Masterson Holdings Hurdle |
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| Cheltenham 15:30 £30,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m 87y, Class 2  |
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1 Givemefive 7/2
2 Dodger Long 5/1
3
Bottler'secret EvensF
8 ran Distances: 1¼l, ½l, 6l
Time: 3m 54.21s (slow by 5.21s)
Givemefive sees them off in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle! 🥇#ITVRacing | @Harry05Derham pic.twitter.com/Kvq6U7s089
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 26, 2024
A long-term plan came to fruition for Givemefive as the promising youngster secured Harry Derham’s first Cheltenham win as a trainer. After being acquired from Johnny Murtagh’s yard last year, the four-year-old won his first two starts over obstacles and went on to place second in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton and fourth in a Grade Two at Fairyhouse for owners Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes major-winning golfers Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka.
Following a second-place finish on the Flat at Haydock last month, Givemefive returned to hurdling at Prestbury Park, starting as the second-favorite behind Gavin Cromwell’s Bottler’secret. Paul O’Brien settled him in the middle of the pack before producing a strong challenge early in the home straight. After a minor tussle with Bottler’secret at the final flight, Givemefive finished strongly to win by a length and a quarter over Dodger Long.
Derham, who enjoyed success as a rider at Cheltenham, expressed his delight, saying, “It means an awful lot – Cheltenham is very special. From watching Uncle Paul win all those races to having one in my own name makes it a very cool day. He’s been a fabulous horse, well found by my cousin Megan (Nicholls). From the first day we jumped him, we knew we were going to have some fun as he just loved it."
Derham credited his team for their support, adding, “Well done to Graham, my head lad, Amy, my sister, and Charlie, my assistant. In the middle of the week, I was unsure about running him, but they encouraged me to go for it. Since we’ve had him, he’s never let us down, and this plan has been long in the making.”
Unibet has Givemefive as a 16-1 shot for next month’s Greatwood Hurdle, but Derham is cautious about big handicaps before Christmas. “Big handicaps for four-year-olds are too tough,” he said. “There’s a race at Fairyhouse for four-year-olds in a month’s time, so we might do that or leave him alone. He’s young and has good days ahead – perhaps a Betfair Hurdle or something like that. I was worried about the ground, thinking he’d prefer it softer, but he handled it very well.”
Although McDowell and Koepka couldn’t be present, Derham said, “They’re in Florida, but I just had a FaceTime with Graeme, and he’s thrilled. It’s very cool to train winners for supportive owners, and the horse has done them proud.”
Masterson Holdings Hurdle
£30,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m 87y, Class 2
8 ran
Going: Good
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Givemefive 4 11-0 Harry Derham Paul O'Brien 7/2
2 1¼ Dodger Long 4 11-0 Harriet Dickin Harry Cobden 5/1
3 ½ Bottler'secret 4 11-8 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue EvsF
4 6 Royal Way 4 11-0 Gary & Josh Moore Niall Houlihan 12/1
5 2 Balboa 4 11-0 Seamus Mullins Micheal Nolan 25/1
6 ½ An Bradan Feasa 4 11-4 Jack Jones Tom Bellamy 11/1
7 8 Latin Verse 4 11-0 Anthony Charlton Sean Bowen 33/1
8 22 Hasten Slowly 4 10-7 John C McConnell Ben Harvey 20/1
