The Betfair 'This Is Play' "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle |
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| Grade 3,
Haydock Park 14:25 £80,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 22nd November 2014 | |
1 Aubusson 9/1
2 Big Easy 13/2
3 Dara Tango 20/1
4 Volnay De Thaix 3/1F
NR: Kingsmere
16 ran Distances: 1¾l, 5l, 1½l
TIME 5m 53.00s
What a lovely ride by Lizzie Kelly on the terrific Aubusson. Jumped and travelled so well from the front of the field
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Lizzie Kelly gave the winner a perfect ride, the 21-year-old conditional refusing to panic when challengers were queuing up behind her in the home straight as the giant five-year-old pulled out more after the second-last to finish impressively.
Aubusson took up the running on the second circuit and the Nick Williams-trained gelding jumped the hurdles with aplomb, getting the opposition in big trouble running towards the last. Big Easy stuck to the task, but was beaten a length and three-quarters.
Irish raider Dara Tango was third, with 3-1 favourite Volnay De Thaix fourth.
Kelly said: "Everything went well, he travelled nicely and jumped super. He actually didn't mind the ground, but he'd like it better. He's a horse with a huge future. It's great for me to ride a horse with his profile."
The jockey's mother, Jane Williams, who is also assistant trainer to her husband, said: "It's so exciting.
"The ground isn't as soft as we were expecting, which was a bonus, though I'm sure he'll be better on better ground. Last season the race at Cheltenham (in January) finished him, he's very fragile and still young.
"I had to watch that with my fingers in my ears and under a bench as they are both my babies. It's always better watching it when you know they've won.
"There are no plans, this was the target. He's so fragile we take it one race at a time. We took a long time to discuss the tactics but I think we got them right."
Betfair 'This Is Play' (Fixed Brush) Handicap Hurdle
£80,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1
16 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | Dist | Horse | Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Aubusson (FR) 9/1 Lizzie Kelly (7) |
11-6 | Nick Williams | 5 | |
| 2nd | 1¾ | Big Easy (GER) 13/2 R Johnson |
11-0 | P J Hobbs | 7 |
| 3rd | 5 | Dara Tango (FR) 20/1 Brendan Powell |
10-9 | A J Martin | 7 |
| 4th | 1½ | Volnay De Thaix (FR) (ex5) 3/1f B J Geraghty |
12-0 | N J Henderson | 5 |
| 5th | 11 | Katkeau (FR) (ex5) 11/2 T Scudamore |
10-8 | D Pipe | 7 |
| 6th | 4 | Sybarite (FR) 14/1 S Twiston-Davies |
10-12 | N A Twiston-Davies | 8 |
| 7th | 2 | Oscar Rock (IRE) 11/1 B Hughes |
11-3 | J M Jefferson | 6 |
| 8th | 6 | Spirit Of Shankly 14/1 N D Fehily |
11-5 | C E Longsdon | 6 |
| 9th | 2½ | Vieux Lion Rouge (FR) 14/1 C O'Farrell |
11-5 | D Pipe | 5 |
| 10th | 2½ | Shimla Dawn (IRE) 14/1 D C Costello |
10-11 | M Walford | 6 |
| 11th | 1¼ | Awaywiththegreys (IRE) 50/1 Donal Devereux |
10-11 | P Bowen | 7 |
| 12th | 31 | Uncle Jimmy (IRE) 25/1 Thomas Cheesman (7) |
11-10 | P J Hobbs | 7 |
| 13th | 5 | Upswing 16/1 R P Mclernon |
10-11 | Jonjo O'Neill | 6 |
| 14th | 28 | Araldur (FR) 33/1 Tom Bellamy (5) |
11-0 | A King | 10 |
| PU | Trustan Times (IRE) 20/1 K Renwick |
11-12 | T D Easterby | 8 | |
| F | One For Harry (IRE) 33/1 Brian Harding |
10-12 | N G Richards | 6 | |
| NR | Kingsmere Jake Greenall |
10-7 | H D Daly | 9 |
