Gold Cup not on Harry Topper’s radar

KIM Bailey says he will bide his time with bet365 Charlie Hall Chase winner Harry Topper – and played down talk of a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March.
Jason Maguire after he rode Harry Topper to victoryJason Maguire after he rode Harry Topper to victory
Jason Maguire after he rode Harry Topper to victory

The trainer, the first man in British racing to saddle the winners of the Grand National (Mr Frisk), Gold Cup (Master Oats) and Champion Hurdle (Alderbook), says the six-year-old needs to improve his jumping following his heartstopping Wetherby win on Saturday.

Bailey’s comments come as National Hunt racing’s cavalcade heads to Exeter today where the record-breaking AP McCoy needs just two victories to reach the 4,000-winner milestone following a double – his third in as many days – at Kempton yesterday.

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McCoy’s latest successes on Captain Cutter and Foundation Man – the 3,997th and 3,998th of an incomparable career over jumps – overshadowed a lacklustre return to action for David Pipe’s stable star Grands Crus, and the build-up to today’s prestigious Haldon Gold Cup where Colin and Joe Tizzard’s will be favourite to win this two mile test for a second successive year. Bailey, the comeback man of the training ranks, has already shown great patience with Harry Topper who was running in a Bumper race at Ascot two years ago.

The horse bypassed this year’s Cheltenham Festival because of his jumping inexperience, and then had his confidence knocked when brought down at Punchestown in April.

Despite the tutelage of the world-renowned horse guru Yogi Breisner, Harry Topper’s jumping is still not Gold Cup class – he was clumsy at the first on Saturday, just the 12th start of his career, before nearly parting company with Jason Maguire at the second.

Bailey’s first ever runner in the Charlie Hall, he was the first to acknowledge that his horse was the beneficiary of rain-softened ground and Long Run, the 2011 Gold Cup winner, putting in a below-par performance and being the last of the five finishers.

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“Those first three fences were just dreadful, but after that he jumped like an old pro,” observed Bailey from his stables in the Cotswolds.

“He shortened into the last and still out jumped them; that was something he certainly could not do last season. More practice needed and small fields.

“The future? Who knows, but it won’t be the Hennessy at Newbury at the end of the month.

“We have a long way to go before we think about that race in March,” he said.

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“HT needs a small field so that he can take his time to get going rather than being bustled, and his jumping needs to improve early. Perhaps he needs to go to France where they have a practice fence on the way to the start!”

Bailey suggested that the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, won so dramatically by Wetherby winner Tidal Bay last year, could be an option.

As for Bailey’s rise – he trained 86 winners in 1993-94 to the fall of 2007-08 which yielded just three successes at a two per cent strike-rate – he credits the move to a new yard at Cheltenham and the loyalty of his owners and jockeys like Maguire who still rides out for the trainer in spite of his retainer with Donald McCain.

“Yes it has been a challenge to announce that ‘Bailey is back’ and that challenge has been difficult, testing, but one that I have enjoyed and when I finally make it I will celebrate and appreciate,” he added.

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“That journey has been helped in no uncertain terms by the support of a wonderful wife, loyal owners and a great team of staff led by Mat Nicholls, and we must not forget the jockey Jason Maguire, who was as pleased as anybody after HT’s win. Jason, too, knew what it took and what it meant for all of us.

“The luck came when Harry Topper arrived into my life on the suggestion of Vicky Morse. Vicky knew how odd HT was, and suggested to his owner breeder David Keyte that he should send him here.

“After his Bumper win at Hereford in April 2011, I persuaded a very long standing owner Tony Solomons to buy a half share and that as they say is history. I just hope there are many more chapters in this little book to come.”

All eyes will be on Exeter today where McCoy has three chances to bring up his 4,000th win and become the first jump jockey in history to reach the landmark.

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To put it in perspective, only three Flat riders – Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery – reached the milestone.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Flemenson bids to make it two from two over obstacles in the opening novice hurdle while McCoy also rides Keen Eye in a similar event and Well Hello There goes in a handicap chase. “I wouldn’t say they are good chances. Flemenson is probably the best one,” said the 18-times champion after his two Kempton wins.

The big disappointment at Kempton yesterday was the Tom Scudamore-ridden Grands Crus who could only finish fifth to Tom George’s God’s Own in the Pertemps Hurdle.

Though he suffered some interference, the David Pipe yard hoped for better from the grey who has not won since landing the 2011 Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase at the same track.

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An understandably disappointed Pipe said: “He was running well for a while and just stopped quite quickly. We will see how he is afterwards. He looked good for a long way, hopefully it was just fitness. Only time will tell. I don’t think you can make plans after that. We will get him back and see.”

John Gosden has made three entries as he bids to win the Betfred November Handicap for a sixth time at Doncaster when the curtain falls on the turf season on Saturday.

The Newmarket trainer is considering Aiken, Lahaag and Thomas Hobson as he looks for some consolation for The Fugue’s last-gasp defeat in the Breeders’ Cup.

Malton’s Brian Ellison is double-handed in a 36-strong entry with Autun and Twelve Strings.

Autun only joined the Ellison string last week after being bought for £37,000 at the Horses In Training Sales at Tattersalls out of Lady Cecil’s stable.

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