racing_news/

Jefferson Considers Haydock Park Options for Roman Ark
14/01/08

North Yorkshire trainer Malcolm Jefferson is looking forward to unleashing his stable star Roman Ark at Haydock Park on Saturday, January 19, on a fantastic six-race card that features four prestigious Grade Two contests.

Jefferson has entered his charge in the day’s showcase event, the £75,000 Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase (2.00pm) over three miles, as well as the £50,000 Grade Two Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial (1.25pm).

The Malton-based handler revealed today: “Roman Ark will go to Haydock for either the Peter Marsh Chase or the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial. I’m going to have a look at the entries before making a final decision as to which race he goes for.

“He loves Haydock and he relishes heavy ground, so I’m just going to see what the opposition is like before committing.”

Roman Ark has won four times at Haydock and is yet to finish out of the first three in six completed starts at the course. The 10-year-old grey’s biggest career success came at the track in the 2005 Grade Two Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle over two miles on heavy ground, though he is yet to win beyond two and a half miles.

Jefferson continued: “I’m considering the Peter Marsh Chase but the distance would worry me a little bit. If it was heavy ground, then the jockeys would not go flat out anyway over three miles, but I’m just going to see. His mother won over three and a quarter miles but two or two and a half miles on really heavy going seems to suit him best, because he goes on that ground.

“He might yet run in the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial because two miles around there, if the ground is heavy, would be no problem to him. He’s a very decent horse around Haydock and he’s in great form.”

Roman Ark won on his seasonal return in the two-mile Betfair Casino Zero Lounge Handicap Chase on soft ground at Haydock Park on November 24, but was subsequently a below par 11th of 16 to Tamarinbleu in the Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham on December 15.

Jefferson reported: “I don’t know what went wrong last time. It was a funny race and a few horses, including the favourite, ran no race. We thought maybe we disappointed Roman Ark because we dropped him out a bit more than we should have done.”

The Peter Marsh Chase has been won by a host of stars including Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Little Owl (1981), Bregawn (1982), The Thinker (1987) and Jodami (1993 & 1997), as well as 1998 Grand National hero Earth Summit (1995).

This year’s 21-strong entry is up to the race’s usual high standards as it includes the David Pipe-trained Our Vic, runner-up to Kauto Star in the Grade One King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, last season’s Grade Three Racing Post Chase victor Simon and The Outlier, who was successful in the Peter Marsh Chase 12 months ago.

Hat-trick seeking novice Leading Authority could also take his chance, as could the lightly-raced Grade One winner Patricksnineteenth, the classy Francois Doumen-trained L’Ami and Grade Three Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup runner-up Dream Alliance, while champion trainer Paul Nicholls may rely on 2005 Coral Welsh National heroine L’Aventure and the promising pair, Officier De Reserve and Opera Mundi, successful last time out in the Betting As It Should Be Handicap Chase over three miles at Haydock Park on November 24.

The 10-strong entry for the Grade Two Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial is headed by the Nick Gifford-trained Straw Bear, conqueror of Harchibald in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, as well as last season’s victor Afsoun from the Nicky Henderson yard, who was subsequently third to Sublimity in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Others who are engaged include the classy Sue Smith-trained Mister McGoldrick, runner-up in both 2005 and 2006, as well as finishing fourth in 2004 and 2007, last season’s classy novice Astarador and his Howard Johnson-trained stablemate Percussionist, along with useful chaser Regal Heights, Gardasee, Torkinking and Azulejo.

The tremendous six-race card also includes the £35,000 Grade Two J W Lees Novices’ Chase (2.30pm) over two and a half miles for which the top-class Johnson-trained Tidal Bay could bid to extend his unbeaten sequence over fences to five, as well as the £30,000 Grade Two Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle (12.55pm) over two miles.

GROUND
The ground at Haydock Park is currently heavy, with further rain expected this week.

Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright said today: “The forecast is for a mild week with temperatures maybe touching zero on Wednesday or Thursday in isolation.

“The ground is heavy and significant rain is expected, but we are optimistic of racing on Saturday at this stage.”