David Evans’ stable star Rohaan warmed up for the Champions Day Sprint by winning Saturday’s Group 3 Bengough Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot, his happy hunting ground. He’s won four of his five starts there, and nine races in all. The first was less than two years ago off a handicap mark of 55. He’s now on 113.
The good to soft ground was ideal for him and the 13-strong field was large enough to employ his preferred tactics, weaving his way from the rear through the field after the halfway point. A small gap conveniently opened up that enabled him to hit the front a furlong out and enjoy a comfortable success over the recent Ayr Gold Cup first and second.
Rohaan is second favourite at 5/1 for his next run at Ascot. At the head of the market is last year’s winner Creative Force, who hasn’t won in three outings since.
Also on the weekend’s Ascot card David Probert came in for the ride on the Godolphin filly Soft Whisper, winning a Listed race. She’s been well placed to land eight of her 17 starts. Probert’s record is 6-20 for the two main Godolphin trainers in the last five years.
At Fontwell James Bowen had a fairly easy task steering Zacony Rebel to victory in a four-runner chase. After a quiet summer he has had four winners in ten days for four different trainers. He will have bigger fish to fry in the coming months for his main stable, that of Nicky Henderson.
The previous day at the Sussex track, Blaze A Trail won his fourth handicap in a row for John Flint and a syndicate of mainly Welsh-based owners, including Phil Bell, the Chepstow and Ffos Las racecourse Executive Director. That was unimaginable a year ago, when the horse was breaking blood vessels.
While many eyes were focusing on Longchamp on Sunday, the Welsh were having a rewarding day at Uttoxeter. Good Impression, one of Dai Burchell’s last winners, won the 2m handicap hurdle for his new handler Bernard Llewellyn. Ben Jones brought him with a well-timed run to lead after the final obstacle and then held off a host of rivals closing in on him in the final stages.
An hour later Rebecca Curtis and James Bowen combined to win the 3m chase with Easkey Lad, who was always travelling well on this step up from shorter trips in his previous outings over fences. Curtis completed a quick double when the eleven-year-old Geordie Des Champs took the long distance hurdle, this time with Sean Bowen in the saddle.
The Big Welsh Racing Weekend is fast approaching. Two days of high class action at Chepstow on Friday and Saturday are followed by the £50,000 DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on Sunday. Tickets are available in advance and on the day.
Chepstow’s Unibet Jump Season Opener is becoming more and more established as the beginning of the National Hunt season proper. Horses like Cue Card, Silviniaco Conti, Silver Streak and Altior have won at Chepstow’s October meetings in the last ten years or so. Since 2015, when the Jump Season Opener was first held on two consecutive days, Paul Nicholls (photographed) has won 27 of the 104 races. 2020 was his best meeting, with eight winners and three seconds in the two days. Philip Hobbs also does well at this fixture, and Evan Williams has been known to target some of the handicaps at this, his local track
