Lucky Place announced himself as a Stayers’ Hurdle contender with victory over the impressive Gowel Road in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s progressive performer had made a triumphant return in the Ascot Hurdle and was again in contention with Jeremy Scott’s Cheltenham Festival winner Golden Ace, who was sent off the 5/2 favorite for this New Year’s draw.
Ridden by Nico de Boinville, Lucky Place was one of the runners to watch for the Gowel Road prospect as Sam Twiston-Davies looked to put the stamina of his sire Nigel’s steady and consistent performer to the fore.
Winning jockey Nico de Boinville
Meanwhile, the Golden Aces and Salver of Gary and Josh Moore traveled in style at the back as they sneaked into contention going down the stretch last time out.
When Salver went down last time and the Golden Ace’s stamina began to waver, it was left to Lucky Place to stop the rallying Gowel Road, who refused to lie down and forced the young Seven Barrows contender to answer every call.
He returned a three-quarter-length verdict at odds of 3/1, with Henderson suggesting the Cleeve Hurdle could be next as he looks for further evidence to lean in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March went from 20/1 to 16/1.
Henderson said. “He’s the nicest young horse you could want to have. He’s got to start chasing, and he’s jumping really well, but I just couldn’t find the chance to chase, and I don’t mind saying that.
“Luckily we’ve got some good novice chasers doing that and he’s back in the Ascot Hurdle now and I think he’s beaten the team for the Stayers’ Hurdle.
“You can go to Clive, but I don’t know that the race over three miles is always going to be a tough fight and whether he needs one on the way to the Stayers or not. Nico and I had a quick chat afterwards and we decided, that he should have a crack at the Stayers but do we have to test that before March as we are pretty sure he will stay.
“He was ridden to take the bite out of the race today and we had to ride him as he sat today, we had to speed it up and get on with it and take the bite out of the faster horses, which he did, and then he put his head down and fought well.
“It’s an open division and I think he’s earned his ticket to the Stayers. We’ve got nothing else to race.”
“I don’t think we have to prove that he’s staying for us, we know he’s staying and he’s on a progressive curve.
“We think he’s a three-miler, he’s progressive and I’d say he’s better off continuing to grow than throwing a new race at him. The only point of running at Cleeve is to prove he stays and why we don’t ask for it. not the end of January, but March.”
