Ascot report: Here Comes Georgie boosts Real Whacker team

Outsider of four Here Comes Georgie claimed victory in the Howden Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Ascot, with hot favourite Iberico Lord crashing out two fences from home.

Winner of the Greatwood Hurdle and the Betfair Hurdle last season, Nicky Henderson’s Iberico Lord was pulled up after being supplemented for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but made a successful start to his career over fences at Kempton last month.

The JP McManus-owned gelding was an 8-11 favourite to follow up, but threw in a few sketchy leaps on the way round and looked to be struggling in third place when departing in the home straight. Thankfully, both Iberico Lord and Nico de Boinville appeared to emerge from the incident unscathed.

The Patrick Neville-trained Here Comes Georgie was a 10-1 shot as he looked to follow up a first win over fences on his second try at Wetherby a month ago and the northern raider was particularly impressive in the jumping department in the hands of Lee Edwards.

Ryan’s Rocket challenged for the lead for much of the two-mile-one-furlong contest before being passed by Here Comes Georgie and while the former fought back valiantly on the run-in, and the two came close together to prompt a stewards’ inquiry, Neville’s charge passed the post half a length the good.

Western Zephyr, the only other finisher, was a full 62 lengths behind in third.

“He’s done it nicely, he got into it on his second run over fences. In a race like that they were going quick, but in fairness to Lee he took his time and got him into it lovely,” said Neville.

“He just missed one coming around the first time, Lee gave him confidence again and he’s done it very well.”

Having also enjoyed a double at Catterick on Tuesday, Neville appears to have hit form at the perfect time as he looks forward to saddling stable star The Real Whacker in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

The Charlie Hall Chase hero has been supplemented for the Kempton feature, in which he finished fourth last season, and the Middleham-based trainer is relishing the challenge.

He added: “We’ve a little bunch of horses and they’re running very well and we’ve a small group of owners and they’re all great – now they’re being rewarded, so that’s great too.

“He (The Real Whacker) is in great form, so there’s no reason not to go to Kempton. There wasn’t a whole pile else for him until the end of January and he’s in such good form that we said we’d put him in and run him.

“The ground and the way it’s coming, or hopefully coming, will suit him. We’re always dreaming, we get up every day and we work hard, we’ve a small team and we eat, drink and sleep horses.”

Mark Of Gold made a winning debut over fences in an eventful renewal of the Howden Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot.

Although the winner of seven races over hurdles and three on the Flat, the Gary and Josh Moore-trained seven-year-old looked to have plenty on his plate making his fencing bow at Grade Two level and was an 11-2 outsider of four come the off.

Personal Ambition and Rare Edition were the two at the head of affairs for much of the two-mile-three-furlong journey, with an early mistake from 13-8 favourite Johnnywho quickly putting him on the back foot and he never really recovered.

After seeing off Rare Edition, Personal Ambition looked to have the upper hand over the staying-on Mark Of Gold on the approach to the final fence, but the leader dived badly at the obstacle, leaving jockey Ben Jones with both hands off the reins and he ultimately did well to keep the partnership intact.

Whether that error made the difference between winning and losing is uncertain, but it definitely cost Personal Ambition crucial momentum and left the door open for Mark Of Gold to claim the advantage and pass the post two and a quarter lengths to the good under Caoilin Quinn.

Having looked set to be tailed off at one stage, Johnnywho did make some late headway to beat a fading Rare Edition to third place.

Of the winner, Josh Moore said: “He’s a good horse, we were confident coming here. It’s a big thing to do, first time over fences around Ascot, it’s a tricky track to jump round.

“It was a small field and it was just like running in a normal novice chase, but you can’t get them anymore, you’d rather start here and give the horse a good experience.

“We’ve done that, he’s picked up a good prize in doing it. He is a good horse and I was quietly confident.”

Considering future plans, the joint-trainer added: “He’s a versatile horse, he happily switches back to the Flat, goes on slow ground, he’s competitive over hurdles and he’s obviously competitive over fences.

“He’s jumped so well around here today and that’s a big thing first time over fences.

“We’ll have to seriously look at plans over fences now because he’s taken to them so well. He made one mistake but he made the mistake he needed to help him learn.”

When asked whether he felt the final fence mistake cost Personal Ambition victory, his trainer Ben Pauling said: “I think so, yes.

“It’s unfortunate as he jumped really well for him. He was just on absolutely no stride and how Ben stayed intact I do not know.

“He did pick up again, so I don’t think he was cooked, but that’s racing, you have to jump and he didn’t.”

Belliano showed a great deal of promise in taking the Howden Maiden Hurdle on the opening day of Ascot’s Christmas meeting.

A wide-margin bumper winner last season, the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding runs in the Bravemansgame silks of Bryan Drew and is owned in partnership with former star chaser Frodon’s owner Paul Vogt.

As the 4-5 favourite he progressed well throughout the race and rider Harry Cobden always looked comfortable as he took up an easy lead to avoid drama behind him over the last flight and score by a length and a half.

“He’s a nice horse, he’s just very much one for the future,” said Nicholls.

“We wouldn’t want to overdo it this year. He ran very well (first time out this season), we didn’t really know how we had him then because he’s not one to show a lot at home.

“He ran very well then, I haven’t run him since purposely because he needed time to get over that run and again he wouldn’t want to run quickly after today.

“He’s a big baby, a shell of a horse, but he will make a lovely staying chaser in time.”

Nicky Henderson’s festive period got off to a happy start as East India Express landed the Howden Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

The five-year-old showed real potential as a bumper horse and on his hurdling debut last season, but was last seen unshipping Nico de Boinville at Punchestown in the summer.

He returned to action with a first handicap start at Ascot, ridden by Freddie Gordon in a 13-strong field.

A good round of jumping served the 7-1 chance well and he stayed on gamely under a well-timed ride to prevail by a head.

“First of all, Freddie gave him a lovely ride,” said Henderson.

“He did it really well. He is in on Boxing Day, but it was Jerry McGrath who said ‘for god’s sake run him now, you won’t get a penalty!’. He was right!”

Gordon then struck again to claim a notable double, winning the Racetech Handicap Hurdle for his father, Chris, aboard King William Rufus (7-1).

The seven-year-old had been the runner-up of his last four starts, but there was no chance of him meeting with the same fate at Ascot as he strolled to an easy six-length victory.

“It’s a serious day, this is. It’s not often you have a double, but a double at Ascot is a serious thing,” said the rider.

“I won a little bit too far. I was going around the bend, we were going a serious gallop, not going slow, and he was tanking off with me.

“Round the last bend I thought we might have gone a tad too quick, but when I saw the screen I thought ‘bloody hell, we’re absolutely cruising!’.

“He’s jumped brilliantly today, which was the main problem when he first started as he jumped horrendously, but now he’s lovely. What a horse.”