Riguez set to be king

NOT many horses have beaten Kalahari King, Ferdy Murphy's stable star, who was put through his paces on Redcar beach yesterday before a tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase later this month.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2010, 09:03 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2010, 09:04 BST

But Riguez Dancer is one such horse – he beat Murphy's highly-rated two-mile chaser at Newcastle in February 2008 – and he could win again in today's sportingbet.com Novices' Chase at Doncaster.

Though the six-year-old has not scaled the great heights reached by Kalahari King, current connections – through a syndicate run by David Parry Racing – had seen enough to warrant stumping up 32,000 guineas at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales.

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Trained by Murphy, Riguez Dancer crashed out at the third fence on his chasing debut at Sedgefield, but subsequently ran an eye-catching second at Hexham before hitting the target back in County Durham last month.

He will certainly be better suited by this better surface and can record back-to-back wins.

His opponents include Henrietta Knight's Teddy's Reflection, who will be ridden by Sam Thomas, the jockey who won the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Denman before losing the ride in this year's renewal to 14-times champion rider Tony McCoy.

Having accepted his fate, Thomas is looking forward to getting the leg up on Tricky Trickster, a stablemate of Denman, in this year's race.

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Tricky Trickster is seemingly Paul Nicholls's third string behind dual winner Kauto Star and Denman but Thomas is confident he can give a good account after this mount won last month's Aon Chase (the race where Denman and McCoy parted company).

"I'm very much looking forward to it and I think he's a cracking ride," said Thomas. "Obviously, whatever you run in the race it's going to be very difficult to beat the favourite (Kauto Star) as he looks as good as ever at the moment.

"Tricky Trickster has got no miles on the clock so there is no reason why he can't keep on improving and he's proved he stays round Cheltenham which is a big plus. I'd definitely be very hopeful we can finish in the first four."

Thomas also believes Tell Massini could be a Gold Cup contender of the future ahead of his tilt at the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

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The six-year-old is unbeaten in three starts over timber this season, including two impressive displays in Graded company at Prestbury Park.

Thomas feels Tell Massini has plenty of speed to go with seemingly abundant stamina and has nominated him as his best chance of a Festival winner.