Haydock report: The Flier Begley avoids drama to land veterans’ final

The Flier Begley

ultimately ran out an easy winner of what was a dramatic Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Haydock, which saw jockey Jack Hogan ride out his claim.

Gary Hanmer’s 10-year-old was well backed into 5-1 and the only moment of angst his supporters will have had came inadvertently.

Spyglass Hill was an early casualty but preceded to gallop with the field, with his slipped saddle round his midriff.

He eventually made his way onto the hurdles track but just as the field were turning into the back straight, the riderless Spyglass Hill decided he wanted to join in again and attempted to jump the plastic rail but broke through it, spooking most of the other runners, which saw Bruce Lynn unseated from last year’s runner-up Dubai Days.

With last year’s winner Numitor running a rare lacklustre race and Eldorado Allen unable to keep up the pace in front, it was The Flier Begley and Jack Hogan who cruised to the front.

Looking like a horse half his age, he powered clear to win by six lengths from Flic Ou Voyou, with Glynn third and Dan Skelton’s Le Milos only fourth.

“He’s a nice horse and for a 10-year-old he’s been progressing all year, so I’m delighted with him,” said Hanmer.

“I never saw when he got interfered with as I was in the stands, but thankfully we managed to miss it.

“Jack was very impressed with his jumping and he travelled very well. We freshened him up after his last run here, when we were a little disappointed with him, and he seems to have gone very well for it.

“It’s a nice race for Jack to lose his claim in, he’s a good lad, he comes in once a week and we use him when we can.

“This was his Gold Cup today and it’s our biggest win.”

Hogan told Racing TV: “It’s a nice way to lose my claim for sure, I was thinking I was about to lose my claim and I hadn’t really ridden a nice winner but I’ve done it now.

“I was wary of the loose horse, wondering where he was going to go, but my lad was good, he jumped like a stag.

“Gary has done a great job with him, he’s won four this year and to win a £100,000 handicap is impressive.”

Harry Derham was full of plaudits for his jockey Paul O’Brien having watched Givemefive make all the running to win the JCB Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Handicap Hurdle.

Not only was O’Brien exemplary in front, getting his fractions spot on aboard the five-year-old, but it was also his call to run in the race.

Derham had him in the Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton 24 hours later but O’Brien was insistent that the Haydock race would suit Givemefive (9-2) better and so it proved.

Allowed to dictate matters, he wound up the pace at the top of the straight and though Harry Skelton delivered Got Grey with a late challenge, he failed by three-quarters of a length.

“It’s often tough for the four-year-olds who go into open company the following season,” said Derham on Racing TV.

“Cheltenham was our absolute mission at the start of the season and he won, so that was great. We tried him in a couple of class one handicaps but he just wasn’t quite up to it.

“Fair play to Paul, he said at the turn of the year this race was the one for him. We got him qualified at Newcastle and Paul was adamant this was his race. He was in at Plumpton on Sunday but he was absolutely adamant the Challenger Series was the race.

“It was a brilliant front-running ride, he rides so many winners from the front, he got him in a fantastic rhythm, the race suited him, he quickened up when he wanted and it was great.”

The winner is owned by Smash Racing, with golfers Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka part of the syndicate, and a return to Haydock could be on the cards.

“If he comes out of this fine, then we’ll probably roll on to the Swinton Hurdle,” said Derham.

“In the winter, he wasn’t in great form and I don’t know why but he’s really come right now. What I don’t want to do is ask too much of him, but if he’s all right, he certainly likes the track.

“We’ve had lots of good winners but it is very important for a young trainer to have nice winners on a Saturday, so days like this are great.

“Winners in midweek are great too, but you come to the better races on a Saturday, get punched in the nose and go home with your tail between your legs, but this was a big target for him, so I’m very happy it came off.”