Harry Fry was equal parts delighted and relieved to see stable star Gidley Park get his season back on track with a head-to-head win in the Fitzdares Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor.
Always held in the highest regard by his trainer, the seven-year-old won the Chepstow Bumper and his first three starts over hurdles before finishing sixth in the Albert Bartlett at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
He was odds-on favorite to make the cut at Kempton in November but was pulled after jumping five fences and later found to be suffering from a fluttering heart.
As a result, Gidleigh Park entered this Grade Two contest as a 15-2 outsider from four under Brian Carver, but it was clear from the early stages that he was relishing the task as he made a strong run at the flag at only 4-6 favorite Caldwell Potter was able to live with.
Grade One winner Caldwell Potter, riding for €740,000 (£625,000) on behalf of an ownership group that includes Sir Alex Ferguson, looked a major threat early on in the home run but Gidleigh Park continued to run in front and well up the stretch as he passed position in hand by four lengths.
“Personal Ambition” was 19 behind in third with “You Wear It Well” four from start to finish.
Fry said Sky Sports Racing“I think the relief is probably the biggest feeling, first of all, that he went out and jumped and ran and hit the line hard.
“The win today was icing on the cake because we wanted to see him at his best and I’m obviously excited to see him put in a performance like that.
“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 has 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 like he was shown there today.
“We were starting from scratch today so we’ll go home and see how he comes out of it, obviously his wellbeing is paramount and we can look forward to building the rest of the campaign with him.”
Nemean Lion hunts Salver for daring success
Nemean Lion tightened up victory in the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdles at Windsor.
The eight-year-old has been a fantastic servant for trainer Kerry Lee with five previous wins over hurdles, including grade two victories in the Premier Novice Hurdles at Kelso and Kingwell at Wincanton.
Off the back of a great success in the Hereford Handicap, Nemean Lion was the slight favorite for the £100,000 event at 85-40 and showed enough tenacity to get the job done with his undoubted talent under Richard Patrick.
Nemean Lion
Salver and Bluking d’Oro were strung along by the five-strong field for most of the two-and-a-half-mile race, the latter breaking loose briefly before rejoining in the straight.
With Blueking d’Oroux’s efforts gone and Iberico Lord and Langer Dane unable to get seriously involved, it was left for the Nemean Lion to mount the biggest challenge against Salver and after a thrilling fight it was Lee’s stable star who secured the half-length verdict.
Patrick told Sky Sports Racing. “When you ride a nice horse like him, it makes your life easier. Like I was saying to Kerry, he has no quirks and quirks, he’s so simple.
“We had a good run early and they slowed it down coming down the back, which I thought was ideal because going up in the trip we have speed and it turned into a bit of a sprint.
“He did it brilliantly and it wouldn’t have happened without getting the hurdle off the ground. He’s better than ever at the moment and he did it very well today.”
Delighted Lee said. “He’s a superstar, he loves being a racehorse, he’s so funny.
“He’s impeccably behaved but he’s got so much personality, he loves being a racehorse and he loves being in Herefordshire and going out.
“He’s really thrived since he moved in and now he’s eight, he’s really matured. I know he’s been on the road for a long time as a flat horse, but he’s really enjoying life.
“He was always flat on the flat, but it’s relatively easy for him, although he had to work hard to win that race.”
