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Egerton Keen To Keep Appointment For The Festival
12/02/07

Nine years after celebrating his first Festival success with Shadow Leader in the 1997 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Charles Egerton was back in the famous winner’s enclosure in 2006, after Shamayoun had run his rivals ragged in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Though the success of the 40/1 chance may have stunned punters, it did not come as a great shock to his shrewd handler, who had fancied his chances of causing an upset.

Egerton said: “It wasn’t too much of a surprise to me, in all honesty. I knew before the race he was a decent animal, and I told Paddy [Brennan) he had a very good chance. The blinkers really sharpened him up, and he won nicely.

“My initial reaction was ‘job done.’ For a jumps trainer, it’s very important to have a winner at Cheltenham. The Festival is the championship of jump racing, and if you’re training jumpers, you want to be competing on the biggest stage.”

The Chaddleworth-based trainer has some fascinating contenders for this year’s four-day spectacular at Cheltenham, none more so than the progressive Mr Pointment.

An excellent fifth behind Nicanor in the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle last year, the eight-year-old has made a fine start to his chasing career, scoring readily on his fencing bow at Bangor in November, and then running the smart Don’t Push It to under two lengths in the boylecasino.com Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on December 9, only being collared close home.

“Mr Pointment is an exciting prospect. He’s probably better going left-handed, so Cheltenham suits him well, but we’re not sure which race will be his target,” Egerton explained.

“He looks like a real galloper, but he would not be certain to stay three miles. He’s in the Ryanair Chase and the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, as well as The Irish Independent Arkle, so we have plenty of options.

“Graphic Approach, third to Billyvoddan in the Silver Cup at Ascot in December, is also in the Ryanair Chase. We’ve been a little disappointed with him so far this season, although to be fair to him, I don’t think he’s had his ground yet - he prefers decent going. The ground will dictate which direction we go with him.”

Another from the Egerton stable heading to Prestbury Park in March is four-year-old Freeze The Flame, on course for a crack at the JCB Triumph Hurdle. The ex-Flat performer has landed three of his six starts over hurdles to date, yet his best form came when chasing home the prolific Katchit in the Grade Two Ryman The Stationer Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 11.

The handler commented: “The JCB Triumph Hurdle is the plan for Freeze The Flame. He has been trained specifically for the race, and I am very happy with him.

“I cannot understand why he is quoted at 33/1, because we were only beaten a neck by Katchit [currently disputing favouritism for the two-mile, one furlong event] in November. You can forget his last run - he was a bit flat that day but still managed to finish second.”

Hobbs Hill, second to subsequent Grade Two hurdle scorer Amaretto Rose at Ascot in December before storming home by 17 lengths at Folkestone on January 30, and Vinando, a talented stayer on the Flat who broke his duck over hurdles at Fontwell in November, are other possible Festival contenders for Egerton, who is looking for victory number three this year.

He added: “We don’t have a huge string, but we prefer to focus on quality rather than quantity, and I have some nice horses in the yard at present.

“Having a winner at The Festival would be great for the yard and I would love to be victorious there every year! If you’re hungry for success, you always want to have more wins at places like Cheltenham, and hopefully we can add a couple more this March.”