Sodexo Gold Cup

Grade 3, Ascot 15:40
£80,000 added,
4yo plus,
2m 7f 180y, Class 1    
Saturday 31st October 2020

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1 Regal Encore 14/1
2 Whatmore 4/1F
3 Militarian 17/2
14 ran Distances: 1¼l, 13l, ½l
Time: 6m 2.10s (slow by 7.10s)

Despite being in the twilight of his career, Regal Encore demonstrated he still has plenty to offer when going one better than 12 months ago in the valuable Grade Three prize to register a fourth course-and-distance success.

Jumping well throughout the three-mile contest in the hands of Richie McLernon, the 14-1 shot took command of matters from long-time leader Might Bite over the second last before demonstrating the best of his battling abilities to defeat Whatmore by a length and quarter.

Honeyball said: “Without a doubt it’s our best day I think. Any day Regal has been here and won a big pot has been incredible.

“Ordinarily we would have been hopeful of a big run, but a few weeks ago he was a bit flat and he wasn’t eating up as well.

“He has come back to hand, but we felt we missed one or two bits of work in that time. It was right to run, but it was last minute. As he loves it, we thought if it only ends up as a run, it will get us back on track for another day and that’s fine.

“Richie kept him happy and you couldn’t really see him running poorly from there as he was always running a good race, but I was worried he might blow up a touch with what we missed.”

Trainers Quotes

Assessing future plans, Honeyball hinted an outing in next month’s Ladbrokes Trophy could be next on the agenda, for which Regal Encore wascut to 20-1 by Coral.

He said: “He has run well in the Ladbrokes Trophy before and he is in that. He can go out wide and be handy and I think it probably is the obvious option.

“We were thinking about a Becher Chase, but we will probably go for the Ladbrokes Trophy as they will go an end-to-end gallop.”

QuinnBet

Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase
£80,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 7f 180y, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Regal Encore 12 10-10 Anthony Honeyball Richie McLernon 14/1
2 1¼ Whatmore 8 10-3 Henry Daly Richard Johnson 4/1F
3 13 Militarian 10 10-4 Andrew J Martin Shane Quinlan 17/2
4 ½ Black Corton 9 11-12 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost 11/2
5 4 Might Bite 11 11-3 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 22/1
6 6½ Mister Malarky 7 11-2 Colin Tizzard Tom Scudamore 25/1
7 3½ Walk In The Mill 10 11-1 Robert Walford James Best 50/1
8 2¼ Adrien Du Pont 8 10-9 Paul Nicholls Bryan Carver 9/1
10 1 Townshend 9 10-4 Nigel Twiston-Davies Jamie Neild 28/1
11 ¾ Django Django 7 10-2 Jonjo O'Neill Nick Scholfield 12/1
12 13 Blaklion 11 11-0 1 Dan Skelton Bridget Andrews 33/1
13 2 Valtor 11 11-1 Nicky Henderson Aidan Coleman 9/1
PU Commanche Red 7 11-1 Chris Gordon Tom Cannon 11/2
PU Flying Angel 9 10-7 Nigel Twiston-Davies Tom Bellamy 16/1

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