Golden Ace ‘up against it’ in Christmas Hurdle

Jeremy Scott is anticipating a tough test for star mare Golden Ace in her Boxing Day bid for the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

The seven-year-old has been the toast of Scott’s Somerset stable for the past three seasons, memorably winning the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 and returning to the same meeting the following year to come to the fore in the Champion Hurdle.

Golden Ace benefited from the last-flight fall of State Man on that occasion and she again made a clear round count when winning the Fighting Fifth last month ahead of the well-regarded Anzadam, as Constitution Hill and The New Lion both fell.

The latter two horses will not be at Kempton, but Anzadam may make an appearance for the same owners as the market leader in Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Sir Gino.

“She’s very well and all being well, the plan is to declare for Kempton,” said Scott of Golden Ace.

“Our point of view was that the race works well with her preparation for (the Cheltenham Festival in) March, we can manage it more easily by running her now and then not worrying about the International Hurdle.

“That was what the thinking was, then if she were to miss Kempton for any reason the International is there instead.”

Of the rivals Golden Ace may face, Scott added: “Sir Gino is interesting, and I don’t know whether Anzadam is expected to run but you would expect him to improve vastly from that run up at Newcastle so we’re up against it, no two ways about it.”