SENOR MOMENT
Russell backing her stable star to cause a stir at Cheltenham with win but accepts he won’t have it all his own way in Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
SCOTLAND’S queen of horse racing strolls across her yard, grinning widely as Ahoy Senor and Corach Rambler return from a ride-out, glistening with purpose and sweat. Energy fills the air as both beasts stride forward exhaling loudly and bristling with vitality. They circle slightly, the clatter of their hooves like an excitable dance, before coming to a standstill — pumped and powerful.
We’re at Arlary, just outside Milnathort, where Lucinda Russell and her partner Peter Scudamore train some of the country’s best racehorses. It’s a pretty, unassuming yard, with a log cabin providing the setting for meetings, analysis and a warm cup of tea.
Beside me, Russell beams with pride. I have never seen her look so relaxed. Ushering me over to the horses, she points to Ahoy Senor, a horse she says is ‘probably the best’ she has ever had.
‘Here he is,’ she exclaims, ‘this is Hank.’
It’s a tough race but I think we’ve the horse to do it. It’d be a dream come true
I enquire about the moniker: ‘He’s always been known as that.’
I like it. It has an air of strength and nonchalance to it, which suits the big guy. His veins are fat from exertion, personality and power emanating from within. From sight and touch alone, you can understand why Russell is so taken with her charge. She takes him to Cheltenham this week hoping for an impressive run in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase — with victory firmly in her sights.
‘It would be a dream to win it,’ she admits. ‘This is a tough championship race, but I think we might have the horse to do it.’
It’s a bold statement from the woman whose horse took the Grand National by storm at Aintree in 2017, One For Arthur romping home to win the title and become just the second Scottishtrained horse to win the event. Arthur, roundly lauded, became a superstar in his own right; his jockey, Derek Fox, an overnight sensation.
It’s Fox who will again attempt to take the honours on Wednesday when he heads out on Ahoy Senor, his partnership with the horse a happy marriage.
‘I have huge respect for the horse and for Derek,’ says Russell. ‘This is their moment for the top stage.
‘Derek is amazing — he works really, really hard. Some jockeys are freelance and go around and work for different stables. Derek has been very loyal to us. He works here and really is hands on and helps craft the horses he goes on to ride. He’s there in the background. He’s Ahoy Senor’s main work rider, so he does a lot of the work with him. ‘I’m just delighted with what he has done. He’s not a man to overly show his emotions and get overly enthusiastic — I think he leaves that to me. But I know how much he respects the horse and how excited he is.’
Fox seems happy with Hank as he dismounts.
‘He’s doing well,’ he tells Russell when asked how he’d performed over the last couple of hours. He gives Hank a gentle pat and heads out of sight.
The jockey has plenty to think about in the days ahead. As he mentally prepares for the race next week, he’s all too aware of the challenge they’ll face. Standing in their way will be Bravemansgame, who defeated Ahoy Senor in the
Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, and Willie Mullins-trained unbeaten Galopin Des Champs could pitch up in this race.
‘This is a championship meeting and the best of the best,’ adds Russell. ‘We’re all getting together and trying to win the very decent prize money that’s on offer. So it’s not going to be easy.
‘Ahoy Senor is the one horse we are sending who is causing me the most sleepless nights — he’s second or third favourite. There’s a very good horse called Bravemansgame that Ahoy Senor beat at Aintree over hurdles and then Bravemansgame beat him at Kempton at Christmas over fences.
‘Apart from that, Ahoy Senor has won twice over fences, so in my mind he has a very good chance of winning at Cheltenham. But he has to beat Bravemansgame and a couple of decent Irish ones as well.’
Knowing he has already beaten one rival is a boost, and confidence is increased further by success in two Grade Two novice events at Newbury and Wetherby this season.
‘He really is an outstanding horse,’ says Russell. ‘You just have to go up and see him. He just oozes class, energy and power; that’s just the thing about him.
‘It’s quite exciting to watch Hank — he’s a frontrunner, so he goes out in front and tries to jump the others into submission.
‘It’s funny — we won the Grand National a few years ago with One For Arthur and in that race he actually held him up and came late, but with Ahoy Senor it’s totally different; he’s at the front the whole time, or at least tries to stay at the front the whole time!
‘He’s just a very good horse. He could go in the middle of the field but he’s just very bold and enthusiastic and it just suits him to get into that rhythm up front.
‘He’s not a speed horse in the same way that a two-miler would be, but he’s a horse that can keep grinding it out and he has a relentless gallop.’
Victory at Cheltenham would be a massive moment for the trainer, who admits to being more ambitious than ever when it comes to taking ‘the big ones’. Winning, Russell admits, has become rather addictive. She could have entered Ahoy Senor for the Gold Cup, but the team decided against it after his performance at Christmas time. She hasn’t won at the Cheltenham Festival since Brindisi Breeze in the 2012 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, but heads down this year with plenty of confidence.
Joining Ahoy Senor, Corach Rambler will race in the Ultima Handicap Chase on Tuesday. A favourite of Scudamore’s, the eightyear-old is a handsome horse who remains an improving novice.
‘We have two runners at Cheltenham this year with good chances,’ says Russell. ‘I want to have more next year. Just to keep competing at the highest level is
my main aim. It’s fine winning races and that’s exciting, but winning the good races is something that drives us on.
‘It’s just addictive, you just want more and more success. It’s really good. We’ve got a lovely runner in the Grand National again this year, so it doesn’t stop — you just want to keep on having it. It’s terrible — it’s a complete addiction!’
Professionally, she feels she has had her best season yet, but it’s the desire to win which continues to drive Russell on. Ironically, she says, lockdown has had its benefits. Not only has it cut costs and streamlined their business operation, it has ensured that the best staff and the best horses remain.
‘It wasn’t fun through Covid,’ reflects Russell. ‘Although racing stopped and life in general stopped, we had to keep on going. We had half the staff and we sort of divided ourselves between two yards. We had to keep on looking after the horses. But racing was one of the first sports to come back, so we were very focused on what we wanted to do.
‘It’s strange, though, because from having 50 people working at the same time, all of a sudden we were in two teams of 12, and we got very close. We have since altered some of our working practices and are definitely a very close-knit group now, much more so than ever in the past.
‘I think that’s come out in our results — we’re probably having our best season ever, our horses are running well, we’ve got a really good standard of horse, too.
‘Scu and I spend most of the summer trying to buy new ones and look at most of the talent. I think since the National, we’ve just become very, very driven. We’re probably more driven than we ever have been before — and it’s great. It’s fantastic that those results are showing and to have two horses racing at Cheltenham is terrific.’
Having spectators back at the meeting will be a big moment for those who compete. And Russell believes there will be a bigger crowd than ever at the event.
‘Yes, definitely. People just love going out,’ she says. ‘We were out at Kelso recently and the atmosphere and crowds were fantastic and it really does add to your day. It’s always nice being there but it’s even better with crowds behind it.’
Russell’s love for her horses is palpable as she heads off at Arlary.
Since investing in Hank, she says ‘things have moved fast’. Winning now at Cheltenham would be the perfect reward for the miles they have all put in.
‘It’s great, though,’ the trainer insists. ‘As long as the ball keeps on rolling, that’s the most important thing. Ahoy Senor is powerful, strong, quite handsome, though not classically handsome. He’s just awesome, one of those horses that commands respect. He’s just at the top of his game.’