TOM BRACED FOR PERTH
TOM LACEY is chasing a debut double at Perth tonight as he saddles his first runners at the Scone track.
The Herefordshire handler gets underway with Bhakti – ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson – in the Edinburgh Gin Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
The 10-year-old won on his yard debut at Ffos Las last month and Lacey said: “The step up in trip will suit him. Although he has gone up a few pounds he won nicely and will love the ground.” The trainer is also represented by Jester Jet – one of 11 declared for the £10,000 Heineken UK Handicap Hurdle – who is chasing a hat-trick of wins.
Lacey said: “Her jumping was appalling when she won at Wetherby even though she had schooled beautifully at home.
“She got more of a sight of her hurdles at Ludlow last time and her jumping isn’t really a concern.
“Ideally I’d have aimed her at a 0-110 over two miles four furlongs but there wasn’t that option. She has to have a squeak on the softer ground and up to three miles.”
Lucinda Russell’s Maraweh – a 6-1 winner of last year’s race – and Nick Alexander’s three-time Perth scorer Jet Master will also run in the evening’s feature event.
■ Willie Mullins last night led the tributes to Annie Power after the magical mare was retired.
The trainer’s attempts to get the 2016 Champion Hurdle winner back on track last season suffered several setbacks.
Already in foal to Derby winner Camelot, her last race was a crushing defeat of My Tent Or Yours in the Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool last April.
Mullins said: “At the beginning I bought her for fences believe it or not so if I’ve one regret it’s that we never saw her jump a fence because she’d have been brilliant.
“She had so much size and scope about her it was always in my mind but the Champion Hurdle has to be the highlight.”
Ruby Walsh piloted the mare to her Cheltenham triumph and said: “She’ll take a fair bit of replacing but it was great to have had her.”
■ Fashaak looks likely to be the safest option in today’s feature race at Yarmouth, the John Cornell Memorial Handicap.
Bought for 11,000 guineas by John Butler he almost gave his new connections an immediate return over this course and distance last month when he lost out by a head to Commodity.
The handicapper has left him alone on a mark of 78, only 1lb higher than when last successful at Doncaster 12 months ago.