L’Homme has a Deutsch of Festival class
CHARLIE DEUTSCH was cheered back to the winner’s enclosure by his fellow jockeys after L’Homme Presse gave him a first Grade
One win at Sandown yesterday, boosting hopes that the talented gelding can give the 25-year-old a breakthrough victory at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
It was plain sailing for the Venetia Williamstrained L’Homme Presse as he cruised home by 21 lengths from Mister Coffey in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.
Quietly-spoken Deutsch uncharacteristically allowed himself a Superman-style fist pump as his mount approached the winning line.
In November, Deutsch won the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Newbury on Williams-trained Cloudy Glen but the Scilly Isles success was the pinnacle of the season so for a rider who had to rebuild his career after serving two-and-a-half months in prison for dangerous driving whilst over the drink-drive limit in 2018.
And Deutsch’s godfather Marcus Evans, one of his biggest supporters, was killed in a traffic accident last month.
Deutsch said: ‘This means a huge amount to me as Grade One wins seemed a long way off. It can sometimes never happen for a jockey. We have a brilliant horse on our hands.
‘I thought I was well clear, so I could give it a Superman. I wouldn’t have done it if I was in a close finish.’
Deutsch said of his late godfather: ‘He would have been here hollering. Hopefully he’s looking down jumping for joy.’
L’Homme Presse has now won all his four chase starts and is 9-2 third favourite for the two-and-a-half mile Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Irish hopes Bob Olinger and Galopin Des Champs, who runs at Leopardstown today, potentially stand in his way but the seven-year-old is growing in stature with every run.
However, Festival hopes from across the Irish Sea will have been further boosted on the back of yesterday’s Dublin Racing Festival.
There were wins for Willie Mullins-trained Blue Lord, favourite for the Arkle and Facile Vega, who dismissed his rivals in the Goffs Future Stars flat race.
The son of legendary mare Quevega routed his rivals, displaying a great turn of foot to win by 12 lengths, to become favourite for the Champion Bumper at the Festival.