Scope win adds to Beckett’s Parisian purple patch
Ralph Beckett sent out his third Group One winner in as many weeks in France and completed a great weekend when Scope landed the Prix Royal-oak on very soft ground at Longchamp yesterday.
It followed Jean-luc Lagardere winner Angel Bleu’s victory in the Criterium International at Saintcloud on Saturday, while Scope’s win was a first at Group One level for Rob Hornby, who was having his debut ride at Longchamp.
Scope had suffered a setback after finishing third in the Lingfield Derby Trial in May and did not see a racecourse again until the Great Voltigeur in August. He blew the start in the St Leger but won Ascot’s
Noel Murless Stakes well at the start of this month.
“Maxim Guyon was available but this horse takes a bit of knowing,” said Beckett. “It’s brilliant for Rob.”
Hornby, who did not resume riding until May this year following a shoulder operation, described it as “crazy”.
“It’s a day to remember,” he said. “I’m delighted for the horse. I felt he never got a true shot at the Leger. He’s much better ridden handy like he was at Ascot and today. He has also improved.”
At Wincanton, former Premier League footballer Jay Tabb described his first ride, in a charity race, as the “best feeling ever”.
Tabb, 37, who played 400 games in his football career, finished sixth on the Philip Hobbs-trained Umndeni. “Our travelling head lad all week had been saying to me, ‘Don’t miss the start’, and today it was one of those things,” he said. “I knew it was going to happen.
“We took a turn. They said, ‘Take another turn’ and we did. Before I knew it, I was second last. I’m a little bit gutted I wasn’t closer to the pace but someone has to be at the back.
“To be fair to my horse, I didn’t panic as after that happened I knew I wasn’t going to win. So I thought, try to travel and overtake a couple. To finish sixth, I’m absolutely delighted. Without winning, it was the best result I could have asked for.
“It was the best experience ever. I would recommend it to anyone who works in racing. I would love to do that again as it is such a buzz. A realistic aim is to ride in a point-to-point in the spring.”
At Aintree, Allmankind, ridden by Harry Skelton, carried top weight to success in the Jewson Monet’s Garden Old Roan Chase, a feat previously achieved only by Kauto Star and Monet’s Garden himself.
“He’s got the biggest heart going,” said the jockey of the five-year-old. “When he came to us off the Flat he was very free, broke every rule and did everything backwards. Whether he can ever reach those heights, I don’t know, but he owes us nothing. Dan had trained him to perfection – I’m just the lucky man who gets to go out and ride a very willing partner.”