King George VI Chase: Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor on Boxing Day for Bravemansgame rematch | race news
King George VI Chase: Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor on Boxing Day for Bravemansgame rematch | race news
#King #George #Chase #Lucinda #Russells #Ahoy #Senor #Boxing #Day #Bravemansgame #rematch #race #news Welcome to InNewCL, here is the new story we have for you today:
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Lucinda Russell has confirmed that stable star Ahoy Senor will once again take on the big guns at the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The seven-year-old, one of last season’s leading novices, failed to shoot on his return as a favorite for the Charlie Hall Chase in Wetherby but improved and finished third to Grand National Hero Noble Yeats in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree earlier this month.
Ahoy Senor has an opportunity to return to handicap society on the same day as the King George in Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase, but Russell is keen to roll the dice in Class One society.
Image: Bravemansgame jumps clear ahead of Ahoy Senor as last in Kempton
“The plan for Ahoy Senor was originally the King George, then we eyed a race at Wetherby instead, but we’re changing our minds again and he will be racing at Kempton on Boxing Day,” the trainer said in her bet365 column.
“We’ve spoken to everyone about it – we’ve spoken to Derek Fox (jockey), we’ve spoken to the owners, to Scu (Peter Scudamore, partner of the trainer) and I think the plan now is to go to Kempton.
“The feeling is that there will probably be a smaller field, but the important thing is that I think he is a class 1 horse and belongs to this company. Yes we could be beaten but if he races well and gets the top four then the dream of going to Cheltenham is still alive.”
Ahoy Senor will renew rivalries with some well-known opponents at Kempton, having finished second to Bravemansgame 12 months ago at the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on the King George undercard and second to L’Homme Press at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
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Russell’s protégé beat this pair at Aintree in April and the manager is hoping Ahoy Senor can improve on his two previous efforts this season, possibly with sporting cheek pieces.
“Speaking to Derek he said the first time he ran this season he was like a bull in a china shop, the next time he said if it had been his first run he would have been thrilled” added Russell.
“He came on so many times between heats one and two and we feel like he’s come on again since then.
“You look at the horses in the race and we beat them, albeit on good ground in the spring, but I think 33-1 is a very generous price for an each-way bet.
“He’s definitely a horse that just keeps getting better the more he races and I think that’s why he’s doing so well in the spring and probably why he’s so good at running at Aintree seems.
“We’ll teach him cheek pieces on Thursday and if that goes well we’ll try them again on Monday.”
