Wilful a welcome Ascot winner for resurgent O’Neill team

Wilful signalled that the trials and tribulations of the O’Neill stable in the first half of the season are well and truly behind them when making all the running to win the valuable AscotRotary Club Festive Handicap Hurdle.

Having made his seasonal debut in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow in October, finishing third on the heels of Alexei in second behind Celtic Dino, connections will have had hopes to have had him out again before now.

However, while Alexei has won two major handicap prizes in the interim, the yard of Jonjo and A J O’Neill has been very quiet, even shutting down for a few weeks with the duo not happy with the health of their horses.

With the winners beginning to flow again now, Wilful was quietly fancied at 15-2 and was a massive 19lb better off with Alexei from their Chepstow run.

It was Alexei who loomed up behind Jonjo O’Neill jnr on the leader but his 12st burden took its toll on jumping the last and Wilful had plenty left, winning by two and three-quarter lengths as Hot Fuss stayed on past Alexei for second.

Jonjo O’Neill said: “At the moment we will stick to handicaps and maybe the William Hill Hurdle (at Newbury, February 7) or something like that, or we could look further ahead then look back. We’ll go back to the drawing board in the morning and make a plan.

“It was a good run at Chepstow when third in the Welsh Champion Hurdle and he’s come forward from that and he is clearly heading in the right direction.

“We looked at the Greatwood but ours weren’t firing at the time and we are lucky we have good owners who were happy to wait. That’s the answer to everything really, but people today don’t always have as much time as they should. Patience is the name of the game.”

On the ride given by his son, Jonjo O’Neill Jr, he added: “It was brilliant but if he hadn’t won he’d have had a rollicking!

“These are fantastic days and the ones you dream about really. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t but when they do you have to enjoy them.”

The Jackdaws Castle team had to take stock earlier in the autumn after only one winner in November, but have come out of that dark period with a real resurgence of late.

O’Neill added: “I’ve been in a worse state at times and you just need to take your time, don’t abuse the horses, give them a chance to get a second wind and it will come right.

“If anything it gave me a little rest, so it wasn’t too bad, but it’s nice to see them come out of that spell well and it’s great for the staff and everyone involved as everyone gets a little bit down – it’s only human.

“We just have to keep the show on the road now and hopefully things come back right. We have good supportive owners and that is what you need.”