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Cheltenham Winner Junior to Bid for Royal Ascot Repeat
11/04/11

David Pipe's tremendously versatile performer Junior, probably the most impressive winner of the whole Cheltenham Festival, looks set to attempt to repeat his 2010 victory when contesting the marathon Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot in the middle of June, writes Elliot Slater.

Junior
© Racehorse Photos

Immediately after his 24-length romp in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham last month, Junior was all the rage in the ante-post market for the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree, but his low weight means that he was never really going to get a run in 'the world's greatest steeplechase' and will instead turn his attentions to the Flat.

The eight-year-old Singspiel gelding had already established himself as a distinctly useful hurdler (he won the Grade 2 Winter Novices Hurdle at Sandown in December 2008), and as a progressive novice chaser in the 2009/10 jumps season, before Pipe had the idea of letting the Middleham Park Racing Club's charge takes his chance in the marathon two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes at last year's Royal Ascot fixture.

Under Seb Sanders, the tactics on Junior were clear from the start. Pipe had no doubt that his gelding would stay the trip and duly instructed his rider to jump off in front with the intent of staying there all the way to the finishing line. Having been well backed before the 'off' Junior went clear of his 19 rivals and had established a commanding advantage by half way. Try as they might to reel him in Sanders' mount maintained the furious gallop all the way up the Ascot straight, eventually scoring by five-lengths without his rivals managing to land a blow. The Ascot odds suggest he could be in with a good chance of a repeat.

His subsequent second place in the Goodwood Stakes off an 8lb higher mark six-weeks later, proved Junior's Ascot win no fluke at all. Pipe is now focusing on having Junior fit and ready to produce a similar performance at the showcase fixture later in the season.