Smad Place crowns Newbury double for Alan King

Smad Place

The winner’s enclosure is often the place where the truth can be stretched a little as a trainer explains that the victory was the final stage in a long thought-out plan.

But after Smad Place had put the well-backed Dolatulo in his place by 27 lengths in the Q Associates Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury, Alan King admitted that he was as surprised as anyone else. “He only just showed me enough at home,” King said candidly. “He’s not the quickest. Very laid-back horse at home but when I went to saddle him here he was a lot sharper and I thought he might show a little bit more here. It’s stamina that’s won the day here.”

King has proved he is in his element when training such classy juveniles as Katchit, Franchoek and Penzance. He was not ready to necessarily promote Smad Place to that league just yet but then he was not initially struck on the claims of Katchit when he won at Cheltenham’s Open meeting in 2006, and he went through the rest of the season unbeaten en route to taking the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival the following March.

“He’s grown a lot since we bought him. We’ve had him for three or four months and he’s shot up and he wasn’t ridiculous money. The further he went the better so it’s interesting.

“He would probably be more in the Franchoek mould – he wouldn’t have the speed of a Mille Chief or a Katchit – and I would imagine he would go to the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow,” King said, adding “I didn’t think we had a good juvenile but may be we’re back in the mix.”

Stable jockey Robert Thornton is nearing a return to the saddle, after he ruptured three of the four ligaments in his right knee in a fall at Newton Abbot in July, but Wayne Hutchinson has proved to be every bit the able deputy that King knew him to be and he brought up the double when Little George won the Sanderson Weatherall Barbara E Birthday Novices' Handicap Chase.

“Choc sees the specialist on Monday and he might be back sooner rather than later,” King said “but we’re lucky to have Wayne on board”.

Jennie Candlish could have been forgiven for thinking that he luck was right out at Haydock last Saturday, when Barafundle came second to handicap good thing Grands Crus in a valuable hurdle. But her horse bounced back to win the sportingbet.com Handicap Hurdle.

The victory also maintained a promising season for Candlish, who began her training career in Arab racing, for whom Cross Kennon landed a gamble at Cheltenham two weeks ago. Candlish also Maoi Chinn Tire, a 200-1 shot, who won at Wetherby last month but Barafundle was always going to be the market leader and came home seven lengths clear.

Jennie Candlish could have been forgiven for thinking that he luck was right out at Haydock last Saturday, when Barafundle came second to handicap good thing Grands Crus in a valuable hurdle. But her horse bounced back to win the sportingbet.com Handicap Hurdle.

The victory also maintained a promising season for Candlish, who began her training career in Arab racing, for whom Cross Kennon landed a gamble at Cheltenham two weeks ago. Candlish also Maoi Chinn Tire, a 200-1 shot, who won at Wetherby last month, but Barafundle was always going to be the market leader and came home seven lengths clear.

Barafudle had gone up 7lbs for his run behind Grand Crus but was able to race off the same mark on this quick reappearance and his trainer felt she had to take the opportunity. “I thought it was a big ask for him and you definitely won’t see him for a bit now.”

Spirit River is a novice chaser who will be seen to great effect later in the season. He was jumping with real brio in the Grade Two Fuller's London Pride Novices' Chase until he tipped up six out. By comparison Celestial Halo never looked happy at his fences and only picked up on the run-in to claim third after which Paul Nicholls said he would be reverted to a hurdling campaign.

The race was won Cois Farraig whom trainer Paul Webber sees as a staying prospect. “They’re no big plans – I think he’s a three-mile horse in the making,” Webber said.
 

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Paul Wheeler

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