Sam Thomas hailed Iwilldoit as “the horse of a lifetime” as he goes in search of a second win in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.
Gold Cup-winning rider Thomas has been training since 2015 and Iwilldoit has provided him with two of his biggest wins to date.
Not content with winning this marathon contest in 2021, some 383 days later without the aid of another run he landed the Classic Chase at Warwick.
His comeback this year was over hurdles at Aintree, a pleasing effort in a Pertemps qualifier where he finished two lengths behind the useful Gentleman At Arms.
The 10-year-old will now return to fences and Thomas is hoping he will be in his element when partnered by 7lb claimer Dylan Johnston.
“We’re absolutely over the moon with him and he’s in great form,” said Thomas.
“He had a prep run at Aintree a little while ago now and has had plenty of time to recover from that. He’s since had a couple of away days and is in a really good place, we’re really happy with him.
“He will want it as soft as possible and we have decided to claim off him as well, taking 7lb off his back. We just feel if we’re ever going to go and win it again – he’s not getting any younger – we just want to do everything we can to give him every chance.
“Dylan was put to me by Olly Murphy a while ago and I’ve since used him on another horse. He’s a very good young lad and has a wise head on young shoulders. It’s a lot of responsibility for a 7lb claimer in a big race and the last thing we want to do is put any pressure on a young lad, but he looks like he will be fine.
“He’s been amazing for us and he would be a horse of a lifetime for any yard really. We’ve won some nice, big races with him and fingers crossed we can keep him in one piece and this might not be his last Welsh National yet.”
Joe Tizzard will saddle The Big Breakaway, an eight-year-old who finished second in the race last year and is regular in these staying chases.
His most recent outing was in the Becher Chase at Aintree earlier in the month, where he was pulled up when not taking to the task over the Grand National fences.
The chestnut has had a day’s hunting to reignite his enthusiasm and Tizzard would love to see him go one better than last year to take the trophy run in memory of his late sister Kim Gingell.
“He let us down a bit in the Becher Chase, he just didn’t take to it – simple as that – but he didn’t have a hard race,” he said.
“He went hunting on Saturday and he proved last year that he’s capable of running a massive race.
“It’s the last year of the race being run in memory of Kim, so we will have the blinkers back on him and hope he runs a massive race. I think he has a big one in him, but he has let me down and we left the blinkers off over the big fences and now they are back on.
“He proved last year with a lot of weight he is capable of doing it, it just all needs to click.”
Fergal O’Brien’s team is in good form and he runs Autonomous Cloud in the race, a seven-year-old who made a winning start to the term when taking a Uttoxeter chase by six and a half lengths in November.
“He had his prep run at Uttoxeter a few weeks ago and if you could have planned a prep run, you couldn’t have planned it any better because there were three of them in a line and unfortunately one fell at the third-last and brought down the other one, so he had a gallop round for three miles but didn’t have a hard race,” O’Brien explained.
“That was ideal and he’s been training really well and we’re very happy with him.
“I think he had five or six runs as a novice over fences and he’s a lovely horse. If he’s not one for this Welsh National, he could be for another Welsh National or another National, he’s a beautiful horse.”
Gavin Sheehan is also in good from and he looks to extend a fine run with a ride on Jamie Snowden’s Super Survivor.
“I’m looking forward to him, he’s a lovely horse and had a great prep run,” he said.
“He ticks a lot of boxes for the race and hopefully it goes well on the day.”
Other notable contenders include Gary Moore’s Nassalam, winner of the Welsh National Trial earlier in the month, and the Paul Nicholls duo of Complete Unknown and Truckers Lodge.
Michael O’Sullivan is looking to end a brilliant 2023 on a high when Marine Nationale makes his eagerly-awaited chasing debut at Leopardstown.
It has been a stellar year for the young Irishman who turned professional in September 2022 and on joining forces with burgeoning handler Barry Connell, struck gold on the big stage numerous times.
Connell’s Good Land and Espanito Bello provided notable triumphs, but the ace in the pack was Marine Nationale, who gave O’Sullivan a taste of the big-time when winning the Royal Bond before following up in style at the Cheltenham Festival.
The classy Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner now embarks on a novice chase campaign, with the Paddy Power From The Horses Mouth Podcast Beginners Chase on December 27 the first port of call for the unbeaten six-year-old.
“He didn’t put a foot wrong and so far he is unbeaten in his career and obviously I am very lucky to be involved with him,” said O’Sullivan.
“He’s ran five times and won two Grade Ones, so it’s going to be hard to top last season, but we are very much looking forward to getting him over fences.
“It’s going to be a tougher ask and the horse is going to have to train on again, but we’re looking forward to it. It will be great to get him back on the racecourse and hopefully it goes well.
“All has gone well (so far), he’s very straightforward and hasn’t put a foot wrong. We just keep our fingers crossed all goes to plan.”
The belated chasing debut could be the first step on a journey connections hope takes them back to the Festival in March, where a rematch with Supreme runner-up Facile Vega in the Arkle could be on the cards.
“If he is as good as last year and hopefully we can get to March and get him to Cheltenham in the form he was last year, then you would be very much looking forward to that,” continued O’Sullivan.
“If it was a carbon copy (of the Supreme) that would be great, but that is going to be very hard to do. We’ll be trying our best.”
It was Marine Nationale that kick-started O’Sullivan and Connell’s association when they combined to claim a Punchestown bumper in May 2022.
Few could predict the success the duo would enjoy over the next 18 months, as O’Sullivan turned professional and repaid his loyal boss in spades as he swiftly became one of the weighing room’s brightest stars.
“After turning professional last September, I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone much better than it did,” added O’Sullivan.
“I was very lucky to come across some very nice horses for good people and got lots of support.”
O’Sullivan’s claim would quickly evaporate as he became one of the go-to men in the riding ranks and finished the season picking up rides for the likes of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, scoring aboard the latter’s Jazzy Matty at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, he saved his best performances in the saddle for those trained by Connell with the duo striking at Grade One level three times – twice with Marine Nationale and once with the talented Good Land.
“To win three Grade Ones in my first season as a professional, I’m under no illusion how lucky I am to come across those horses,” said O’Sullivan.
“Some people will go through their whole career looking for a Grade One horse and to find horses of that ability and for Barry to put his faith in me and for things to have gone so well, I will always be very grateful.
“It was a case of right place, right time for me and in racing you need a lot of luck and I was lucky I got a break and thanks to him, other trainers and owners have had the faith to put me up as well.”
The culmination of O’Sullivan’s terrific breakthrough season came at the Cheltenham Festival when an opening day double was highlighted by an ice-cool display in the saddle aboard Marine Nationale, a statement performance from man and horse at the very beginning of racing’s biggest week.
“It was the stuff dreams are made of and it is what you have been getting up as a kid to do,” reflected the rider.
“For that dream to come true was amazing and that whole week was magical. I was going there with some nice chances and high hopes of getting a winner, so to win the first race, the Supreme, in front of the crowd and with the atmosphere was amazing and then the other winner was a bonus.”
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force coach David Furlonge said he will be having a conversation with Darren Bravo before the end of 2023 as the local franchise puts things in place ahead of the West Indies Championship season early next year.
Bravo captained the Red Force in the recent CG United Super50 Cup staged in Trinidad and emerged as the leading batter as the hosts clinched the title with an unbeaten run.
However, after being overlooked for the WI One-Day International squad for the recent home series against England, which the West Indies won 2-1, the 34-year-old announced that he was stepping away from the game “just for a bit”.
Furlonge confirmed Bravo’s decision to take a break, explaining that the stylish left-hander, who is contracted by the franchise, has taken his vacation entitlement and wasn’t due back until next year.
However, with plans already being drawn up for the next four-day tournament, Furlonge said he will have to speak with Bravo before the new year to see where the player is at.
After Bravo’s initial announcement on social media in late November, the Red Force coach, who is also chairman of the senior selection panel, was optimistic that the middle order batter would be available for the red-ball regional tournament.
However, it was reported that Bravo was contacted by Cricket West Indies director of cricket Miles Bascombe about going on next month’s Test tour of Australia but he declined the offer.
Meanwhile, Furlonge said: “He (Bravo) is not due back until next year but I will have a conversation before that.”
“We will need to know where we are at because we will have to name a captain who will be involved in selection and preparations for the four-day tournament coming up,” the Red Force coach continued.
“I will have to meet with him soon to get an update. He is still basically on vacation. He has not said anything about the four-day as yet. From a team point of view, we will want to know if he is available or not because he is the captain,” Furlonge added.
Bravo captained the Red Force in the previous West Indies Championship season and finished the season with 446 runs from five matches which included two centuries and one half-century.
The only other batter to score more runs than Bravo in the four-day competition was Alick Athanaze with 647 runs.
The Red Force finished fourth on the six-team standings with the Guyana Harpy Eagles clinching the first-class title, the Windward Islands Volcanoes coming in second and the Barbados Pride placing third.
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes finished fifth and Jamaica Scorpions were last.
West Indies ODI Captain Shai Hope is looking forward to his first ever Indian Premier League (IPL) stint.
The 30-year-old Bajan was picked up by the Delhi Capitals at last week’s IPL Player Auction in Dubai for INR 75 Lakh (USD 90,500).
“I’m extremely delighted to be joining the Delhi Capitals family for my first ever IPL experience,” Hope said.
“I’m looking forward to creating lots and lots of memories with them,” he added.
Hope, over the last few years, has emerged as one of the best batsmen in the world in the One-Day-International format.
Since his debut in 2016, Hope has amassed 5132 runs in 121 matches at an average of 51.32 including 16 hundreds and 25 fifties.
In his last series against England, Hope became the joint-fastest West Indian, alongside Sir Viv Richards, to reach the 5000-run mark in ODI cricket.
Until recently, his form in the shortest format of the game was always questioned, with many critics pointing out his inability to score quickly enough as a top-order player.
He has had a resurgence in the format since being dropped from the West Indies T20 side after some lean returns in the team’s 1-4 home series loss to India from July-August 2022.
Since then, Hope has had some excellent results in the format. He represented the Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League from January-February this year, scoring 223 runs in seven innings at an average of 37.16 and an impressive strike rate of 136.80. He had a highest score of 91*.
Hope also played in the Pakistan Super League for the eventual champions, Lahore Qalandars, appearing in only three games and scoring 67 runs at a strike rate of 131.37.
It was Hope’s form in the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), however, that earned him a recall to the West Indies side and, quite possibly, his maiden IPL contract as well.
Hope scored 481 runs in 12 innings for the Guyana Amazon Warriors to end the season as the tournament’s top run-scorer. The Amazon Warriors went on to win their maiden CPL title.
He scored those 481 runs at an average of 53.44 including four fifties and a first T20 hundred, 106 against the Barbados Royals.
Hope then made his return to the West Indies T20 squad, producing scores of 45 and 22* against India in August before scoring 122 runs in five games to help the West Indies secure a 3-2 series win over defending World T20 Champions, England, earlier this month.
The US Virgin Islands Soccer Federation has announced former Reggae Girlz head coach, Vin Blaine, as its new Director of Football.
Blaine also previously served in the same role from November 2019-February 2022.
The federation made the announcement in a social media post on Friday.
“The USVI Soccer Federation is pleased to announce that it has appointed Vin Blaine as Director of Football.
With a wealth of experience, knowledge as well as a passion for the game. Director Blaine has served in numerous roles, in multiple countries. One of his most recent roles was being the Head Coach of Reggae Girlz (Jamaica).
The future looks bright for Virgin Islands Football.”
Blaine currently serves as Director of Soccer at the Village Elite Soccer Academy in Palm Springs, Florida.
He previously served as Technical Director for the Harbour View Football Club as well as Grenada Football Federation and was the Technical Coordinator for Jamaica’s National Women’s teams from 2005-2012.
He also served as head coach of the Reggae Girlz for 10 months from December 2021-September 2022.
Conditions at Kempton are set fair for a blockbuster day of racing at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The feature Ladbrokes King George VI Chase may only have attracted six runners but they include two previous winners in the Paul Nicholls pair of Bravemansgame and Frodon, a dual Ryanair hero in Allaho, last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase scorer The Real Whacker, an American Grand National winner in Hewick and the enigmatic Shishkin.
On top of that is the reappearance of Nicky Henderson’s superstar champion hurdler Constitution Hill in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
With a fascinating renewal of the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase which sees Giovinco, Hermes Allen and the French five-year-old Il Est Francais compete, racegoers are set for a real treat.
The strong winds that have prevailed over recent days did cause a delay to Hewick’s ferry but he arrived safely a few hours later than planned.
Clerk of the course Barney Clifford said: “Shark Hanlon’s original ferry was cancelled so he had to go via Dublin in the end.
“They’ve all been out this morning, the French horse (Il Est Francais), Allaho and Hewick. They all had a little canter.
“We’re forecast a couple of millimetres today and we could do with it to counteract yesterday’s drying. The going stick is reading 7.2 and that is good, good to soft in places. Those who were on it this morning said it was beautiful.
“We’ve got a bit of rain coming today which won’t have an affect on the ground but then Boxing Day night we could get up to 10 millimetres, it looks like being a wet morning on the 27th so what going we will have then I have no idea.
“The King George is a cracker. Shark Hanlon said to me this morning that all six had a chance, you couldn’t rule any out – even Frodon. He’s obviously delighted with conditions because Hewick wants good ground.
“I’m thrilled with conditions, it’s all natural, it hasn’t been irrigated and I was grateful we got that rain last Tuesday, we got 13 millimetres and it’s been slowly drying since – they are nice conditions.”
Jonjo O’Neill’s Are U Wise To That is having a short spell out of action having picked up a cut when winning at Cheltenham recently.
The six-year-old is the winner of four of just seven races under rules and looked a novice going places at the December meeting.
Raised 5lb for his win to a mark of 130, plans are currently on hold while he recuperates.
“Unfortunately he’s given himself a nasty little gash so he’ll be out for a while,” said O’Neill.
“He will be OK, but just to prevent infections it needed washing out. It shouldn’t take too long if all goes the right way.
“He did everything sweet at Cheltenham and he jumped away grand, hopefully he’ll be a nice horse.”
In the same blue and yellow silks of Michael Geoghegan, Inch House has enjoyed a good first half of the season, winning twice at Newbury.
“He’s going OK. He might develop into one for Ultima. We’ll know better where we are going after his next run,” said O’Neill.
“I’m not sure where that will be as he wouldn’t want the ground bottomless so we’ll see how we go.”
At Newbury on Wednesday Fortunate Man cruised to victory for JP McManus, a much better outcome than when unseating at the third flight on his racecourse debut.
“To be honest I thought he’d run well at Ffos Las as that was an easier race. At Newbury you never know what you might bump into,” said O’Neill.
“The ground was very heavy there and I’d say that might have played into his strengths. It was nice to see him do it anyway.
“I’d say he might be ground dependent, but hopefully he’s a nice horse.”
Having enjoyed three-consecutive series victories since taking over as West Indies Twenty20 captain, Rovman Powell credits the Caribbean’s side’s success under his leadership, to the overwhelming support of teammates and staff.
Powell, who was appointed in February following the sudden resignation of Nicholas Pooran, has so far guided West Indies to T20 International triumphs away to South Africa, as well as home wins against India and more recently England.
The accomplishment not only ensured West Indies ends the year unbeaten in a series, but more importantly, serves as a solid platform on which they can build ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup to be hosted jointly by the Caribbean and United States.
“I think I just have a good bunch of guys around me. I have a very good support staff and the guys respect me and they trust me and trust my judgement. And also, I try to lead from the front. I think as a captain once you lead from the front then naturally guys will follow,” Powell said after West Indies topped England 3-2 at the end of a five-match series in Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite being young at heart at 30 years old, Powell boast extensive captaincy experience. He led Jamaica Tallawahs to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title last year in his third year in charge full-time, and also captained Jamaica to the Regional Super50 title in 2022. He has previously deputised for West Indies in three One-day Internationals (ODIs) and one T20I.
A month after taking the reins, Powell saw West Indies to a 2-1 series win over South Africa, and they followed that up with a 3-2 victory over India in August.
With their latest success coming against reigning World champions England, Powell said it provides a significant boost in confidence, as West Indies continued their preparation for next year’s T20 showpiece.
Powell has won eight of his 13 matches in charge while averaging 36 with the bat – well above his career average of 25.
“It also gives us confidence [and] confidence for me personally. I try to lead and lead from the front. Once I’m doing what I have to do as a batter first, then the captaincy will take care of itself,” the soft-spoken Jamaican shared.
“I realise as a captain once you’re doing your job, then your decision-making becomes sharper, you don’t second guess yourself when you come under pressure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Powell’s compatriot Andre Russell, also endorsed his leadership.
“I support him a hundred per cent. As the captain, even though he looks up to me, I’m not going to tell him ‘Ok, you need to do this, and you have to do this.’ I respect him as a leader and he’s been doing tremendously so far for the team and for himself,” Russell said.
“I think the confidence he has as a captain and as a player batting-wise, then working with his instinct, [making] bowling changes, making crucial decisions. He managed us as bowlers very well, so hats off to him for that. I don’t need to say much to him – he’s doing a good job,” the electrifying all-rounder added.
It has been a year of discovery for Adam West, who has his sights set on more international assignments in 2024 after a phenomenal season that culminated in a fairytale trip to the Breeders’ Cup with star speedster Live In The Dream.
The four-year-old more than lived up to his name when providing his trainer, regular pilot Sean Kirrane and owners Steve and Jolene De’Lemos with a first Group One success in the Nunthorpe, but their ambitious quest to conquer America ultimately ended in gallant defeat at Santa Anita.
With the dust now well and truly settled on a magical journey from Lingfield handicaps in the spring to California in November, West is keen to ensure his Breeders’ Cup adventure is not the end of an underdog story that has captured the hearts and minds of the racing public.
“I would love to tick off a few more worldwide options,” said West.
“I would be really excited to go to Hong Kong, I would love to tick that one off, and everything from the Pardubice all the way round, there are so many races across the world and I would love to spread the wings, as it were.”
Although Live In The Dream failed to deliver a Hollywood ending to his box office campaign in the shadows of the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains, his handler is confident he will have thrived for the cross-Atlantic experience when he returns to the track in 2024.
“He came out of the Breeders’ Cup really well and we’re just looking forward to next year and seeing what we can do,” said West.
“With sprinters, you hope they can improve strength on strength – and with that little bit of maturity after his eventful year, you would hope he is more amenable to different things.
“I definitely think it will make him mature a hell of a lot. He has a great head on him anyway and he has probably learnt more than I have this year!”
It is, of course, not just Live In The Dream who will have learnt from his forays Stateside, with his handler wide-eyed after experiencing the draining nature of long-haul travel for the very first time.
“I realised that both times I flew, that I don’t take the travel as well as the horse and that took it out of me,” explained West.
“I was quite sick both times towards the end of it and that’s me coming from a bit of a humble background and never having been on a flight longer than an hour and a bit, so it was a bit of a shock to the system.
“It’s all things that I can learn from for next time to make sure I’ve got the best of me out there, rather than a sick version of me.
“They are absolutely incredible people and the Americans couldn’t do enough for us and have a real passion for their racing. The individuals you meet were really enthusiastic and it makes you look forward to getting out there again, when I can.”
Live In The Dream’s Breeders’ Cup challenge only became a possibility after his devastating Nunthorpe success during the height of summer, when the four-year-old bounced out and made every yard of the running in breath-taking fashion.
Although sent off a somewhat unfancied 28-1 shot, there was no fluke about the result, with top-class speedsters Highfield Princess and Bradsell unable to deal with the blistering early pace shown from West’s stable star.
“We went there with no pressure and just happy to be there,” continued West.
“We always thought York would suit him but when he ran over the five and half before, he didn’t quite perform as we thought, so you kind of don’t expect too much.
“Everything was right that day, it’s sprinting isn’t it, you could run it 10 times and it might be different – if something had broken a little better, or there had been a headwind or something, then it wouldn’t have been our day, but luckily it was and we really enjoyed it.
“It is something that will be etched into everyone’s heads for the rest of time.”
West’s meteoric rise in the second half of 2023 serves as a reminder of the fickle nature of training racehorses, and although enjoying some of the biggest days of his career, there is also relief that it has allowed him to continue operating in a sport where the price of triumph often comes at a premium.
He said: “In one term, it (this year) has meant survival. It has secured enough support and momentum to carry on and there were questions with the way racing is going whether it is a viable thing.
“When you have success like that, you are able to stick your head above water for a little bit and take a breath, ready to go in and do it all over again. If you can do that once in 10 years, I suppose it is enough to keep you going.
“I don’t think it has changed anything initially and we haven’t had a huge influx of owners or anything like that. But it is on the CV now and it has proven that given the ammunition, we have shown we can do it.”
However, the past six months have also brought the best of racing’s fabled camaraderie to West’s door, as he went from quietly plying his trade on the daily racing treadmill to hot property due to his rags to riches tale.
It was something the handler admits caught him by surprise, as he reflects on his spell in the spotlight and also the wealth of good wishes that came his way.
“I would never have expected the amount of support from the UK and when you are at an international event like that, it was not something I had ever encountered before,” said West.
“I enjoyed all of that and I got to meet so many people who were going through all of the same things – and it was great and really warming.
“You can become quite isolated as a trainer, as you are competing against each other all the time, but when things like that happen, you do realise the industry does support each other in its own unique way.”
The generosity of the tight-knit racing community saw West grow close to fellow Breeders’ Cup rookie Mick Appleby, as they both prepared for the trip of a lifetime.
It was a friendship formed over a makeshift starting bell prior to the journey to California and the Epsom handler hopes their bond stands the test of time once Live In The Dream and Big Evs start locking horns on the sprinting scene next season.
“It brought me and Mick Appleby closer together and getting Live In The Dream and Big Evs up against each other is surely going to happen,” said West.
“I think that will be a great rivalry, as long as I can swallow the odd defeat!
“I would look forward to that, as they both race in such a tenacious way and have similar styles, I will really look forward to that.
“We might have the edge on him next year, being a five-year-old against a three-year-old, but if he stays in training the following year, it could be some battle.”
He went on: “I know you get the jumpers and how the support for them builds each year as they come back, well there is a chance that this horse could be coming back three years in a row and he could be a bit of a star name – and if the rivalry is there too, then so be it.”
If winning that scintillating sprint showdown is high up on West’s 2024 wish list, then so is making his mark in the National Hunt sphere, with the Epsom handler daring to dream of smashing another glass ceiling in the near future.
He said: “The next ambition is a Grade One and I really want to push the jumping – I’ve actually got some great jumps stats!
“We’ve done the Group One, so now I want to win a Grade One as well, so watch this space.”
It has been a stellar year that will live long in the memory of Julie Camacho, as Shaquille’s seismic rise to sprinting stardom catapulted the Yorkshire handler to the top of the sport.
The Star Cottage operation has always been respected when it comes to handling speedsters, Judicial’s longevity was the proof in that particular pudding.
However, in Shaquille, luck had brought a rare diamond to Camacho’s door and over the course of 2023, her team honed that burgeoning talent to perfection.
Little under two miles away from where John Quinn prepared Highfield Princess to thrive in 2022, the Malton air proved ripe for propelling another fledgling speedster to the highest level, as Shaquille went from unheralded handicapper to Group One superstar.
“Shaquille was wonderful and it culminated in the two Group Ones, which were obviously unexpected when you are starting a horse off in a handicap at the Guineas meeting,” said Camacho’s husband and assistant Steve Brown.
“It’s all been a bit of a blur and when it is not as busy and we are on holiday, we might sit down and reflect on what a fantastic year we’ve had.
“At the time, it’s on to the next day and you have got to be concerned about all of your horses, it’s just another day on the treadmill really.
“It’s been beyond our wildest dreams really and has moved our yard to another level. Obviously, there were other good results, like Significantly winning the Ayr Gold Cup, and it has been a wonderful year and we don’t really want it to end.”
It is fair to say that Shaquille had his own style of getting from A to B, often leaving connections and punters sweating at various points in a contest, but when the winning post approached, his athletic prowess would come to the fore and he was always at the peak of his powers when it mattered most.
“He’s a horse who is a little bit unconventional in his running style and at times has made life that little bit harder for himself, but ultimately everything stops with the result and the results were positive and there were some great days,” continued Brown.
“I think he is a really gifted athlete and time proved that. I think he has great capacity and a great ability to maintain his speed.
“Often, horses show speed for a certain amount of the race and then gradually wither away – but he could maintain his speed and I think he is a horse of great athletic ability, which he showed for most of his career.
“He was unconventional but very effective. We all love a maverick in life and I think he had a touch of that about him, but he certainly had plenty of brilliance on his day.”
Despite winning three of his four two-year-old starts, there were few clues to suggest that over the next 12 months, Shaquille would develop into one of the season’s leading performers.
His three-year-old campaign got off to the worst possible start when withdrawn at the start on All-Weather Championship Finals Day, but once dominating a field of useful handicappers at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting, the momentum began to build and build before reaching a Group One crescendo during the height of summer.
“His rate of progression was unbelievable really and he stepped up to Listed and then to the Group Ones and he proved himself to be a very good horse and we really enjoyed the ride,” said Brown.
“When he won three of his four two-year-old races, he always looked very good but not to the level that we ended up racing at, we thought he would just be what you would call a ‘nice horse’ level, not a Group One horse.
“He did catch us by surprise, but the one thing I have always said was when he would come back in after he won, he never came in tired, he was always a fresh horse afterwards.
“He always galloped out well after his races and you always felt there was more there, but at what level, we weren’t sure. It’s lovely when you can just progress a horse quietly through the grades with no pressure.”
There was soon no hiding place for Shaquille, as victory in Newbury’s Carnarvon Stakes left connections with little option but to take a shot at the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Even so, Camacho and Brown were still refusing to feel the pressure, as they set about enjoying rubbing shoulders with the best.
That laid-back approach seemed to be inherited by Shaquille himself, as he reared and then sat dozily in the stalls as the best three-year-old sprinters were already making their way up the Ascot straight.
Eventually getting into stride under Oisin Murphy, he worked his way back into the contest before his raw power took him past Aidan O’Brien’s big-race fancy Little Big Bear in the closing stages.
“He went from his novices to a handicap, to a Listed and then the programme book forced you up to Group One and we sort of thought it was worth a go,” explained Brown.
“We went to Ascot feeling no pressure, because the Coolmore horse was a hotpot and we just thought we would go and have a lovely time – and if he ran well, we would be delighted. Of course, it was such a great day, to win it was wonderful.”
He went on: “It was a totally different feeling to the July Cup, because then you had expectation, whereas we were pretty cool at Royal Ascot and thought if we hit the frame, then everyone has had a great day out and we’ll go home still having a progressive horse.”
With a first Group One in the bank and a day to remember etched into the memory, the pressure Camacho and co declined to feel heading into Ascot suddenly weighed massively on their shoulders as Shaquille was tasked with backing up his impressive Commonwealth Cup in Newmarket’s July Cup.
He was sent of the 5-2 joint-favourite alongside his Ascot rival Little Big Bear and, while the Coolmore charge sank under the weight of expectation, the son of Charm Spirit grew in stature to deliver an utterly devastating display.
Again, Shaquille gave his rivals a glimmer of hope and all associated with him palpitations by rearing at the start and exiting the stalls in his own time.
However, whereas at Ascot he worked his way gradually into contention, this time around the colt carted his substitute rider Rossa Ryan to the head of proceedings and never let up as he galloped out to back-to-back big-race triumphs.
“Newmarket obviously came with pressure, but you also had the realisation that this can be achieved,” continued Brown.
“You have suddenly got a very good horse and it was sort of ‘why can’t we think we can go and win the July Cup’ – and fortunately he did.”
There was a sting to the tail in the Shaquille story, as he was unable to back up his Ascot and Newmarket heroics when bidding for a third Group One triumph in Haydock’s Sprint Cup.
It was the final time the champion sprinter was seen on a racecourse before heading off into retirement and stallion duties at Dullingham Park Stud, with that Merseyside flop the only black mark on his phenomenal journey to the top of the sprinting tree.
“We still never found a satisfactory explanation for that,” added Brown.
“The horses weren’t in good form and I suppose that is the most plausible reason, but I have it in the back of my mind that he put so much into Ascot and Newmarket and did that just have an effect on him on that day at Haydock.
“We will never know unfortunately, and the only shame is his career ended on a bit of a low, as the rest of it was magical.”
Patrick Mullins is delighted with the prospect of being reunited with Facile Vega in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday.
Mullins won four bumpers on the six-year-old two seasons ago, including the championship events at Cheltenham and Punchestown, and with Paul Townend at Kempton to ride Allaho he steps into the breach.
As a son of the brilliant Quevega he had plenty to live up to, but he already has four Grade Ones in the bank and that is before he has even had the chance to add to it over fences, something he looks like he was born to do.
Mullins’ father and trainer Willie feels he may be at his best when stepping up in trip, but while he is winning over two miles there seems little reason to change and he faces just three rivals, including stablemate Sharjah, a horse Mullins has also enjoyed great success with.
“I’m delighted to get back on him – we had a great season together two years ago,” said Mullins.
“I schooled him and rode him work on the Curragh on Tuesday and he worked very well, I was very happy with him.
“I got a great spin in this race a few years ago on Douvan, so hopefully this could be just as good.
“He’s not an ex-point-to-pointer or an ex-French horse, he’s a homebred who started off in bumpers, so he’s entitled to improve jumping-wise, more so than some of our other horses.
“He definitely has the physique to be a better chaser and I think in time he’ll probably go up in trip – Quevega stayed three miles well. But he has plenty of speed of two miles at the moment.
“Myself and Danny (Mullins) pick up plenty of Paul’s crumbs and I can’t wait.”
Gavin Cromwell’s My Mate Mozzie and Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty complete the field.
Paul Nicholls believes there are “plenty of ifs, buts and question marks” about the field for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The champion trainer targets the Christmas highlight like no one else and will be seeking his 14th success in the race as he saddles last year’s winner Bravemansgame in the Grade One contest.
See More Business was his first winner in 1997 and he regained the title two years later. Kauto Star then dominated, eclipsing Desert Orchid’s four victories by winning five between 2006 and 2011, before Nicholls sent out two more dual winners in Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux.
The Ditcheat handler also runs 2020 big-race hero Frodon, but it is Bravemansgame who has Nicholls dreaming of more glory, despite two defeats already this term, in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and the Betfair Chase at Haydock.
While that puts a slight mark against the defending champion, Nicholls feels the case for favourite Allaho is not totally clear, while Shishkin is on a retrieval mission after refusing to start on his seasonal bow at Ascot.
“We got outstayed at Haydock by Royale Pagaille, but he has run well there (Kempton) before and it suits him well,” said Nicholls.
“Allaho came back and won the other day from his time off, but is he as good as he was? There are plenty of ifs, buts and question marks, but we are very happy with Bravemansgame.
“I think he has got a great chance there is no doubt about it. The previous year’s winner of the race is always the one to beat and he has definitely taken a step forward since Haydock.”
Harry Cobden will be on board again and he told Planet Sport: “The track just really suits him and seems to bring out the best in him. He’s a very strong traveller and his jumping really keeps him in the race. If he can reproduce what he did last year, he’ll definitely take a bit of beating.
“Allaho looks the main danger to me. He’s a very smart horse and Willie (Mullins) doesn’t send them over for nothing. He jumps a little bit left which wouldn’t be ideal around Kempton and with Frodon in the race, he won’t have an easy time of it. Hopefully that will play into our hands.”
Ireland’s champion jockey Paul Townend has his first ever ride in the race on Allaho
“I can’t wait to ride in a Ladbrokes King George VI Chase. It is a very prestigious race which I haven’t been to before so it is all new and I am looking forward to it,” he told Ladbrokes.
“Allaho is as good a chance I will get of winning a King George. It’s a class race without it being a massive field. You can make a case for everything in it.
“My horse is a dual Ryanair winner, along with a Punchestown Gold Cup winner, so we are hoping he stays and that the track suits him. Obviously, I am disappointed to be missing some very big rides at Leopardstown, but having a crack on Allaho in this race makes up for it.”
Nicky Henderson retains full faith in Shishkin’s ability as he tackles a staying trip for just the second time under rules.
Winner of the 2021 Arkle, Shishkin won the Aintree Bowl over three miles and a furlong at the end of last season, but his refusal to race at Ascot means he comes into the King George without a prep run – and slightly under the radar, in his trainer’s opinion.
“When he won the Supreme he was a very good horse, and he is still a very good horse,” said Henderson.
“It has taken us a bit longer than it should have done to make us realise he is a three-miler not a two-miler, but if you win the Supreme, not surprisingly, you are thinking along the two-mile route, not three.
“He has proven what he can do over three miles, so let’s stick to it. He is the sort of forgotten person in the race and no one has mentioned him.
“The only thing I would say is don’t judge him on this, because I think it is very unfair coming into a race like this without a run. It doesn’t mean there aren’t bigger and better things to come. He might run very well and not quite get home.
“Kempton is not a stamina track, except in the King George you have got to stay and be fit because this is the one race where there is no hiding place.”
Patrick Neville’s The Real Whacker is the only horse who has managed to beat Gerri Colombe to date, but he was pulled up on his return to action in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when he went lame.
He will be ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies again and he told William Hill: “Among many, his biggest asset is his jumping and at Kempton the jumps come quick and thick.
“Paddy Neville is really happy with him and says he’s in good form at home despite bits and pieces going against him at Cheltenham last time.
“You can put a line through that as it didn’t really happen for him that day, but he seems to have turned a real corner since then so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do, especially now he’s got a run under his belt.”
Nicky Henderson is unconcerned about the lack of a recent run for Constitution Hill ahead of his bid for back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
On what Henderson sees as the first day of a “new term” for his star pupil, he will belatedly get his season under way at Kempton on Boxing Day, with the weather having scuppered an intended defence of the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
The Seven Barrows trainer flirted with the idea of running the six-year-old in a rescheduled Fighting Fifth at Sandown seven days later, but ultimately branded the prospect of running in heavy ground just over a fortnight before his festive target as “physically not possible”.
“That (Newcastle) was the original plan and that is where he would have been, and we would have been on the same leg as last year. Unfortunately, we are not,” said Henderson.
“He was ready for Newcastle, and he is ready for Kempton. He is big and well and strong, he came in looking very well. At one stage I was a bit behind as he was so big.
“It took a bit longer to get the shape back into him, but that is long gone. He has had to do a bit more work as it is all very easy to him. His schooling is unbelievable.
“As we have always said, his temperament is such that it (journey to Newcastle) wouldn’t make any difference to him and he’s had an away day.
“If he comes through this and it goes like last year I’d be confident about the next bit. But the first day out of the year is crucial, it’s like a first day at school. He’s been good at home, but there are new kids on the block and he’s starting a new term.
“He has got to be as good as he ever was at Kempton, then we can look forward.”
With the privilege of training a horse of Constitution Hill’s stature comes no little amount of pressure, but it is something Henderson embraces.
He added: “If you guys (press) didn’t want to talk to us or there was no pressure then it would be time to give up as you have nothing to talk about.
“Sprinter Sacre was in this position when he was at his best. When he was in his first innings and at his absolute pomp, he was seriously unbeatable.”
Constitution Hill will be extremely cramped odds to dispatch of his Kempton rivals, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Rubaud seemingly his biggest threat.
The five-year-old is unbeaten in his last four starts, having landed the Dovecote at Kempton, the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr, a Listed prize at Kempton and the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton – but Nicholls is well aware his latest assignment is an extremely difficult one.
He told Betfair: “He is going to be an awesome chaser next season, but his form over hurdles is so progressive he deserves a shot at this Grade One prize.
“While he has won his last four starts I realise he probably faces an impossible task against Constitution Hill, but we are giving it a go and if he finishes second we will be delighted.”
Henderson has a second string to his bow in First Street, while Kerry Lee has declared both Nemean Lion and Black Poppy.
Alan King’s admirable veteran Sceau Royal completes the field.
Man of the moment Gavin Sheehan is keen to see if his Ladbrokes King George VI Chase mount Hewick has the required class to shake up the big guns at Kempton.
Sheehan has seen his career gather momentum following his link with Jamie Snowden and the pair have teamed up this season to win the Coral Gold Trophy through Datsalrightgino, with Sheehan also landing the December Gold Cup on Richard Hobson’s Fugitif.
Shark Hanlon’s Hewick was ridden to Galway Plate and American Grand National glory by Jordan Gainford, but he is currently on the sidelines with injury and while Rachael Blackmore partnered him to win at Sandown in April she is riding at Leopardstown.
After surveying his options for a few days, Hanlon sided with Sheehan and the jockey is looking forward to another big opportunity.
“He’s a nice ride to pick up. You are up against very good horses, but we are there to take our chance,” said Sheehan.
“He’s very much a people’s horse now isn’t he, and I’m looking forward to him.
“He’s got a little bit of toe, he’s run around a sharp, right-handed undulating track so a sharp flat track shouldn’t bother him and he’s got stamina as well.
“It’s just whether he’s got that class, that is what we need to find out.”
He added: “Shark is bullish, but he always is! He said the horse is in great form, he did a piece of work the other day and really surprised him.
“It’s a big race on a big day and a big ride for me – I’m looking forward to it.
“Things are going well, but you can’t count your chickens before they are hatched in this game – you just take each day as it comes.”
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