Robbie Llewellyn may have TV cameos in Games Of Thrones to his name but it is victory on the racecourse that is fuelling his ambition as he paves his way in the training ranks.
Many would dine out on donning the armour of a Dothraki knight in the popular TV blockbuster, but the 33-year-old has no desire to reminisce about his brief stay in the fantasy land of Westeros and has always held the desire to train racehorses.
Llewellyn’s journey to the training fraternity has seen him excel in the pointing field and assist Tim Vaughan before an epiphany during Covid finally convinced him to roll the dice and commit to taking on a trainer’s licence.
From that moment on, survival entered the equation as starting from the bottom, Llewellyn and his wife Sarah upped sticks to a flat in Wiltshire and began navigating the treacherous world of training racehorses.
It was a move the unassuming Welshman describes as a “calculated punt” and two years on the flat is now a house and his initial 24-horse barn is set to be doubled as he begins expanding his empire.
Llewellyn said: “We didn’t have a lot of money starting off so we couldn’t go out and buy the fancier-bred or expensive horses and we’ve had to work our way up from the bottom.
“Surviving is the biggest thing at the moment and there is no massive grand ambition. But if we can keep going as we are and try to increase the quality – as well as the Monday-to-Friday stuff we want to be competing on the Saturday – that would be good.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my wife Sarah, we took a gamble and moved up from Wales to Wroughton. We rented a two-bedroom flat round the corner and rented a 24-box barn and had three horses, two of which we owned ourselves.
“It’s expensive to get going, and you have to cut the costs when you can to get going. But that was just over two years ago and now we have a barn of 24 full and we have just taken on another barn now which we might have licensed next season I would have thought.
“It was a bit of a punt, but a calculated punt because I guess I knew I could earn money elsewhere if it didn’t work out training wise. We’ve now got a house on the farm right next to the horses, so if it all went Pete Tong tomorrow, it wouldn’t matter because we have a house.”
Life towards the bottom end of the racing ladder is all about maximising returns on a budget, and Llewellyn is always on the search for the next value buy to add quality to his team.
He added: “We have to think about the way we do things and we can’t just turn up at the sales and pick the flashy stuff, we have got to look at things from a different angle really. We’re on the button, looking at sellers, claimers, we have to be ‘on it’ all the time.
“I’ve been lucky, I had some supportive owners before I took the licence out and I was lucky a few owners sent me horses to train to get me up and running and the business going.
“I think every single owner who had horses with us before we had a licence has had a winner with us now and that is what I’m most proud of. It’s great the people who started with us when no one knew us are beginning to have success and enjoying it as much as we are.”
Having initially done his training modules aged 18, Llewellyn tried his hand riding in the pointing field before hanging up the saddle to train ‘between the flags’ for Welshman David Brace.
That gave Llewellyn the bug and having always wanted to train, it was his time assisting Vaughan that convinced him he held the knowledge required to become his own boss.
“I kind of had a free rein for David Brace training his pointers for him and we won two owners’ championships and I always wanted to train but just didn’t know how we could do it,” he explained.
“Working two seasons as an assistant to Tim Vaughan, I realised there wasn’t such a big step to go and Covid was the first time in my life I realised what I wanted to do. If I was going to train I didn’t want to get to 50 and regret not giving it a go when I was 30.”
It is remiss to ignore the part Llewellyn’s dalliance with the big screen has played in his journey, but the trainer is keen to stress he is far from an Academy Award nominee, but simply someone with horses in the right place at the right time.
“I’m no actor and I have no interest in being in front of the camera,” he pointed out.
“I have no interest in talking about the Game Of Thrones stuff really as I don’t want to be known as the film guy and I’m not an actor.
“You’ll never see me do that again. It’s just something I was able to earn a bit of money out of – being able to ride a horse. People get excited about it, but I just needed to earn a few quid and they happened to be filming round the corner from my house and needed someone who is six foot who could ride a horse.”
However, his time working alongside leading film-industry horse supplier The Devil’s Horsemen has opened up some vital revenue streams that have not only helped make training a more viable option, but reaffirmed to Llewellyn it was the avenue he wanted to take in life.
“I now work alongside ‘The Devil’s’,” said Llewellyn. “I worked for them for two years in between leaving David Brace’s and starting at Tim’s, just as a sub-contractor I suppose.
“When I went back into racing they asked me if I could provide some horses for The Crown on Netflix, then we did Dream Horse and since then we’ve done adverts.
“It probably put my life into perspective and that’s how we made the move into training really, doing something because I wanted to do it, not just being somewhere because it was a way of making money.
“I think we have an easy life. When you are working six or seven days a week and 18 hours on a film set, working in racing is easy – coming in and doing something you enjoy every day.”
He went on: “It’s a sideline which enables us to train if I’m honest and we had 20 horses at Newbury for a Coral advert recently which really helps us keep going because with the prize-money as it is, it’s a tight game to make money in. It means the business survives and takes the pressure off.”
Now in his third season with a licence, Llewellyn has easily eclipsed last season’s tally of five and saddled 15 winners at just past the halfway stage of the campaign.
Operating at a strike-rate of over 20 per cent, the biggest victories of his career came at Ascot during the the track’s two-day pre-Christmas meeting where Titan Discovery’s triumph on the Friday was quickly supplemented a day later by the success of Top Cloud.
“The Friday was a special day and Titan Discovery is probably the nicest horse we’ve got,” said Llewellyn.
“Owner-breeders Kevin and Anne Glastonbury I’ve known since I was 14 and as soon as I came out of Tim’s, they sent me some young horses to break in and to have a nice horse for them is massive.
“When he got a mark of 104 I thought we might as well have a day out at a nicer meeting and a day out at Ascot while he was on the way up and improving. We thought he had a solid each-way chance, but you still never know when you are taking on the big boys and you always assume one will have a bit more up their sleeve.
“It was magical and to win on the Friday and then come back and win with Top Cloud on the Saturday was a different world to be honest. We paid £8,000 for him and again he was there to give the syndicate a nice day out at Ascot and for him to win made it a special two days.”
Those results have convinced the fledgling handler he is on the right track and has given him the confidence to take on the best in the game again if the opportunities arise.
“We know we can get them fit and know we can place them well, but sometimes you just avoid those type of races because you think it’s Ascot on a Saturday and we’re not good enough,” said Llewellyn.
“Realistically though, we probably are. We still have to be in the right grade, but now just because it’s Ascot on a Saturday, if it’s the right race we can’t just ignore it.
“It’s kind of opened my mind a little bit to say ‘oh come on, let’s have a go’. Training is a confidence game and you are only as good as your last winner.
“At the minute everything is flying so we’ve just got to try to earn as much money as we can and place our horses the best we can with the limited numbers we’ve got.”
Ryan Moore produced another masterclass of race riding to help Warm Heart bow out in a blaze of glory at Gulfstream Park.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly was chasing a third elite-level success in the $1million 1/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and went off at 12-5.
Moore was happy to track the front-running Main Event for much of the nine-furlong contest but made a daring dive up that horse’s inside entering the home straight.
It was a move which brought back memories of his brilliant Breeders’ Cup Turf triumph on Auguste Rodin and reaped the same reward.
Warm Heart sprinted through a gap on the rail to seize a decisive advantage and then repelled the late challenge of I’m Very Busy to win by half a length.
O’Brien said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It’s incredible. Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job.”
Moore added: “The leader was always leaning out and he was weakening, and I knew I had plenty of horse, so no problem. I was happy to wait.
“She’s always travelling very comfortably. I didn’t want to be there too early and I didn’t want to be tipping out into the straight, so I thought I’d just wait. She’s a great filly. She’s had an incredible year. She hasn’t had a bad race.”
It was a sixth success for Warm Heart, who last year prevailed in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille.
The four-year-old is now set to embark on a second career as a broodmare, with a visit to stallion sensation Justify on the horizon.
“We’d love to have her and to be racing her, but the lads’ business is breeding these horses and she’s an absolutely incredible broodmare to be going to Justify,” said O’Brien on the Gulfstream Park website. “It’s so exciting, really.”
The $3million Pegasus World Cup was won by last year’s Preakness Stakes hero National Treasure, who edged out Senor Buscador by a neck for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat.
Aryna Sabalenka believes she can bring her Australian Open dominance to other grand slams after lifting a second successive title in Melbourne.
The Belarusian will stay world number two behind Iga Swiatek but that could well change this year if Sabalenka can maintain her impressive consistency at the majors.
In the last five slams, Sabalenka has won two titles, reached another final on hard courts at the US Open and never lost before the semi-finals, while Swiatek’s only run to the last four saw her retain her French Open title.
Getting the better of Swiatek at Roland Garros is likely to be Sabalenka’s biggest challenge but she certainly has the game for grass and, with more composure, could have reached all four finals last year.
“I think last year I proved that I can play on each surface,” said the 25-year-old. “I think those two semi-finals I got super emotional.
“I played against incredible players, and they just played an unbelievable level, but I felt like I got super emotional and I just let those semis go away.
“But I definitely think that if I’m going to keep working like I’m working right now, and if we’re going to keep building what we are building right now, I’m definitely able to do the same on the clay and on the grass.
“So then I’ll just keep working hard and hopefully this year I’ll achieve the same goal.”
It was a statement fortnight from Sabalenka, who did not drop a set through seven matches, with only Coco Gauff in the semi-finals taking more than five games off her.
Speaking on Eurosport, former British number one Laura Robson said: “To deliver that kind of performance across the two weeks, getting better and better, I feel like the rest of the players in the locker room are thinking ‘uh oh’ for the rest of the season.”
There is certainly no sign of Sabalenka being happy with two titles, and the calm manner with which she demolished the rest of the field will give her rivals plenty of pause for thought.
She is now two slam titles behind Swiatek, and was relieved to escape the box of one-slam wonder.
“Actually it’s been in my mind that I didn’t want to be that player who won it and then disappeared,” she said.
“I just wanted to show that I’m able to be consistently there and I’m able to win another one. I really hope that (it will be) more than two, but for me it was really important.”
Sabalenka’s ambitions are shared by her coaches, with fitness trainer Jason Stacy, saying: “We’re the coaches in our different areas but during the match and straight after the match, we’re already talking about the things we need to work on.”
Stacy has been walking around Melbourne Park with Sabalenka’s signature written in pen by the world number two on his bald head.
It is part of the team’s efforts to keep things light and fun off court, although Stacy is ready to draw the line at the next suggestion.
“It might get worse actually,” he said. “Now they’re trying to say I’ve got to get a tattoo of this on my head. I’m like, ‘I don’t know about that’. Every tournament we always find some thing we’re doing and we just kind of go with that.”
Another game, another win for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Saturday for their 16th win in a row to move within one victory of the longest winning streak in NHL history.
Edmonton (29-15-1) now begins the All-Star break and won't have a chance to match the record held by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins until February 6, when it visits the Vegas Golden Knights.
With the win, the Oilers tied the league's second-longest single-season winning streak, held by 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets.
Connor McDavid led the way, tallying a goal and three assists, while Leon Draisaitl recorded a goal and two assists for the Oilers, who improved to 24-3-0 since November 24.
The Oilers, who last lost on December 19, are outscoring teams 61-24 during the winning streak and have a franchise-record streak of 14 consecutive games of allowing two goals or less.
Stuart Skinner had another solid showing between the pipes, turning aside 28 shots. He has yielded one goal in each of his last three games and has started 12 games during the winning streak, posting a 1.41 goals-against average in those outings.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring for Edmonton with a power-play goal in the first period and Zach Hyman ended the scoring with an empty-netter for his 30th goal of the season.
Draisaitl scored on the power-play for his 800th career point to reach that milestone in his 683rd game - the fourth-fastest player to reach that mark.
Colton Sissons had the lone goal for the Predators (26-22-1), who lost for the third time in four games.
Matthews scores league-leading 40th goal as Maple Leafs beat Jets
Auston Matthews reached a pair of milestones in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, scoring his league-leading 40th goal to reach 600 career points.
Matthews, who has three more goals than the Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart, has scored in three straight games and has seven goals and three assists in his last six contests.
Playing in his 527th game, Matthews became the fastest skater in Toronto franchise history to 600 career points with his power-play goal with 4:32 to play in the third period.
Ilya Samsonov finished with 24 saves as the Maple Leafs (25-14-8) swept a home-and-home set with the Jets and extended their winning streak to three games.
Ryan Reaves, John Tavares and Simon Benoit also scored goals for Toronto in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.
Winnipeg's Dylan Samberg opened the scoring when the defenseman found the back of the net on the Jets' first shot of the game 4:13 into the first period.
Mason Appleton added a late goal for the Jets (30-12-5), who lost their third straight game after losing just three of their previous 17 contests (14-1-2).
Rangers score 7 straight goals to rally by Senators
The New York Rangers are heading into the All-Star break on a positive note, rallying from a 2-0 deficit for a 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Artemi Panarin was one of six Ranger skaters recording multiple points, tallying a goal and two assists, as New York (30-16-3) bounced back from back-to-back defeats and enters the break atop the Metropolitan Division.
After falling behind 2-0, the Rangers erupted for five goals in the second period, tying the game on Chris Kreider's 23rd goal of the season. New York took the lead just 39 seconds later on Zac Jones' first goal.
With the victory, first-year Rangers coach Peter Laviolette moved into a tie for seventh place on the all-time wins list, sitting alongside Al Arbour with 782.
The Senators (18-25-2) lost in regulation for the first time since January 16 after going 3-0-2 in their previous five contests.
LeBron James is in his 21st NBA season, and still accomplishing things he's never done before.
James had a career-high 20 rebounds as part of a triple-double and hit two late free throws in the second overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 145-144 road win over the Golden State Warriors in an epic showdown with Stephen Curry on Saturday.
James also had 36 points and 12 assists as part of his 110th career triple-double while playing a season-high 48 minutes.
He became the first Laker to have at least 35 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game in the last 40 seasons.
Curry scored 10 of his season-high 46 points in the second overtime, and put the Warriors up 144-143 on his season-best ninth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds to play.
On the Lakers ensuing possession, James drove the lane and drew a foul with 1.2 seconds remaining. He hit both free throws to put Los Angeles up by one point and Curry then missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.
D'Angelo Russell finished with 28 points, and hit a key 3-pointer late in regulation and another clutch 3-pointer with 52 seconds remaining in the second overtime.
Anthony Davis exited for a bit in the third quarter due to a hip spasm but returned to finish with 29 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles (24-23), which trailed by as much as 15 points.
The Warriors (19-24) lost for the fourth time in five games despite scoring a season high in points and making a season-best 23 3-pointers.
Klay Thompson drained a tying 3 with 5.9 seconds to play in the first extra period and then hit another with 1:53 to play in the second, but he ended up fouling out 39 seconds later. He finished with 24 points and made six 3-pointers.
Clippers roll in Boston for fifth straight win
One month ago, the Boston Celtics trounced the Clippers in Los Angeles.
The Clippers returned the favour.
Los Angeles led by as much as 36 en route to a 115-96 victory over the NBA-best Celtics in Boston.
The Pacific Division-leading Clippers (30-14) rode a 21-0 run in the third quarter to avenge a 37-point home loss to the Celtics on December 23. The Clippers have won five in a row with all victories coming by double digits.
Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 26 points, while Paul George added 17 points in just 22 minutes for Los Angeles, which scored 64 points in the paint.
With the outcome in little doubt, both teams emptied their bench for the fourth quarter.
The Celtics (35-11) were opening a season-high seven-game home-stand, but came out sluggish, scoring a season-low 21 first-quarter points.
Jayson Tatum was the only Celtic starter in double figures, scoring 21 while the other four Boston starters combined for 17 points on 5-of-37 shooting (13.5 per cent).
It marked the second straight home loss for the Celtics, who opened the season 20-0 in Boston.
Knicks win sixth in row but Randle injured
The New York Knicks' latest win may have come at a cost.
The Knicks extended their winning streak to six games with a 125-109 victory over the Miami Heat, but Julius Randle injured his shoulder late in the fourth quarter.
Randle exited with 4:27 to play after appearing to land hard on his right shoulder after colliding with the Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. He was reportedly diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, and it's uncertain how long he'll be sidelined.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 32 points and eight assists, and Randle had 19 points and nine rebounds before getting hurt. OG Anunoby also scored 19 for the Knicks (29-17), who improved to 12-2 since the calendar flipped to 2024.
Things have not been going nearly as well for the Heat (24-22), who have lost a season-high six straight games.
Jimmy Butler had 28 points and eight assists for Miami, which is still atop the Southeast Division despite its recent slide.
France’s Matthieu Pavon has claimed victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, becoming the first French player to win on the PGA Tour since Arnaud Massy in 1907.
Pavon hit the winning putting a birdie with an eight-foot putt on the final hole to secure the one-shot win, celebrating the moment with his arms raised and a hug to his caddie Mark Sherwood.
The 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie was playing in his 11th PGA Tour event and said after the day’s play that he hopes the win inspires people.
“I still can’t believe it,” Pavon said.
“It is big for our country. I hope it will inspire a lot of people, because coming from an amateur player which is 800 in the world to a PGA Tour winner is pretty big.”
Pavon hit three under par on the final day, edging out Denmarks Nicolai Hojgaard who finished one stroke behind in second place.
German Stephan Jaeger and Americans Nate Lashley and Jake Knapp finished tied in third place.
Adam Silver is finalising a contract extension to remain as commissioner of the NBA.
The agreement, which is expected to extend "through the end of the decade," was first reported on Saturday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Silver is nearing his 10-year anniversary as the league's commissioner, taking over for former Commissioner David Stern on February 1, 2014.
This would be the second extension for Silver, who also was approved by the league's owners for one in June 2018. His current one runs through the end of this season's NBA Finals.
The 61-year-old Silver oversaw the most recent CBA and has helped the NBA enjoy remarkable growth.
Under Silver, the NBA has introduced the Play-In Tournament, as well as the In-Season Tournament, which debuted this season. He also helped navigate the league through the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing 22 teams into a bubble near Orlando, Florida to complete the 2019-20 season.
Luke Littler’s bid to win back-to-back World Series titles was dashed by Michael van Gerwen in the final of the Dutch Darts Masters in Den Bosch.
Littler was beaten 8-6 by the three-time world champion, who had fallen to the 17-year-old in the final in Bahrain last weekend.
With nothing to split the pair after the first 12 legs, Littler missed two darts at double eight to break van Gerwen’s throw and leave him one leg from another title.
Instead van Gerwen nudged one leg away, and needed a single chance to take out an 85 finish and bring Littler’s winning run to an end.
Littler had started his campaign on Saturday by gaining revenge over Luke Humphries, who denied him in the world final at Alexandra Palace last month.
Littler trailed 4-2, but hit back to claim a dramatic 6-5 victory with an 88 checkout on the bull.
The Warrington man then beat Gerwyn Price – who had missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in his last-eight win over Kevin Doets – 7-4 to book his return to a World Masters final.
In contrast, van Gerwen had looked below-par in back-to-back victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Gian van Veen – but stepped up when it mattered.
Van Gerwen told ITVX: “This is what people like to watch – he put me under so much pressure.
“Luke Littler is going to have a bright future, we all know that, but you still have to do the right thing against him. His scoring power is immense and you have to keep fighting.”
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd heaped praise on Luka Doncic after his franchise-record 73 points helped them past the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, declaring: "He is the game plan".
The Mavs arrived at State Farm Arena looking to halt a three-game losing run, and Doncic ensured they did exactly that with a historic performance in their 148-143 victory.
He tied Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth-best return in NBA history. Chamberlain also holds the scoring record with a 100-point game and also had a 78-point performance to his name, while Kobe Bryant racked up 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
Doncic's incredible performance came just four days after the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid brought up 70 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Kidd was more than happy to let Doncic take centre-stage and believes the Slovenian will have been frustrated to miss out on a triple-double after adding 10 rebounds and seven assists.
"He is the game plan," Kidd said of Doncic. "The three assists are what he's probably thinking about in the locker room to have a triple-double!"
Doncic himself was focused purely on helping Dallas end their slump, saying: "We've been struggling lately, so the mindset was to go and get a win. We played great."
He was not the only player to put in a huge performance on Friday, with Devin Booker scoring 62 points for the Phoenix Suns, only to finish on the losing side against the Indiana Pacers.
Obi Toppin's putback broke a tie with just under four seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, guiding Indiana to a 133-131 victory and ruining Booker's remarkable display.
"He's a great player," Toppin said of Booker. "But in that fourth quarter, we decided to hit and send another defender to get the ball out of his hands and just scramble out of that. They didn't like it at all. I think it was their worst quarter.
"We needed points so our objective was just to get involved, crash the boards. I saw Bennedict [Mathurin] try to finish over someone and then Pascal [Siakam] was right in front of me, so I just grabbed the ball and put it in."
Teenager Freddie Gingell paid tribute to his late mother Kim after he registered his first Grade One win aboard Elixir De Nutz in the My Pension Expert Clarence House Chase.
Riding the grey for his uncle Joe Tizzard, Kim’s brother, Gingell recorded a breakthrough victory at the highest level in dramatic circumstances.
The race looked at the mercy of 1-4 favourite Jonbon, but he jumped sloppily throughout and a jolting mistake at the fourth last looked to end his race.
To his credit he got back in front on the run to the last, but another slow leap handed the initiative back to Elixir De Nutz and Gingell conjured up a late rally which saw him prevail, with the rider looking to the sky on crossing the line.
Kim Gingell died of cancer, aged just 43, in May 2020 and the winning jockey underlined her influence.
Gingell said: “It is an amazing day. We came here thinking we might run a big race, finishing second or third.
“That was definitely the most emotional success I’ve had today. Mum was definitely up there looking down on me. She has been a massive part of me in helping me to become a jockey.
“Crossing the line today, I looked up to her and she looked back, and I could tell she was up there doing something.
“As soon as I crossed the line everything stopped and then I could tell I had achieved a big thing. Before that I just needed to get past that line in front.
“I will probably go home and watch it loads, probably 10 times tonight, it’s amazing.
“My mum was a massive part of me, and for Joe and Colin (Tizzard) she did so much. When she went, everything just fell over for everyone really, we never really realised how much she did. But days like this, it really pays off and it’s a massive thank you to her.”
It was also a first Grade success for Joe Tizzard since taking over at the helm from his father, Colin.
Reflecting on the race, Gingell added: “As soon as Jonbon came to the last I thought I was beat, but he didn’t quite get it right and I’ve got an amazing jump and he landed running.
“He battles well and once he got his head in front, I knew he would keep on battling up the hill and he did. I was screaming and shouting all the way but it’s my first Grade One so I should be I guess!
“I’m three from three on him this season and he has been an amazing horse for this season, but he has been an amazing horse in general. Thanks go to Terry Warner (owner) as he has been amazing to me.
“They had the choice of either me or Brendan (Powell) and Terry was very good to let me ride him and I have now won two nice races on him.”
Harry Fry was left pondering where to head at the Cheltenham Festival having seen his hugely-talented Gidleigh Park remain unbeaten in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Hurdle.
The strapping six-year-old went to Cheltenham for his Festival dress rehearsal with a perfect record of three from three, having backed up his wide-margin bumper success last term with two impressive displays over hurdles.
He was sent off the 5-6 favourite in the hands of Johnny Burke, but was made to pull out all the stops by Nicky Henderson’s 15-2 shot Lucky Place, prevailing by half a length in a tight finish.
Having scored over just shy of two miles and five furlongs, Fry now needs to decide whether Gidleigh Park remains at a similar distance for the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle or steps up to three miles for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – a race he has won in the past with Unowhatimeanharry (2016).
“It’s a Grade Two on Trials Day and we were stepping up in grade, so we knew he needed to step up,” said Fry.
“Talking with Johnny there, the race hasn’t been run to suit and it has turned into a bit of sprint for home, but he has got down and battled and got the job done on the day.
“It’s the first time he’s had to really battle and he will have learned again and be sharper for it. But he’s almost given us more questions than answers in terms of which race to run him in in March.
“They didn’t go fast and we have to go home and reflect, but he’s won and we can’t complain about that. That’s what it is all about, a win is a win and he’s done it in spite of things being run not quite to suit, so it’s onwards and upwards.
“Come March they will go a proper gallop and he’s come here, stayed unbeaten and the dream is still alive. We will go home, enjoy it and it’s a nice dilemma to have.
“Relieved is probably the overriding feeling right now and we’ve got six weeks to now work out what race we go for.”
Fry is no stranger to handling quality young stock and although unwilling to compare him to the likes of the aforementioned Unowhatimeanharry and ill-fated Neon Wolf, he believes his future lies over the larger obstacles where the patience of winning owners, the Eyre Family, will truly be rewarded.
Fry continued: “He’s done everything right so far and I don’t like comparing horses, so we will just let him be Gidleigh Park. He will tell us how good he is on the racecourse.
“He’s a big, tall individual who was quite raw to begin with. In the outside school when we started, he could barely get round the bend and just in terms of giving him time, I’m delighted for the Eyre Family and it is their first winner here at Cheltenham.
“They have been patient and allowed us to take our time and ultimately he is a chaser, so what he is doing over hurdles is a bonus.”
Jade De Grugy added to a successful Saturday afternoon for Willie Mullins as she led home a one-two for the trainer in the SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Closutton maestro enjoyed a sterling few hours in Britain, with Capodanno landing the Cotswold Chase and Lossiemouth making an impressive seasonal bow in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham, while at Doncaster Ashroe Diamond ran out an comfortable Grade Two winner.
Jade De Grugy highlighted Mullins’ strength in the mares’ division as she obliged as an 8-13 favourite in this Grade Three affair.
One of four for the trainer in a seven-runner field, Jade De Grugy won a French bumper before joining Mullins and made an impressive start for the team when registering a 15-length maiden hurdle win at Leopardstown last month.
Stepping up in class, she showed a fine change of gear for Brian Hayes to coast home a six-and-a-half-length winner from A Penny A Hundred, with the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham a possible target.
Assistant trainer David Casey said: “She was very impressive. She did things right all the way, she jumps brilliant. She travelled and quickened up in the straight. Brian was very happy with her.
“She’s a very sensible mare and always did everything right, we’re delighted with her.
“She has the race at Cheltenham and the Grade One back here obviously. There is a short gap between them but I’d imagine they will be the two targets.
“She was very good in Leopardstown and obviously very good again today.”
Western Diego (11-8 favourite) was also a winner for Mullins and Hayes in the SBK Maiden Hurdle while Argento Boy (evens favourite) made it a hat-trick on the card for the handler in the SBK (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, with Jody Townend aboard.
Paddy Brennan is set to serve a 10-day suspension after easing down and losing second place aboard Young Buster in the concluding race at Doncaster on Saturday.
The Fergal O’Brien-trained eight-year-old was an 11-4 favourite to stretch his unbeaten record over fences to four in the SBK Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and cut out much of the running before being headed by eventual winner Egbert on the run to the final fence.
After seemingly accepting defeat on the run-in, Brennan stopped riding in the closing stages and it ultimately proved costly as the fast-finishing Snipe nipped up his inside on the approach to the line and got up to claim second spot by a head.
The stewards deemed Brennan had “appeared to drop his hands and stop riding shortly before the winning post” and “failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing on a horse that would have finished second”.
Brennan will be suspended from February 10 to 19 inclusive, ruling him out of Newbury’s Super Saturday meeting plus high-profile cards at Ascot and Haydock.
The jockey is set to be in action at Doncaster again on Sunday, where his rides include leading Cheltenham Festival contender Dysart Enos in the opening Download The At The Races App Novices’ Hurdle.
Jade De Grugy added to a successful Saturday afternoon for Willie Mullins as she led home a one-two for the trainer in the SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Closutton maestro enjoyed a sterling few hours in Britain, with Capodanno landing the Cotswold Chase and Lossiemouth making an impressive seasonal bow in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham, while at Doncaster Ashroe Diamond ran out an comfortable Grade Two winner.
Jade De Grugy highlighted Mullins’ strength in the mares’ division as she obliged as an 8-13 favourite in this Grade Three affair.
One of four for the trainer in a seven-runner field, Jade De Grugy won a French bumper before joining Mullins and made an impressive start for the team when registering a 15-length maiden hurdle win at Leopardstown last month.
Stepping up in class, she showed a fine change of gear for Brian Hayes to coast home a six-and-a-half-length winner from A Penny A Hundred, with the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham a possible target.
Assistant trainer David Casey said: “She was very impressive. She did things right all the way, she jumps brilliant. She travelled and quickened up in the straight. Brian was very happy with her.
“She’s a very sensible mare and always did everything right, we’re delighted with her.
“She has the race at Cheltenham and the Grade One back here obviously. There is a short gap between them but I’d imagine they will be the two targets.
“She was very good in Leopardstown and obviously very good again today.”
Western Diego (11-8 favourite) was also a winner for Mullins and Hayes in the SBK Maiden Hurdle while Argento Boy (evens favourite) made it a hat-trick on the card for the handler in the SBK (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, with Jody Townend aboard.
Chris and Freddie Gordon combined for a memorable family success as the latter’s buccaneering ride aboard Annual Invictus paid off in a pulsating renewal of the SBK Great Yorkshire Chase.
A quality field of 18 runners went to post for the prestigious Doncaster handicap, with Annual Invictus a 16-1 shot under his 18-year-old rider.
The 5lb claimer took the bull by the horns from the off, sending his mount into the lead from flag-fall and setting a gallop that saw many of his rivals struggling a long way from home.
Annual Invictus led those still in contention into the home straight and looked in command until Ben Godfrey arrived late on the scene aboard recent course-and-distance scorer Forward Plan.
It looked for all the world as though Godfrey had timed his challenge perfectly and supporters of Annual Invictus were set for a heartbreaking last-gasp defeat, but the Gordon runner had other ideas and roared back once challenge to ensure the pair passed the line almost as one.
Following a brief wait, the judge confirmed Annual Invictus had won the day by a nose, with Charlie Uberalles best of the rest in third.
“That was brilliant, I’m thrilled for everyone including the owner Tom (Smith), who is my farrier,” said the winning trainer.
“He’s happier out in front and it’s not very often you can get a soft lead like that. He’s not the quickest horse in the world but he carries on a good gallop.
“I thought the other horse had got us but we scrapped back. It’s lovely and it looks like we’ve turned the corner in the yard.
“It’s very special with my son on board. He’s a conditional with Nicky Henderson and he’s loving it down there.
“My plan was to get him in the Grand National, so I’d like to see him go up. But there are some wonderful staying chases, he stays well and gallops and goes on top of the ground.”
Freddie Gordon said: “That was amazing. My old man said to try to just pop out and go on your own. So I thought I’d go out there and do it.
“When the other horse came to me, I was just hoping he had a bit left in the tank and I think he kept his head in front the whole time. As soon as he gets a bit of company he keeps going, it gives him a bit more encouragement.
“It’s some day. It’s lovely to do it for my dad. I’ll thank him when I get home later, we’ll have a nice dinner together.”
Godfrey was disappointed to beaten aboard Forward Plan, but not with his partner’s performance.
He said: “My lad has lost nothing in defeat and has ran a cracker.
“I thought the other horse was going to drop back, I was staying on and was trying to save every bit I could. I thought I’d got my head in front and thought I’d got my timings bang-on, but the other horse has battled back hard and just got up on the line.
“My lad has lost nothing in defeat, but seconds don’t quite count as winners, do they? He’s in the form of his life and he’s a very fun horse to go to war with in these type of races.”
Grand National winner Noble Yeats denied Paisley Park a fourth victory in the McCoy Contractors Cleeve Hurdle in a rousing finish at Cheltenham.
Trainer Emmet Mullins has proven time and again he is prepared to think outside the box and the 2022 Aintree hero was having just his third run over hurdles in this contest.
With regular jockey Sean Bowen currently on the sidelines, Harry Cobden stepped in for the ride and he looked to be going nowhere with half a mile to go as Dashel Drasher, Champ and Botox Has tried to run the finish out of the others.
The complexion of the race changed at the last though, as Noble Yeats (3-1), Paisley Park and Strong Leader, who was nearly detached at one point, came back into contention.
Noble Yeats found a few lengths after the last but Paisley Park was staying on relentlessly having been outpaced turning in.
However, despite the popular veteran’s best efforts, the line just came too soon and he went down by a head.
Lossiemouth proved in a different league to her rivals as she made a faultless return in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Winner of the Triumph Hurdle last March, she was having her first run of the season as trainer Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci made the decision to focus on a spring campaign at five.
Five-year-olds can struggle in their first full campaign and the travails of Vauban, himself a Triumph Hurdle winner, the season after means connections have opted for a different approach this time.
Lossiemouth was taking on Love Envoi, who made Honeysuckle pull out all the stops in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle and Rubaud, a Grade Two winner in his own right, but they were left toiling.
Lossiemouth (4-7 favourite) travelled stylishly through the race and once given the signal by Townend, she sprinted almost 10 lengths clear of Love Envoi after the last.
She is now the 4-6 favourite with Coral for the Mares’ Hurdle and Townend said: “It was a pleasure to ride and very straightforward, she was very slick and accurate.
“When I eventually let her off, she just shot off, she’s a beauty.
“She’s done very well and the plan they made to keep her until now was definitely worth the wait today.
“She will be competitive wherever she goes (at Cheltenham) and she’s high-class. She’s physically and mentally matured (from last season) and she was a fair sort as a juvenile too, so she didn’t have to improve and awful lot.
“She couldn’t do more than that today and was impressive.”
Ricci admitted to some nerves before the race, but feels the decision to make a delayed return was justified.
He said: “She’s a very good filly and we’ve always thought the world of her.
“I was 100 per cent nervous coming here today and we took the decision based on Vauban last year, not to enter her until after the new year. Just give her plenty of time to come back.
“Originally we weren’t keen on travelling her and then we thought we would. She was entered everywhere and we decided to come here and it’s paid dividends. She’s a very nice filly to look forward to.
“They tell me she has been bombing at home, so I expected her to run well today and she did.”
While Lossiemouth is entered for the Champion Hurdle at the Festival, Ricci would be favouring the Mares’ Hurdle rather than a clash with Constitution Hill.
He explained: “We’ll go for the Mares’ Hurdle I think and I think we learned last year that these four-year-olds turning five, it is very hard to run in open company.
“She has an entry in the Champion Hurdle, which I think she will probably keep, but my guess would be we would go for the Mares’, then the Annie Power at Punchestown and maybe something in France. Maybe next year she will be a Champion Hurdle type, but we will see.
“Constitution Hill is a monster and I’m not running away from it, but she’s a great filly and you just want to mind her and see how she goes, she’s a baby!
“I’ve never ran away from a fight, but we need to do what is in line with her abilities and she is young and she is coming, so we will just see see how she gets on.
“I haven’t had a winner on the first day (at the Festival) for a long time, wouldn’t that be great. We’ve got lots of hopes for her and fingers crossed it will be a good run with her.”
Ashroe Diamond showed her class to provide Willie Mullins with a third victory in the SBK Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster.
The Closutton handler had sent two of his best ever mares to Town Moor to plunder this Grade Two prize in the last decade, with the brilliant Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power triumphant in 2014 and Vroum Vroum Mag landing short odds three years later.
This time around Mullins fired a twin assault, with 7-4 shot Ashroe Diamond considered the second string by punters as her stablemate Gala Marceau was sent off the 10-11 favourite.
Both had shown their worth at Grade One level, with Gala Marceau beating another Mullins mare in Lossiemouth at Leopardstown last year before the tables were turned in the Triumph Hurdle, while Ashroe Diamond was placed behind top-class geldings Facile Vega and Marine Nationale before enjoying her day in the sun at Fairyhouse in the spring.
Crucially, Ashroe Diamond had already run this winter with a third-placed finish in the Hatton’s Grace, whereas Gala Marceau had been off the track since doubling her top-level tally at Auteuil in May.
It was clear earlier in the home straight the former was travelling the better in the hands of the trainer’s son Patrick Mullins and once given the office, Ashroe Diamond picked up smartly to put the race to bed and score by two and a half lengths from the staying-on Under Control.
“What more could you ask for? I think my mare’s form with Facile Vega and Marine Nationale is the best mares’ form out there,” said Mullins junior, riding his first ever winner at Doncaster.
“She has a high cruising speed and she settled great today, she’s normally quite keen and you have to get a bit of cover with her.
“She’s always a brilliant jumper and she can often run a bit keen, but she has form against top geldings last year and I always rate that above juvenile form – that’s a restricted division.”
Ashroe Diamond was widely cut for the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and Mullins views her as a leading candidate.
He added: “Her pedigree suggests she can go further, but it’s two and a half miles in the mares’ race in March and that will be no problem to her.
“We won’t know until Cheltenham but I’d love to ride her there.”
Paul Nicholls could not hide his excitement as Ginny’s Destiny followed in the footsteps of Stage Star and booked his ticket to the Turners Novices’ Chase with an excellent display in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase.
A useful hurdler when trained by Tom Lacey last season, he has gone from strength to strength since sent over fences by the champion trainer this term.
Attempting to replicate the exploits of Stage Star – who won this contest 12 months ago before following up at the Cheltenham Festival – Ginny’s Destiny never missed a beat as the 4-1 favourite registered a flawless two-and-three-quarter-length victory over Theatre Man.
“I was expecting that on his homework,” said Nicholls.
“He’s improved massively from run to run and I haven’t had too many improve so much over a short period since Master Minded funnily enough. Master Minded won at Sandown years ago and kept going forward and he has done the same, his work has been unbelievable. I think he’s a really smart horse.
“From his first run when he was ordinary, he had just got better and better and better and you like to see that – there’s not many horses who do that.
“The girl who rides him every day rides Pic D’Orhy every day and she puts him on a par with him. He is 162 and if he could be as good as him, we would be really happy. He obviously jumps and gallops and that is what you want.
“I honestly thought he would win today – and I know that’s being confident – but he’s a very smart horse.”
Ginny’s Destiny was cut to 9-1 with Betfair for the Turners Novices’ Chase after winning his third-straight chase at Prestbury Park and Nicholls confirmed that a return to the Cotswolds for the Festival would be his next port of call.
“He’s a very good work horse at home, he has class, he jumps and he will come back here now for the Turners,” he continued.
“He will get three miles, but I’m not going to do that until next year. He will follow the Stage Star route now and he is a bit stronger and more robust than Stage Star. You have to train him with kid gloves whereas this lad loves his work and thrives on everything you give to him and is a proper horse.
“Stage Star carried the weight last year and if they are good enough off that mark, then it doesn’t matter what weight they are carrying. He’s a massive horse and the weight was never going to worry him and Harry gave him a peach of a ride.”
Ga Law was another horse to showcase his love for Cheltenham when making a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure in the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase.
Jamie Snowden’s eight-year-old was a winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2022 but has found victories hard to come by since, with a crushing fall at Doncaster on his next start knocking the wind out of his sail and halting his progression.
However, he was back to his best in the hands of Gavin Sheehan to tee-up either a shot at Kempton’s Coral Trophy Handicap Chase on February 24 or a return to Prestbury Park for the Plate in March.
Snowden said: “He won the Paddy Power in 2022 and fell in the Sky Bet Chase (at Doncaster) when coming to win his race and it has taken a long time to get him back in that kind of form really – he lost his confidence and lost his way a little bit.
“We always thought we would get him back, but that fall at Doncaster was pretty nasty and it’s taken us a year to get him back. He ran really well in the Coral Gold Cup but just didn’t stay and the drop back in trip on the New course has helped him here today.
“He’s back now and it was lovely. He jumped really well out in front and got into a lovely rhythm. I thought the New course might suit him better than the Old course as he’s a long-striding horse and Gavin has given him a lovely ride.
“We were going to go to Kempton next, but we might have to come here instead. We will enjoy today and think about the next day tomorrow.”
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