Harry Fry was delighted and relieved in equal measure after seeing stable star Gidleigh Park get his season back on track with a front-running victory in the Fitzdares Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor.
Always held in the highest regard by his trainer, the seven-year-old won a Chepstow bumper and his first three starts over hurdles before finishing sixth in the Albert Bartlett at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
He was an odds-on favourite to make a successful switch to chasing at Kempton in November, but was pulled up after jumping five fences and was later found to be suffering from a fibrillating heart.
As a result, Gidleigh Park lined up in this Grade Two contest as a 15-2 outsider of four under Bryan Carver, but it was clear from an early stage he was enjoying the task, as he set a strong gallop from flag-fall that only 4-6 favourite Caldwell Potter was able to live with.
Grade One-winning hurdler Caldwell Potter, a €740,000 [£625,000] purchase on behalf of an ownership group that includes Sir Alex Ferguson, loomed up looking a big danger early in the home straight, but Gidleigh Park kept galloping out in front and was well on top as he passed the post with four lengths in hand.
Personal Ambition was a further 19 lengths behind in third, with You Wear It Well last of four from start to finish.
Fry told Sky Sports Racing: “I think relief is probably the overriding feeling, first and foremost that he’s come out and jumped and galloped and hit the line hard.
“Winning today was the icing on the cake, as we wanted to see him back to his best and I’m thrilled obviously to see him put in a performance like that. We’re back on track and onwards and upwards.
“A lot of people have helped us get him back, a lot of people have put in a lot of effort and it’s great to see that hard work paid off and the dream is alive.
“All summer, I couldn’t believe I ran him in the Albert Bartlett over three miles to be honest, because he’s not a slow horse, as he’s shown there today.
“We were starting back from scratch today, so we’ll go home and see how he comes out of it – obviously his well-being is paramount – and we can look forward to plotting the rest of the campaign with him.”
Nemean Lion hunts down Salver for gutsy success
Nemean Lion toughed it out to claim victory in the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle at Windsor.
The eight-year-old has been a fantastic servant to trainer Kerry Lee, with his five previous wins over obstacles including Grade Two triumphs in the Premier Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso and the Kingwell at Wincanton.
Fresh from a fine weight-carrying success in a Hereford handicap, Nemean Lion was the marginal favourite for this £100,000 conditions event at 85-40 and showed a good deal of tenacity to go with his undoubted talent to get the job done under Richard Patrick.
Nemean Lion
Salver and Blueking d’Oroux took the five-strong field along for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest, with the latter briefly cutting loose before being joined again in the straight.
With Blueking d’Oroux’s effort petering out and both Iberico Lord and Langer Dan unable to get seriously involved, it was left to Nemean Lion to throw down the biggest challenge to Salver and following a thrilling duel, it was Lee’s stable star who secured a half-length verdict.
Patrick told Sky Sports Racing: “When you ride a nice horse like him, it makes your life so easy. As I was saying to Kerry, he’s got no quirks and no kinks – he’s so straightforward.
“We went a good gallop early and they slowed it right down going down the back, which I thought was ideal because stepping up in trip, we’ve got speed and it turned into a bit of a sprint.
“He did it brilliantly and it wouldn’t be him without kicking a hurdle out of the ground! He’s better than ever at the minute and today he’s done it very well.”
A delighted Lee said: “He’s a superstar, he loves being a racehorse, he’s so much fun.
“He’s immaculately behaved but he’s got so much personality, he loves being a racehorse and loves being in Herefordshire and going out in the field.
“He’s really thrived since he moved to us and now he’s eight, he’s really matured. I know he’s been on the go a long time as a Flat horse but he really just does enjoy life.
“On the Flat, he was always flat out, but he finds this comparatively easy, although he had to work really hard to win that race.”
