PRIZE GUY IAN’S DAY TO SAVOUR Williams bags a tasty double
BADGER JOY FOR BRYONY
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BRYONY FROST claimed the biggest victory of her professional riding career after steering the Paul Nicholls-trained Present Man to a narrow success in a thrilling renewal of the Badger Ales Trophy.
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After a gruelling test over three miles and one furlong there were only two runners in with a shot with a couple of fences to jump with Frost on Present Man going head-to-head with Leighton Aspell on
Final Nudge.
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Aspell looked as though he might just have stolen the advantage after the last but Present Man, owned by the race sponsor, kept finding on the run to the line to win by a head.
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Theatre Guide was back in third and Southfield Theatre fourth.
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Frost said: “He jumped and travelled – this is his Gold Cup. It’s their owners’ Gold Cup and they said to me I could ride him.
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“I rode him at Kempton last time and it’s brilliant to have pulled it off for them. ★
“He’s a brave horse. He has the heart of a lion and the braver you are, the braver he is as he answers every question.”
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Nicholls added: “I must say I’ve never seen him look better. I knew he’d go in the ground but it was whether he stayed in the ground.
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“He’s a great example of Rome not being built in a day. He’s taken three years to get where he is. It was a peach of a ride.”
JASON HEAVEY
CAPITAL RUN: London Prize heads for victory LONDON PRIZE and Saunter gave trainer Ian Williams a dream 20 minutes with a memorable big-race double yesterday.
The latter came with a decisive late flourish to win the £70,000 Betfred November Handicap at Doncaster.
The victory came moments after Williams had seen London Prize win the Unibet Grade Two Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.
He said: “It’s not a bad 20 minutes to have in any training career. It’s lovely to do it on the Flat and over jumps.”
London Prize beat a decent field from an attractive handicap mark under Tom O’Brien.
And Williams raised the possibility of the hurdler making a swift return at Cheltenham next Sunday.
He added: “I thought London Prize was tremendous.
“He was up against it, particularly over the two miles at Wincanton but Tom has given him a great ride.
“Potentially he was well handicapped on his Flat form but I wondered if he would have the toe round there.
“He’ll potentially run in the Greatwood Hurdle. We originally went to Wincanton because the owners weren’t available on Greatwood day but it depends on what the handicapper does and if he’s bucking and squealing.”
Saunter was delivered with a perfectly-timed run by Jim Crowley to lift the last big prize of the turf Flat season.
Favourite Royal Line made a bold bid for home with a quarter of a mile to run.
But his run began to falter with a furlong to go just as Crowley was hitting top gear on Saunter, who sprinted away down the middle of the track.
Chelsea Lad tried to go with him but had to settle for second, with Eddystone Rock third and Storm King a game fourth.
On Saunter, he said: “I think he’s beaten quite a quality field. I thought he had a lot to do two furlongs out but Jim has given him a great ride.
“The owner Michael Watts has been extremely supportive of me and has always given me a chance with decent horses. They are famous colours, so it’s fantastic.
“This fellow was sent to us two months ago.”