Thursday's racing round-up brings news of potential plans for star chaser Energumene…
The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene looks poised to make his first start since winning the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Punchestown in April last year when heading to Cork for the Hilly Way Chase next weekend. A dual winner of the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the Tony Bloom-owned ten-year-old could head to Ascot for the Clarence House Chase in January should things go smoothly in his bid for a third victory in the Cork feature.
Gordon Elliott's Fil Dor had absolutely no problem landing prohibitive odds of 1/40 in the Listed Racing TV Black Friday Offer 14 Euros Per Month Chase at Thurles on Thursday. The Thurles feature had been set to be an informative contest, but Mullins deemed conditions to be too quick for nine of his ten runners across the card and with Appreciate It, Embassy Gardens and Nick Rockett withdrawn, just two remained. Jack Kennedy subsequently kept things simple on Elliott's Fil Dor and victory never really looked in doubt as he went on to score by two and a half lengths from Hazelhatch Lady.
Popular figure and amateur jockey David Maxwell rode out his claim when successfully steering the Venetia Williams-trained In d'Or to victory in the Stables Business Park Novices' Handicap Chase at Taunton on Thursday. The owner-rider has continuously supported racing through his passion for the sport and was understandably delighted to lose his claim. Maxwell, who enjoyed a Grade 3 triumph on Cat Tiger in France back in 2018, told Racing TV: "It's unbelievable and I never thought I was going to be able to do it. The lads in the weighing room were joking with me that it is the most anyone ever has ever spent to ride out their claim and it's taken 25 years as well. When I came into the sport it was just to ride a few point-to-point winners, it's just nobody has told me to stop yet. Middle-aged men have obsessions with things – for some it's cars, for me it is horses."
Jeremy Scott's stable star Golden Ace could take on Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, with trainer Jeremy Scott revealing she looks set for a drop back to two miles after finishing fourth at Ascot last weekend. Having beaten the likes of subsequent Grade 1 winners Jade De Grugy and Brighterdaysahead in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Golden Ace remains a high-class prospect over hurdles.
