John Dance confident he has found Laurens’ successor in Newbury winner Bravemansgame

JOHN DANCE is no stranger to success in horse racing. His champion filly Laurens was a multiple Group One winner on the Flat.
Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.
Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.

Work is also underway on his plan to turn Manor House Farm and Stud, the birthplace of 1945 Derby winner Dante, into a private training facility in Middleham following a protracted planning battle.

But even Dance was taken aback by the breathtaking success at the weekend of top novice steeplechaser Bravemansgame who he co-owns with Bryan Drew.

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One of the National Hunt horses that Dance and his wife Jess purchased in order to pursue their love of racing throughout the year, they were left in awe by Bravemansgame’s weight-carrying performance at Newbury.

Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.
Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.

And while a formidably strong Irish challenge awaits at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, Dance believes that his horse – trained by Paul Nicholls and expertly ridden by Harry Cobden – is the one to beat in the three-mile Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (formerly the RSA).

“Unless the ground is unseasonably soft or heavy, it is almost certain we will go for the three -mile race,” Dance told The Yorkshire Post. “I hope so because Jess and I are about to book travel and childcare.”

The last point is significant because family commitments prevented Dance, an entrepreneur and financier whose firm Vertem Asset Management is a significant sponsor of racing, from travelling to Newbury to watch Bravemansgame.

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Tellingly, he was also pessimistic about the horse’s ability to concede at least 16lb to three select rivals at a time when the all-conquering Nicholls stable has been out of sorts by its own high standards.

Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.
Bravemansgame ridden by jockey Harry Cobden goes onto win the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices' Limited Handicap Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse.

Yet any pre-race doubts were dispelled by Bravemansgame’s nimbleness – despite one heartstopping moment when the horse took off a stride too early – and acceleration going to the last.

Unbeaten from four starts over fences, Bravemansgame also has Grade One wins over both hurdles and fences to his name thanks to his Challow success at Newbury in December 2020 and victory over Ahoy Senor in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton last Boxing Day.

“It’s not what he will go on and achieve – he’s done pretty good already,” ventured Dance. “He’s a very exhilarating horse that seems to improve every time he runs over fences.

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“It will be exciting to see where the ceiling is with him and what we might achieve over time. I went into the race at Newbury saying it would take an awesome performance to win. When he started pulling clear with one fence to go, I was jumping off the sofa.”

With Laurens, it was, invariably, many hours before Dance could watch replays of her big race wins. Now Dance was able to press the “replay” button instantly and incessantly. “The phrase ‘take off from outside the wings of a fence’ is almost a turn of phrase but he genuinely did that,” he went on. “Maybe he was a little too exuberant – both Harry Cobden and Paul Nicholls said he was quite fresh. He’s a great jumper but we have got to make sure he doesn’t take it too far.”

Dance admits that Bravesmansgame was initially beyond his budget before Nicholls, and bloodstock agent Tom Malone, purchased the horse and suggested co-ownership with the aforementioned Drew. “It’s worked out great and Bryan is a great person to be involved with – it’s a real honour.”

Meanwhile, Dance reports that work finally began yesterday on transforming Manor House Stables – but that it won’t be ready for training purposes for another year. In the meantime, his trainer James Horton, a former assistant to the legendary Sir Michael Stoute, will use temporary stables at Leyburn to train a 32-strong Flat string.

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