Victory for Sign at Ascot
Last Updated: 01/11/14 5:42pm
A round-up of the rest of the action from Ascot, where Sign Of A Victory impressed in success under Barry Geraghty.
Rebecca Curtis has been powering in the winners at a fair rate of knots and the Newport handler was on the mark when 11/2 favourite Tara Road took the Gardiner Theobald Novices' Handicap Hurdle in a thrilling opener at Ascot.
The six-year-old was handed a stiff task on his opening run of the season in a decent novices' chase at Chepstow, but the pipe-opener appeared to be just the tonic.
On his return to hurdling and making his handicap debut in the extended two miles and three furlongs event, Tara Road stalked the early pace set by Padre Tito and Upton Wood, before Barry Geraghty put his mount into contention approaching the third last flight.
Although the combination lost a little momentum when they hit the penultimate flight, Tara Road was still full of running.
Light Entertainment, who took the widest route throughout, had the lead at the final flight but Tara Road continued to eat into it and, after an epic duel, Geraghty's mount got up in the dying strides to gain a nose victory and a third career success. Coup De Grace stayed on for third, a further three and a quarter-lengths away.
Curtis was at Wetherby to see At Fisher's Cross run in the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle, and in her absence, Geraghty said: "He missed the second last and the runner-up made me work hard for it. The ground is slow - it was hard work."
Jolly's Cracked It looked a horse to follow when storming clear to land the Ascot Racecourse Novices' Hurdle in the hands of Nick Schofield.
The 11/4 shot was making his seasonal debut, having signed off last term with victory in a heavy-ground Wincanton bumper, yet looked the pick of the paddock before the two-mile event.
Looks proved justified as the strapping five-year-old, who is a half-brother to high-class two-mile hurdle and chase winner Crack Away Jack, made the most of a generous pace, travelling well before taking it up approaching the final turn and quickly drawing clear.
The early pace seemed to take its toll late on as Jolly's Cracked It fluffed the last two flights and though he began to idle, Clondaw Banker could not claw back the deficit and went down by three and a quarter lengths.
Light Well stayed on well to finish eight lengths further back in third. Winning trainer Harry Fry said: "He's a big horse who has really taken time to strengthen up. He had a setback after he won at Wincanton and we wanted to go for one of the good bumpers in the spring, but were unable to. It probably hasn't done him any harm.
"We have done a lot of work with his schooling and he jumped great today, all bar when he was on his own in front at the last two.
"He was getting a bit tired and had done plenty throughout the race. We will probably come back here in November for an introductory hurdle.
"We have had to do a lot of work with his jumping but he has improved and, to be honest, I thought the (good) ground would be plenty quick enough for him - the softer it is, the better it will be for him. He's a really exciting prospect."
Sponsors Sky Bet introduced the winner into their betting for next year's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at 33/1.
The Clock Leary (12/1) has always been held in high regard by Venetia Williams and he jumped his seven rivals into submission in the Ascot Underwriting Novices' Limited Handicap under Aidan Coleman.
The six-year-old landed a Catterick handicap hurdle in February but had been off the track since disappointing next time up at Ffos Las.
Chasing was always going to be his forte, however, and he was virtually foot perfect in making most of the running.
With The Bear Trap unseating at the first and Monkey Kingdom putting down on Tom Scudamore and falling when the pace increased down the back straight, The Clock Leary's chance was made a little easier.
Yet it is arguable whether either would have caught him, such was his enthusiasm for the job. He drew clear on the crown of the final bend and extended his advantage over Cocktails At Dawn to 11 lengths by the finish.
Coleman said: "He did everything right. He travelled, he jumped and jumped fantastic to be fair to him. He was just very uncomplicated - I just steered him round.
"He started off with a very good run in a bumper and then, although he did win and was placed over hurdles, he probably wasn't probably living up to what we thought he might be. He has blown that out of the water today. It's a new chapter - fencing was always going to be his game. He would go on softer ground but it is beautiful jumping ground today."
Williams said: "Owner Andrew Brooks's company, Ascot Underwriting, sponsored the race and we had two entries - this horse was the first string and we had another entered in case something went wrong. But this is really fantastic.
"We always thought he would be a better chaser than a hurdler and in his first bumper run at Sandown, he ran really well when he just got beat but he was a little bit keen today.
"Fences have been the making of him. Aidan just let him bowl to the front after giving up the struggle of trying to keep him in behind. Going that pace, he did the job well."
Geraghty enjoyed an armchair ride when completing a double on the Nicky Henderson-trained Sign Of A Victory in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.
Geraghty had the 15/8 favourite handily placed in midfield as Verano, Laudatory and Kilcooley shared pace-making duties.
Turning for home with two flights left to jump, Geraghty was oozing confidence on Sign Of A Victory and produced him to challenge his stablemate Dawalan.
He cruised to the front and was not out of second gear as he won cheekily by half a length. Baradari was third.
"He did it well and he's a horse we've always liked. He's a lot of pace," Geraghty said.
"To be honest, I don't think it was the most competitive handicap, so he could be flattered how easily he's done it. In a 25-runner County Hurdle it could be a different story.
"He's a real slick hurdler and has improved from last year."
Henderson said: "He's done it well, but he has beaten Dawalan - I know what the form amounts to, but the handicapper won't believe me."
On the back of the success, bookmakers cut him for the Greatwood Hurdle later this month at Cheltenham, but the trainer seemed less than convinced about that option.
"He's a buzzy horse, who lives on his toes, you could call him a little aeroplane, and I would be reluctant to run him back in the Greatwood (at Cheltenham on November 16)," he said.
"I'm not ruling anything in or out, but I would be concerned (to run again quickly) He's more likely to be saved for the International."
Wilberdragon (16-1) looks set for a hurdling career after taking the United House Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race under 7lb claimer Charlie Deutsch.
"He is a nice, big, young horse who needed a little time to strengthen up. He might go hurdling as he jumps for fun," said trainer Charlie Longsdon.