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Lovcen Stays On for Sefton Glory
13/04/12

1 Lovcen 8/1
2 Fingal Bay 13/8 Fav
3 Cotton Mill 6/1
19 ran Distances: 1¾l, 11l, 2¾l
TIME 6m 16.40s (slow by 22.40s)

Lovcen stepped up on his fourth place at the Cheltenham Festival to take the John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, rather to the surprise of his trainer Alan King.

Lovcen
© Racehorse Photos

“I thought he’d be competitive,” he said, “but I honestly didn’t expect him to win. We’d been pleased with what he did at Cheltenham and came here hoping, not expecting. But he’s a tough horse, some tough horse. It all looked hard work - he was off the bridle for a long way -but I suspect that he wasn’t actually doing much once in front.”

That observation was confirmed by rider Robert Thornton after the Grade 1 three-miler. “He did everything I asked,” he said, “but I had to keep asking. He didn’t offer me anything extra, which I’d rather liked him to have done. It was all hard work, harder than at Cheltenham. The start was a bit of a mess and I was further back than I’d have liked to have been, but the race did open up and came back to me.”

Lovcen, German-bred by Tiger Hill (also sire of third-placed Cotton Mill), carries the colours of the Barbary Apes, a group of King’s regular patrons, all of them friends. “We needed to find an owner for him half-way through the season,” said King, “and they clubbed together to come to the rescue.”

Lovecen is unlikely to run again this season. “He’ll go novice chasing next season,” said King, “he’s already won a point-to-point.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Lovcen A King	R Thornton 11st 4lbs	8 - 1 Winner
2	Fingal Bay P J Hobbs	R Johnson 11st 4lbs	13 - 8 1 3/4 length
3	Cotton Mill J P Ferguson	D F O'Regan 11st 4lbs	6 - 1 11 lengths
4	Ipsos Du Berlais N Meade	D N Russell 11st 4lbs	33 - 1 2 3/4 lengths
5	Hawkes Point P F Nicholls	R Walsh 11st 4lbs	28 - 1 13 lengths
6	Tap Night Miss Lucinda V Russell	P Buchanan 11st 4lbs	20 - 1 3 1/2 lengths
7	Harry Topper K C Bailey	S Quinlan 11st 4lbs	10 - 1 2 1/2 lengths
8	Forgotten Gold T R George	P J Brennan 11st 4lbs	40 - 1 12 lengths
9	Nagpur Miss V Williams	Aidan Coleman 11st 4lbs	66 - 1 3 lengths
10	Gullinbursti Miss E C Lavelle	N Fehily 11st 4lbs	8 - 1 17 lengths
PulledUp	Aikideau R Rowe	L Aspell 11st 4lbs	66 - 1
PulledUp	Ballyrock Tim Vaughan	A P McCoy 11st 4lbs	12 - 1
PulledUp	Ely Brown Mrs R Hobbs	A Thornton 11st 4lbs	150 - 1
Fell	Golden Call D McCain Jnr	J M Maguire 11st 4lbs	16 - 1
PulledUp	Knock A Hand R Lee	T Scudamore 11st 4lbs	10 - 1
BroughtDown	Makethe Mostofnow Evan Williams	Paul Moloney 11st 4lbs	40 - 1
PulledUp	Netminder A M Thomson	J Reveley 11st 4lbs	100 - 1
Fell	Poole Master D Pipe	C Honour 11st 4lbs	50 - 1
PulledUp	Catcherinscratcher H de Bromhead	A E Lynch 10st 11lbs	100 - 1

HOBBS PONDERS FINGAL BAY OPTION AFTER FIRST DEFEAT

Fingal Bay’s perfect racing record was brought to an end by Lovcen in this three-mile Grade One hurdle, but the six-year-old remains one of the most promising horses in training.

Fingal Bay was beaten a length and three-quarters by the Alan King-trained Lovcen after they took part in a sustained duel more or less along the long home straight. The only challenge to them from that point was third-placed Cotton Mill, who was shrugged off before the final hurdle and finished 11 lengths behind Fingal Bay.

Trainer Philip Hobbs had every reason to feel frustration, for this was his third runner-up in successive races following second spots for Wishfull Thinking and Chance Du Roy.

He said jockey Richard Johnson felt he may have hit the front too soon on Fingal Bay and added: “Maybe, but only maybe, the horse didn’t quite get home. He travelled so well and it’s easy in hindsight, but of course it’s disappointing to see him beaten for the first time.

“We don’t have many options now, because Punchestown is only just over a fortnight so he’s unlikely to go there, but we’ll see how he is. We’re a bit short of time.

“He’s likely to start next season over fences, possibly over two miles six furlongs or something similar, but I’m sure he will want three miles in time.”


‘NEW BOY’ FERGUSON DELIGHTED WITH COTTON MILL

John Ferguson’s five-year-old Cotton Mill crashed through the wings of the second-last hurdle when in contention in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but bounced back from that mishap with a good third to Lovcen and Fingal Bay in the John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.

Ferguson, better known as Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock adviser, was flanked in the winner’s enclosure by a large posse from Newmarket, including Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony and Darley’s director of stallions Sam Bullard.

He said: “I was delighted with that. I’ll never really understand what happened at Cheltenham but that’s behind us now. The important thing is he’s run very well.

“The shower earlier probably didn’t help him. The ground became a little bit tacky and he’d probably prefer it a little bit sharper but I’m delighted - we’re the new boys.”