Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, Ascot 15:35  £150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 152y, Class 1
Tweet Saturday 23rd December 2023

1 Luccia 9/2
2 Impose Toi 11/1
3 Altobelli 18/5
9 ran NR: Nemean Lion, Salsada
Distances: nk, 1¼l, 1¼l Time: 3m 44.60s (slow by 6.60s)

And that’s a wrap 🎁 consistent mare LUCCIA delivers a big-race gift in the Betfair Exchange Trophy at #Ascot - a 1-2 for @SevenBarrows, well done to Nicky, Paul O’Brien and owners Pump and Plant Services 🏆 pic.twitter.com/QABXkwPwUC

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) December 23, 2023

Luccia secured a significant win at Ascot, capitalizing on her adept late hurdling skills.

Throughout the £150,000 contest, Nicky Henderson's mare faced pressure from stablemate Impose Toi along the home straight. But while the latter clouted the last couple of obstacles, Luccia negotiated them in a swift and clean manner under Paul O’Brien to gain the upper hand.

In the run-in, Impose Toi attempted to close the gap, but Luccia, with odds of 9-2, maintained a neck-length lead at the finishing line. The victory earned her a first prize exceeding £85,000.

“If a race like that is going to put up prize-money like that, then we are going to throw everything at it – we ran three,” said Henderson, who also saddled 11-4 favourite Iberico Lord in seventh. “It’s a huge pot and you’ve got to have a go.

“Luccia had every right to be there (at the finish), Iberico Lord beat her the time before at Cheltenham but she had an 8lb swing and she was right there at the last in Cheltenham. 

“That is probably as good a way to ride her as you can find. There was no pace and Paul was only trying to dictate it. He was controlling the race actually. 

“To get her back is an amazing thing, because we nearly lost her. A tendon in her hind leg locked and she did the splits and couldn’t get up.

“She’s homebred and it’s great. She was top-class last year and she is deserving of a race like this, to be fair. She was heading to the top and things didn’t quite work out, but she was good today.

“I suppose we will have to go (to the Betfair Hurdle), you have to don’t you. But I have always wanted to try her over two and a half to see if she is up for the Mares’ Hurdle.

“To be fair, if you are making the running in a race like that at that pace and getting home, then I would like to try her up in trip and see if she’s game for the Mares’. She deserves a shot at something like that.”

Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle
 £150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 152y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Luccia 5 11-8 Nicky Henderson Paul O'Brien 9/2
2 nk Impose Toi 5 11-3 Nicky Henderson Jonjo O'Neill Jr 11/1
3 1¼ Altobelli 5 11-4 Harry Fry Jonathan Burke 18/5
4 1¼ Moveit Like Minnie 6 10-10 Nigel Twiston-Davies Finn Lambert 22/1
5 ½ Hansard 5 12-0 Gary Moore Niall Houlihan 12/1
6 2 Onlyamatteroftime 7 10-2 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 4/1
7 2½ Iberico Lord 5 11-6 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 11/4F
8 10 Faivoir 8 11-9 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 33/1
9 15 Teddy Blue 5 11-6 Gary Moore Caoilin Quinn 28/1
NR 2 Nemean Lion 6 11-12 Kerry Lee NON RUNNER
NR 9 Salsada 6 10-12 Brian Ellison NON RUNNER

BETFAIR EXCHANGE TROPHY 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

2022 MEETING ABANDONED

2021 TRITONIC

2020 NOT SO SLEEPY

2019 NOT SO SLEEPY

2018 MOHAAYED

2017 HUNTERS CALL

2016 BRAIN POWER

2015 STERNRUBIN

2014 BAYAN

2013 WILLOWS SAVIOUR

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