Ben set to strike
AUSTRALIAN-trained horses have triumphed at Royal Ascot – and now they are after a slice of the jumps action at Cheltenham.
Success for Big Blue and Sydney handler Ciaron Maher in tomorrow’s Unibet International Hurdle would be a historic first at Prestbury Park.
“I have always wanted to bring a horse over here,” explained Maher. “And the owners were keen to travel. I was fortunate enough to go to the Cheltenham Festival a couple of years ago.
“I probably had only one other horse that would be the right type to bring over – Bashboy, the one Ruby (Walsh) rode for me to win the Australian Grand National in 2015.
“He was a bit old but he would have jumped the fences and handled the wetter ground. And then this horse came along.
“We bought him at the sales and thought he could make a jumper.”
In recent years Australiantrained runners have dominated sprint races at Royal Ascot. But over jumps only a handful have ventured to Cheltenham. Aussie trainer and jockey Bill Roycroft sent over Stoney Crossing to finish third to Arkle and Mill House in the 1965 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Maher, a Caulfield Cup winning trainer, clearly knows the time of day.
The former jump jockey trained the crack sprinter Merchant Navy before selling him to the Coolmore operation. The colt went on to win last year’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot when under the care of Aidan O’Brien.
Maher, 37, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, the son of the Newmarket trainer James, said: “It’s hard to gauge how good he is with the British horses. It will be tough but there is a limited number of races he can run in and he needs a handicap mark.
“He won the Randwick St Leger in Sydney. He won his latest start over hurdles. He’s been a real whirlwind.
“On his last run Ryan Moore rode him to finish third at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.”
ASK BEN (3.40, nap) looks primed to hit the target at Cheltenham today.
The six-year-old is a strong stayer and ran a blinder when third in a £100,000 handicap on Betfair Chase day.
Last season he won two novice hurdles in the north and was not disgraced in the Albert Bartlett at the Festival in March.
Ask Ben looks on a fair handicap mark and can see off Kilbricken Storm and Falco Blitz.
On day one of the International meeting at Cheltenham, the horse who beat Ask Ben at Haydock makes his chasing debut and STONEY MOUNTAIN (12.45, nb) should do the business for Henry
Daly. The 5lb he gets from the promising Pym could be crucial in the International Decorative Surfaces Novices’ Chase.
I have to keep faith with NORDIC COMBINED (1.20). He is a tricky ride but David Pipe (left) keeps throwing him into decent races and clearly believes he has a good race in him. The Cheltenham hill could bring out the best in his stamina.
WEST APPROACH (2.30) is not one to risk the mortgage money on but if he repeats his Cheltenham form from last month he could run well in the BetVictor Handicap Chase.