ROGER’S KNIGHT TO REMEMBER
PAGES OF FANTASTIC START WITH HORSE RACING
TRAINER Roger Charlton has decided that the step up to a mile and a half will see Decorated Knight in a better light as he seeks Breeders’ Cup glory on Saturday.
Decorated Knight has been campaigned at the highest level since March picking up three Group Ones, including the Irish Champion Stakes where he had the likes of Churchill and Cliffs Of Moher behind.
The latter will be in opposition again at the weekend.
For winning that race Charlton also had the option of running Decorated Knight in the mile at Del Mar but the sharp track is seen as a concern.
“When he won the Irish Champion Stakes that got him a free pass into both races,” said Charlton.
“I’m of the opinion the Mile looks the weaker race but it’s a very sharp track so the mile and a half race looks the best option.
“He hasn’t run over the trip before but he should be fine there.
“He ran at Lingfield before Dubai ® so he’s been on the go since February.
“On purpose he’s had seven weeks off between Ireland and the Breeders’ Cup.
“I’m not sure it would have been an ideal prep to have a hard race two weeks before the Breeders’ Cup at Ascot.
“Decorated Knight has never quite captured the headlines for some reason but not many have done what he’s done this year.
Traveller
“He’s had a long journey and needs to put weight back on, but he’s a good traveller, and, although Andrea Atzeni has never ridden at Del Mar, he’s a world-class jockey.”
Former successful dual-purpose trainer Mary Reveley has died at the age of 77.
She saddled more than 2,000 winners in a training career spanning 26 years.
Reveley started training in 1978 when a livery-yard owner, saddling her first winner in 1979, and going on to excel on the Flat and over jumps. She held a full licence for 23 years from 1981. She won the 1991 Cambridgeshire with Mellottie and had great success over hurdles with Cab On Target, who won 20 of his 46 races under rules.
Marello provided Reveley with Grade Two wins at Ascot and the West Yorkshire Hurdle while Old Red and Turnpole won the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in 1995 and 1997.
Reveley, who trained at Groundhill Farm where she was born, did not manage a Cheltenham Festival winner or a Group winner on the Flat.
However, she was the first woman to saddle 100 winners in a year — 1991 — and was also the first female trainer to saddle 50 winners on the Flat the following year.
“It was all just very sudden,” said Reveley’s son Keith. “She’d been out in the yard with Gillian Boanas and the horses and collapsed. It’s a huge shock. The only good thing is she wouldn’t have known anything about it and passed away doing something she absolutely loved.” OADAM KIRBY was too poorly to ride at Wolverhampton. He intends to go to Kempton this evening as he has rides in the first seven races.