Royal Windsor was in the racing headlines this weekend and it was a Tudor that took the honours.
Jack Tudor (photographed) rode Mr Vango to victory in the £100,000 Peter Marsh Chase, making all the running over almost three and a quarter miles on typically soft Haydock going. Anyone who saw his 60-length win at Exeter last year over 3m6f plus might have thought this distance would be insufficient, but the restoration of cheekpieces helped. He is probably eighteen hands high and had only 10-2 to carry due to the presence of Royale Pagaille.
Tudor was renewing an old acquaintanceship with the horse, having won and finished second and third on him in his novice hurdle season. Trainer Sara Bradstock enthused, “He can't go any faster than that, but he just keeps going and jumps beautifully. We're hoping and praying that we get the wettest spring ever and we can run him in the National.”
The Sam Thomas trained 2021 Coral Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit, who was a gallant third in the 2024 race three weeks ago, was runner-up – an excellent effort for a twelve-year-old with a rating of 150.
Tudor also won the 3m4f chase at Windsor on Sunday on Planned Paradise, trained by his old guv’nor Christian Williams. The bottom weight was running off his last winning mark. It was his twelfth outing of the present campaign, which included a thirteen length win over a mile shorter at Perth in the summer. He has placed form over slightly longer than this marathon trip. “He has ability, but has his good days and bad days,” said Tudor.
This bettered the stable’s seasonal total of winners in each of the last two years. Williams confirmed that they are “just ticking over” on numbers due to the need to concentrate the family’s attention on his daughter’s continuing treatment for leukaemia.
In the 3m hurdle earlier on that card, a steady pace meant that nearly all of the field were still in contention turning into the straight. Christian Williams’ Deep Cave was ridden more prominently than of late, running second most of the way and disputing the lead over the last only to fade into fourth on the run-in. It was the Robbie Llewellyn-trained Titan Discovery who took the spoils, running on well to lead in the last few strides. He was a Pricewise tip, sent off at 11/2. Wiltshire-based Llewellyn worked for Tim Vaughan, Evan Williams and David Brace and as a film extra and stunt rider before setting up on his own in 2021.
Title-chasing Sean Bowen had five mounts at Taunton on Saturday and came away with one success on Martin Keighley’s First Angel. A sharp two miles and decent going are essential for him. He shadowed the leader for most of the race before hitting the front on entering the home straight, drawing clear on the run-in. The handicapper is bound to put him up to a level that will require a personal best for him to win next time.
Our next fixture at Chepstow is on Tuesday 28th January. There’s a lunch package in The View Restaurant for £69 per person which includes a table for the day, admission, a race day programme and a three-course meal. The meeting features a qualifier for the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series which has a final at Punchestown in April.
