Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle |
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| Grade 3, Ascot 15:35 £125,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 152y, Class 1  |
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1 Fiercely Proud 12/1
2 Kabral Du Mathan 17/2
3
Be Aware 7/2
12 ran NR: Kihavah Distances: shd, 17l, 4¼l
Time: 3m 44.10s (slow by 6.10s)
Fiercely Proud will sure be proud of that victory 🙌
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 21, 2024
He wins the final race before Christmas, the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle#ITVRacing | @Ascot pic.twitter.com/ArmqIiTrLU
Trainer Ben Pauling has always held the five-year-old in high regard, but Fiercely Proud was beginning to run out of excuses after a series of unfortunate events.
Having placed in several graded novice hurdles last season, Fiercely Proud was given a handicap rating of 129. However, his season started poorly when he ran loose and was withdrawn at Cheltenham in October due to a broken stirrup leather. He then fell two from home at Ascot last month while holding every chance. A sixth-place finish in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham added to the disappointment, but it meant he was still well handicapped.
In the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle, Fiercely Proud was given a patient ride by Kielan Woods. When the unbeaten Kabral Du Mathan joined him for a battle after the last, Fiercely Proud found that extra gear to prevail by a short head.
Pauling expressed his satisfaction, saying, “That’s just what we wanted. We thought he was well handicapped at the beginning of the year but we got it all wrong. He got loose at Cheltenham, we rode him too handy here and then we had to drop him out in the Greatwood. This was a change of tactics and it worked. Two-mile handicap hurdles should be fast run, that’s what we’re here for.”
Woods, who had previously been Pauling’s stable jockey before opting to become a retained rider for the Megsons, delivered a masterful performance. Despite the changes, Pauling continued to rely on Woods, demonstrating there were no hard feelings.
Fiercely Proud's victory was a testament to Pauling's training skills and the horse's resilience. It was a well-deserved win for the connections and a significant achievement for Fiercely Proud, proving that patience and perseverance can indeed pay off in the racing world.
Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle
£125,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 152y, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Fiercely Proud 5 10-13 Ben Pauling Kielan Woods 12/1
2 shd Kabral Du Mathan 4 11-2 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 17/2
3 17 Be Aware 5 11-8 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 7/2
4 4¼ Tritonic 7 11-6 Alan King Tom Bellamy 50/1
5 5½ Our Champ 6 11-8 Chris Gordon Freddie Gordon 14/1
6 3 Favour And Fortune 6 11-12 Alan King Tom Cannon 11/1
7 3½ Dysart Enos 6 11-6 Fergal O'Brien Jonathan Burke 100/30F
8 1 Black Hawk Eagle 6 10-7 Kerry Lee Liam Harrison 33/1
9 18 Impero 5 10-12 Cian Collins Danny Gilligan 22/1
FELL
Secret Squirrel 5 10-11 Hughie Morrison David Bass 4/1
PU
Go Dante 8 11-3 Olly Murphy Sean Bowen 16/1
PU
Steel Ally 6 12-0 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 9/1
NR Kihavah 7 11-10 Adrian Paul Keatley NON RUNNER
LADBROKE HANDICAP HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR (1987-2023)
Run at Sandown in 2005 (January 7, 2006) and in 2004 (January 8, 2005); run at Leopardstown in January up to & including 2000.
Year Winner Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2012 CAUSE OF CAUSES 4-10-03 JP McManus, Gordon Elliot,t DJ Condon 25/1
2011 RAYA STAR 5-10-01 Simon Munir A King W Hutchinson 12/1
2010 Abandoned due to frost
2009 Abandoned due to snow
2008 SENTRY DUTY 6-11-09 Peter Spiller Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty 12/1
2007 JACK THE GIANT 5-11-00 Hanbury Syndicate Nicky Henderson Mick Fitzgerald 9/4F
2006 ACAMBO 5-11-09 David Johnson David Pipe Timmy Murphy 7/1
2005 DESERT AIR 7-10-09 Belinda Harvey Martin Pipe Tom Scudamore 25/1
2004 TAMARINBLEU 5-10-11 Arthur White Partnership Martin Pipe Tony McCoy 14/1
2003 THESIS 5-11-02 1961 Partnership Venetia Williams Brian Crowley 33/1
2002 CHAUVINIST 7-10-00 Bunny & Nick Roberts Nicky Henderson Norman Williamson 15/2
2001 MARBLE ARCH 5-10-11 Martin & Mary Wilson Rory SweetHughie Morrison Norman Williamson 7/1
2000 MANTLES PRINCE 6-9-12 R J McSharry Pat Hughes IRE Fran Berry 12/1
1999 ARCHIVE FOOTAGE 7-11-08 Michael Smurfit Dermot Weld IRE David Evans 25/1
1998 GRAPHIC EQUALISER 6-10-00 BRASK Syndicate Arthur Moore IRE Conor O’Dwyer 5/1F
1997 MASTER TRIBE 7-10-04 Jebel Ali Racing Stables Jenny Pitman Norman Williamson 18/1
1996 DANCE BEAT 5-9-12 Mrs E Queally Jessica Harrington IRE Anthony Powell 12/1
1995 ANUSHA 5-10-02 G A Hoggard Michael Hourigan IRE Shane Broderick 25/1
1994 ATONE 7-10-08 Robert Sinclair Bunny Cox IRE Kevin O’Brien 10/1
1993 GLENCLOUD 5-10-13 D Tierney Noel Meade IRE Gerry O’Neill 20/1
1992 HOW’S THE BOSS 6-10-02 Edward Farrell John Brassill IRE Jason Titley 20/1
1991 THE ILLIAD 10-10-13 Elizabeth Furlong Andy Geraghty IRE Pat McWilliams 7/1
1990 REDUNDANT PAL 7-11-05 P S O’Neill Paddy Mullins IRE Conor O’Dwyer 20/1
1989 REDUNDANT PAL 6-10-00 P S O’Neill Paddy Mullins IRE P Kavanagh 16/1
1988 ROARK 6-11-01 P Leeper Arthur Moore IRE Tom Taaffe 5/1
1987 BARNBROOK AGAIN 6-11-08 Mel Davies David Elsworth Colin Brown 5/2F
