Lucinda Russell considers plans for Cheltenham Festival winner Corach Rambler and stable star Ahoy Senor
Corach Rambler won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while Ahoy Senor finished second in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase; Ahoy Senor likely to be put away and aimed at Cheltenham Gold Cup next season
Sunday 20 March 2022 17:06, UK
Lucinda Russell is mulling over options for stable stars Ahoy Senor and Corach Rambler after their Cheltenham exploits, although she admitted both could be saved for next season.
Ahoy Senor chased home L'Homme Presse in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, while Corach Rambler tasted success with a storming late run under Derek Fox in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
The Alary handler, along with partner and assistant Peter Scudamore, is already looking ahead to next season with plenty of optimism.
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Russell said: "Both are fantastic. They have both come home sound and happy. It is just a delight to cap off a super week. We are just really pleased with both of them.
"I don't know if either will run this season. We are not sure.
"Corach might have an entry in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, and we will look at Ahoy Senor to see how well he is and whether or not he goes to Aintree, or even Punchestown, but I don't know. At this stage, we will probably save him for next season."
Corach Rambler gave Russell her second Festival winner 10 years after breaking her duck with Brindisi Breeze. He has now won three of his six starts over fences having bounced back in style after unseating Fox at Ascot on his penultimate run.
Eight-time champion jockey Scudamore, who rode 13 winners at Cheltenham, including two Champion Hurdles, does most of the work at home aboard the quirky eight-year-old, who invariably saves something for himself.
Russell added: "Corach is a horse, because of his style of running, who never wins by very far and I thought Derek gave him a great ride. He is a horse with plenty of ability.
"He is just a very exciting horse. He has been slightly in the shadow of Ahoy Senor, but actually it is nice for him that he has been quite happily working his way up the ranks while everyone is watching the other one."
Russell feels that their star chasers have somewhat put the Scottish stable back on the map and have provided vindication of the hard work the yard puts in, spotting, securing and producing equine talent.
"It has been brilliant," she added. "It is always exciting when you target races with horses and to take two down there and to have a first and second at that level is fantastic. It just eggs us on to want us to do it again.
"We chose the horses ourselves, produced them ourselves and it is good to have that reassurance that what you are doing is correct and it gives you that confidence.
"We came back from a week down there and look around at the other horses we have got and I just can't wait for next year!
"We will be buying again this spring and summer, but we have got nice ones for next season again too, hopefully."
