racing news/

Jewson Final the Plan for Vaughan’s Money
23/09/08

The £25,000 Jewson Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final (3.30pm) on Friday, October 17, the first day of The Showcase, the two-day meeting that starts the season at Cheltenham, is the intended target for the Tim Vaughan-trained Option Money.

An £18,000 purchase at Doncaster Sales in May, Option Money scored an easy 23-length win in a novice hurdle over two miles and three furlongs at Newton Abbott on August 4, his debut for new connections.

He returned to the Devon track to land the Jewson Novices’ Hurdle Qualifier 16 days later. Despite a number of untidy jumps in the qualifier, the six-year-old made all over the two-furlong shorter trip under Richard Johnson to score by three and a half lengths from Bolton Hall.

Option Money’s most recent outing came at Uttoxeter on September 21, when he was stepped up to an extended two and a half miles but disappointed under a double penalty. Vaughan intends to give Option Money a break and bring him back a fresher horse for The Showcase.

“The Jewson Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final is the plan for Option Money. He disappointed us a little bit on Sunday but the Cheltenham race has always been the plan so hopefully he’ll get into it,” explained Vaughan.

“He seems fine after Sunday, he’s come out of the race okay. We haven’t really got an answer but we think it might be best to keep him fresh so we’ll go straight to Cheltenham - we won’t run him so quickly, just go straight there and see how he gets on.

“He wasn’t an overly expensive purchase. The lads have had two wins out of him and they want to go there and have a shot at it. Option Money has done really well for us and they’ve rated him 125, so he should have a smashing chance off that mark.

“The ground is the thing, he wants good or faster. But I’m hoping that we may still have a bit of good ground because it is looking as if it is going to stay dry.

“He won over two miles and one furlongs at Newton Abbott but it is obviously a flat, easy track. Going to Cheltenham, it’s a different track all together - uphill finish and a lot stiffer - so we can ride him a bit more aggressively and hopefully the shorter trip won’t trouble him.”

There have been 15 qualifiers in the Jewson-sponsored series so far this season, with the last one at Perth later this week - Thursday, September 25.

The David Pipe-trained Leo’s Lucky Star carried a double penalty for two previous wins in one of the two Sedgefield qualifiers on September 2 but won easily.

He and the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Donaldson, who captured the Fontwell qualifier on August 21, are other likely leading lights for the final, which takes place over two miles and half a furlong and has a safety limit of 20 runners.

The race is a feature on day one of The Showcase along with the £30,000 IG Index Handicap Chase (4.05pm).

The highlight of day two is the £50,000 Dick Francis "Silks" Handicap Chase (2.50pm), a contest which is run over the same course and distance as the £150,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, the centrepiece of The Open (November 14, 15 and 16).

Meeting - The Showcase, Cheltenham Racecourse
Dates - Friday, October 17 & Saturday, October 18
First race - 2.20pm (both days)
Admission prices - Club/Tattersalls from £18. Best Mate from £9. Accompanied children under 16 admitted FREE to all enclosures. FREE car parking. Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793 003.