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Sefton Novices' Hurdle Friday 13th April 2012 

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Lovcen Stays On for Sefton Glory
13/04/12

1 Lovcen 8/1
2 Fingal Bay 13/8 Fav
3 Cotton Mill 6/1
19 ran Distances: 1¾l, 11l, 2¾l
TIME 6m 16.40s (slow by 22.40s)

Lovcen stepped up on his fourth place at the Cheltenham Festival to take the John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, rather to the surprise of his trainer Alan King.

Lovcen
© Racehorse Photos

Lovcen

“I thought he’d be competitive,” he said, “but I honestly didn’t expect him to win. We’d been pleased with what he did at Cheltenham and came here hoping, not expecting. But he’s a tough horse, some tough horse. It all looked hard work - he was off the bridle for a long way -but I suspect that he wasn’t actually doing much once in front.”

That observation was confirmed by rider Robert Thornton after the Grade 1 three-miler. “He did everything I asked,” he said, “but I had to keep asking. He didn’t offer me anything extra, which I’d rather liked him to have done. It was all hard work, harder than at Cheltenham. The start was a bit of a mess and I was further back than I’d have liked to have been, but the race did open up and came back to me.”

Lovcen, German-bred by Tiger Hill (also sire of third-placed Cotton Mill), carries the colours of the Barbary Apes, a group of King’s regular patrons, all of them friends. “We needed to find an owner for him half-way through the season,” said King, “and they clubbed together to come to the rescue.”

Lovecen is unlikely to run again this season. “He’ll go novice chasing next season,” said King, “he’s already won a point-to-point.”

 

Position
Horse
Trainer
Jockey
Weight
Starting Price
Beaten Distance
1
Lovcen
A King
R Thornton
11st 4lbs
8 - 1
Winner
2
Fingal Bay
P J Hobbs
R Johnson
11st 4lbs
13 - 8
1 3/4 length
3
Cotton Mill
J P Ferguson
D F O'Regan
11st 4lbs
6 - 1
11 lengths
4
Ipsos Du Berlais
N Meade
D N Russell
11st 4lbs
33 - 1
2 3/4 lengths
5
Hawkes Point
P F Nicholls
R Walsh
11st 4lbs
28 - 1
13 lengths
6
Tap Night
Miss Lucinda V Russell
P Buchanan
11st 4lbs
20 - 1
3 1/2 lengths
7
Harry Topper
K C Bailey
S Quinlan
11st 4lbs
10 - 1
2 1/2 lengths
8
Forgotten Gold
T R George
P J Brennan
11st 4lbs
40 - 1
12 lengths
9
Nagpur
Miss V Williams
Aidan Coleman
11st 4lbs
66 - 1
3 lengths
10
Gullinbursti
Miss E C Lavelle
N Fehily
11st 4lbs
8 - 1
17 lengths
PulledUp
Aikideau
R Rowe
L Aspell
11st 4lbs
66 - 1
PulledUp
Ballyrock
Tim Vaughan
A P McCoy
11st 4lbs
12 - 1
PulledUp
Ely Brown
Mrs R Hobbs
A Thornton
11st 4lbs
150 - 1
Fell
Golden Call
D McCain Jnr
J M Maguire
11st 4lbs
16 - 1
PulledUp
Knock A Hand
R Lee
T Scudamore
11st 4lbs
10 - 1
BroughtDown
Makethe Mostofnow
Evan Williams
Paul Moloney
11st 4lbs
40 - 1
PulledUp
Netminder
A M Thomson
J Reveley
11st 4lbs
100 - 1
Fell
Poole Master
D Pipe
C Honour
11st 4lbs
50 - 1
PulledUp
Catcherinscratcher
H de Bromhead
A E Lynch
10st 11lbs
100 - 1
       

 

HOBBS PONDERS FINGAL BAY OPTION AFTER FIRST DEFEAT

Fingal Bay’s perfect racing record was brought to an end by Lovcen in this three-mile Grade One hurdle, but the six-year-old remains one of the most promising horses in training.

Fingal Bay was beaten a length and three-quarters by the Alan King-trained Lovcen after they took part in a sustained duel more or less along the long home straight. The only challenge to them from that point was third-placed Cotton Mill, who was shrugged off before the final hurdle and finished 11 lengths behind Fingal Bay.

Trainer Philip Hobbs had every reason to feel frustration, for this was his third runner-up in successive races following second spots for Wishfull Thinking and Chance Du Roy.

He said jockey Richard Johnson felt he may have hit the front too soon on Fingal Bay and added: “Maybe, but only maybe, the horse didn’t quite get home. He travelled so well and it’s easy in hindsight, but of course it’s disappointing to see him beaten for the first time.

“We don’t have many options now, because Punchestown is only just over a fortnight so he’s unlikely to go there, but we’ll see how he is. We’re a bit short of time.

“He’s likely to start next season over fences, possibly over two miles six furlongs or something similar, but I’m sure he will want three miles in time.”


‘NEW BOY’ FERGUSON DELIGHTED WITH COTTON MILL

John Ferguson’s five-year-old Cotton Mill crashed through the wings of the second-last hurdle when in contention in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but bounced back from that mishap with a good third to Lovcen and Fingal Bay in the John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.

Ferguson, better known as Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock adviser, was flanked in the winner’s enclosure by a large posse from Newmarket, including Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony and Darley’s director of stallions Sam Bullard.

He said: “I was delighted with that. I’ll never really understand what happened at Cheltenham but that’s behind us now. The important thing is he’s run very well.

“The shower earlier probably didn’t help him. The ground became a little bit tacky and he’d probably prefer it a little bit sharper but I’m delighted - we’re the new boys.”

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