Veterans need bigger race calendar

The three-mile Betbright Veterans Handicap Chase has attracted a competitive 10-runner field, with Reveley hopeful that the drying conditions will suit his ever popular course specialist as the 10-year-old seeks a fourth career win on Town Moor.

However, the Saltburn trainer feels that there should be more races for older horses – and that they should range in distance from two-and-a-half miles up to three miles-plus.

“These races are a godsend,” he said. “At one time if you had an old horse at the top of the handicap, you had nowhere to go. It gives the old boys a chance.

“I think there should be more races, and there should be some over two miles and two-and-a-half. At the moment, they’re three miles or three-and-a-quarter. I’ve got a grand old horse called Robbie. He’s 12 and doesn’t get three miles. I’m sending him point-to-pointing and hunter-chasing.

“I’m sure if they put on some two-and-a-half mile races, they would get well supported.”

As for today’s race, Reveley is “quite hopeful” that the better ground will suit Night In Milan, who has not raced since winning the Sky Bet Handicap Hurdle at the South Yorkshire track at the end of January.

On that occasion, Harry Challoner was in the saddle because the trainer’s son, James, had been concussed in a preceding race.

However, Reveley Jnr returns to the fray today buoyed by a winner at Toulouse yesterday.

He is likely to spend most of the year plying his trade in France where he has a chance, fitness and form permitting, of becoming champion jockey, according to his father.

“We ran Night In Milan over fences earlier in the season, but the ground was soft,” he added. “He’s definitely a good ground horse. A couple of years ago, he was running on soft and wasn’t enjoying himself.

“As it turned out, he won at Kelso on better going and should probably have won next time at Aintree, but was just left with too much to do – we didn’t realise at the time that he’s more of a front-runner.

“We’ve kept him as much as possible to decent ground. He’s not getting any younger, but his chase mark is still quite high and these veterans’ races give us somewhere to go. I’m all for them.”

With Night In Milan very unlikely to make the 40-runner cut for the Crabbies Grand National in which he was a leg weary 18th to Many Clouds last year, Night In Milan’s main target will be Grimthorpe Chase on March 5 – ground permitting. The North Yorkshire horse won this prestigious in March 2014 with an exhilarating round of front-running.

However, Aintree is firmly on the agenda for Saint Are.

Trainer Tom George said: “He’ll like the better ground up there (Doncaster) and it should put us spot-on for the National.”

Trainer Sue Smith celebrated her 68th birthday in style yesterday when Palm Grey prevailed at Wetherby under a typically tenacious ride by Danny Cook to deny odds-on favourite Zephyros Bleu.

It was the third victory for the in-form Smith and Cook combination in the past four days as the rider extended his career-best tally of winners to 36 for the season.

Northern Racing College graduate Gemma Hogg, assistant to Middleham trainer Micky Hammond, was crowned Employee of the Year at the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards.

The Rider/Groom category went to Alyson Deniel, who works for Malton’s Richard Fahey.