Ruth Jefferson’s Waiting Patiently entered for Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival

RUTH JEFFERSON says she’s “thrown caution to the wind” by giving stable star Waiting Patiently a surprise entry in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup – jump racing’s blue riband race.
Waiting Patiently has been handed a Cheltenham Gold Cup entry by Ruth Jefferson.Waiting Patiently has been handed a Cheltenham Gold Cup entry by Ruth Jefferson.
Waiting Patiently has been handed a Cheltenham Gold Cup entry by Ruth Jefferson.

The Malton trainer initially ruled out an entry for the injury-prone horse who was runner-up to the Bryony Frost-inspired Frodon in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Yet Jefferson – and owner Richard Collins – intend to keep all options open by also giving the 10-year-old entries in the two- mile Queen Mother Champion Chase and also the Ryanair Chase over two miles and five furlongs.

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One consideration is the uncertainty over the participation of Irish-trained runners at Cheltenham because of Covid lockdowns. Ireland accounts for 17 of the 41 initial Gold Cup entries, including Al Boum Photo who has won the last two renewals for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.

Trainer Ruth Jefferson.Trainer Ruth Jefferson.
Trainer Ruth Jefferson.

“Waiting Patiently has come out of the King George absolutely bouncing. He has been doing handstands and was squealing yesterday morning because the lot was late going out!” reported Jefferson.

“We have decided to enter him in all of the possible targets at the Cheltenham Festival just to keep our options open – at least for now.

“The Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and the Gold Cup are all championship races and it just makes sense at this stage to keep him in all three.

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“The Gold Cup, given these uncertain times, could be an interesting race. With so much going on, entering in all three races just keeps our options open and then we’re not tied down about having to go for one particular race.

Paul Townend has won the last two renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo.Paul Townend has won the last two renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo.
Paul Townend has won the last two renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo.

“Things are just very uncertain at the minute. We don’t know what the ground will be like come the Spring so what race we go for at Cheltenham could be dictated by other factors. His run at Kempton was brilliant, but it didn’t surpass my expectations because I have always known that he is an exceptionally talented horse.”

Waiting Patiently, who was left with a lot of ground to make up in the King George after being ridden with restraint by champion jockey Brian Hughes, could line up in next month’s Ascot Chase – the Grade One race that he won in 2018 at the Berkshire track.

Jefferson must now decide whether that race is too close to the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, and whether Waiting Patiently will see out the three-and- a-quarter-mile Gold Cup trip.

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She pondered: “It was quite a fast King George, so with the Gold Cup in mind, will he stay the trip? He was finishing very strongly at the finish, so it is another thing to think about.

“His profile in Grade One races is so variable. He has run in Grade Ones over a variety of trips and has always run well.

“Waiting Patiently has never been to Cheltenham. I guess for us in the past, it has not really been the be all and end all for him to run there, because he has had other options like Aintree.

“We have sometimes planned for Cheltenham and sometimes haven’t.

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“We have always made the entries but for different reasons he has never ended up there.

“However, I have thrown caution to the wind with the entries and maybe this is the time where he does make it to the Cheltenham Festival.”

Other entries include the resurgent Yorkhill who won Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase for Scottish Borders trainer Sandy Thomson, who is so adept at reviving older horses, and jockey Ryan Mania.

There’s a second Scottish entry courtesy of Nick Alexander’s Lake View Lad. Owned by Trevor Hemmings, he’s a former winner of Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase.

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