Laura’s Law is a Golden wonder It was amazing, we knew we’d done something a bit special
Harbour can hold his own against Ascot’s big guns
LAURA MONGAN ponders the odds bookmakers are quoting Harbour Law for Thursday’s £400,000 Ascot Gold Cup and delivers her verdict.
‘He’s a Classic winner and he’s 25-1 for the Gold Cup. It’s a bit of an insult but we know why,’ says the 37-year-old trainer. No further expansion is needed.
Mongan, who t rains with former jockey husband Ian, has 23 full boxes at her Epsom stable.
With one outstanding exception, none of her horses would find a home in the lavish equine academy of Aidan O’Brien, which houses 2016 Gold Cup winner Order of St George, odds-on favourite to successfully retain his title.
Mongan is small fry in a sport dominated by mega-rich owners and a clutch of big-name trainers. But this underdog has already upset the odds big time and is aiming to send similar shock waves through Royal Ascot next week.
Harbour Law was 22-1 when Mongan became t he first f emale t rainer t o win t he St Leger in its 240-year history at Doncaster last September.
The colt’s form, including a second in the Queen’s Vase at l ast year’s Royal meeting, would have ensured his odds were shorter had he represented what Mongan describes as ‘a more fashionable stable’.
Adding to a colourful story was that Laura had had to delay the seventh birthday party of daughter Daisy to saddle her Classic winner.
Mum made it up to daughter 24 hours later when a ‘manic’ party for 25 children also turned into a celebration of the first Classic winner trained in Epsom since 1969. Laura says: ‘It’s still a bit of a blur and not through alcohol. But it hit home after from the overwhelming support we received — letters, emails and phone calls.
‘It was unbelievable. That’s when we realised we’d done something special. They came from people we didn’t know. We also got congratulations from Sir Mark Prescott and Jane Cecil.’
Epsom-born Laura had ridden out for Prescott during a stint working in Newmarket where she met Ian.
It was for Lady Cecil’s late husband, Sir Henry, that Ian enjoyed his greatest day in the saddle when winning the 2011 International Stakes at York on Twice Over. But the dream for Laura was to return home and train at Condover Stables less than a mile from where the Derby is run — although not necessarily Flat horses.
‘Originally, I only wanted to train jumpers. We started with four horses and my first runner, Time To Shine, was a winner over hurdles at Folkestone,’ Laura says.
Before Harbour Law’s Classic triumph, Mongan’s biggest win had been the 2013 Imperial Cup Hurdle at Sandown with First Avenue. But the unexpected opportunity to train a colt capable of running at the highest
level came when owners Jackie and Nick Cornwell transferred the £30,000 purchase to Mongan after the previous trainer, Jo Crowley, retired.
Laura, who also has a 16month-old son, Max, said: ‘We got lucky with the horse and lucky again that he has an owner who wanted to keep him in training, and keep him with us. He had plenty of opportunities to sell Harbour Law before and after the St Leger.’
A second winner of the year in a Bumper at Fontwell at the start of the month is encouragement the Mongan stable is hitting its stride after a slow start to the year.
Harbour Law pleased Mongan in a work-out at Kempton — just as he did before his Leger triumph — and confidence has not been dented by a last-of-seven comeback run in Ascot’s Sagaro Stakes.
Ian said: ‘ He had a seven pound penalty, was giving weight to older horses and was not completely wound up. Turning for home he was going well but they sprinted and he could not pick up. They had not gone quick enough.
‘He has so much stamina. He is the best stayer I have ridden. Order of St George is a very nice horse but Harbour Law should stay the two-and-a-half miles better than most which gives him a good chance. I can’t see him getting tired.’
The one element of the Leger win missing is jockey George Baker, still recuperating from serious head injuries sustained while riding on the ice track at St Moritz in February.
Champion jockey Jim Crowley rides but Baker has recovered sufficiently to make it to Ascot.
Laura says: ‘ We will never replace George. He was a massive part of it. It was devastating [when he was injured] but he will be there in the paddock. The owners want him there because he is part of the team.’