on it and celebrate this and the trophy is big enough to fill up with champagne so we will take that away and have some fun!

“We will probably have a look at the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster at the end of January, but we will enjoy today and see how he comes out of it and then put our heads together.”

However, there would be no four-timer for Bowen as Henderson’s Walking On Air was denied by Ben Pauling’s Henry’s Friend (17-2) in the concluding Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

A useful hurdler last term, it was a huge improvement on the six-year-old’s Doncaster chasing debut and a performance that somewhat surprised his handler.

“I was pleased with the result, but I didn’t think he would handle the ground and I think he’s won despite this being not his most suitable conditions,” said Pauling.

“He’s done very well to win and jumped very well on the whole without ever jumping as well as he did at Doncaster last time. It was a gutsy performance and I think he is an improving novice.

“He’s always had a touch of class and this is his game (chasing), but I do think there will be a lot more to come on slightly better ground.”

Issar d’Airy made a pleasing chasing debut to strike at 4-1 in the New ‘Bet-In-Race’ With Coral Handicap Chase.

Issar D’Airy produced a fine round of jumping at Newbury
Issar D’Airy produced a fine round of jumping at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

Gary Moore’s five-year-old stepped up markedly on what he had shown over hurdles and produced a superb round of jumping under Niall Houlihan as he sauntered to a four-and-a-quarter-length success over the 6-5 favourite Martator, who had attempted to make all.

“I was very pleased and he jumped very well for a horse having his first start over fences,” said Moore.

“What he beat I don’t know because the favourite went off very fast and he was never going to get home unless he was a super horse going that pace. Niall was good and patient and gave him a nice introduction and he’s done well our horse, I’m very happy.

“It will depend what the handicapper does to him, but there is a two-mile chase at Lingfield over Millions Weekend and I might look at going there, but I’m not sure.”

Rambo T (right) winning the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle at Newbury
Rambo T (right) winning the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

Meanwhile, the fine season of King George VI winning rider Gavin Sheehan continued when he scored another Saturday success aboard Olly Murphy’s Rambo T (2-1 favourite) in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.

“He appreciated the step back in trip and I think the race fell apart somewhat,” said Murphy.

“I thought a lot of horses were beat early in the straight, but albeit it was a good performance.

“He doesn’t stay three miles and we hope he carries on progressing. He handles soft ground well and he is a strong stayer at two-and-a-half, just doesn’t stay three. It was a good performance and hopefully he can carry on progressing.”



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