Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Kempton Park 14:25 £60,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m, Class 1  |
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1 Knight Salute 15/8F
2 Teddy Blue 16/1
3 Graystone 12/1
11 ran Distances: 3¼l, 3½l, 10l
Time: 3m 51.80s (slow by 10.80s)
Knight salute is heading for the @JCBmachines Triumph Hurdle after victory in the @Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle for @PaddyBrennan81 and @MFHarrisRacing pic.twitter.com/FZChZLGZCt https://t.co/W16xy1bALQ via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) February 27, 2022
The Milton Harris-trained Knight Salute has been asked a few questions in his short career, but has answered every one of them and on this occasion he had to fend off the challenge of Teddy Blue, who held every chance until blundering through the last.
Paddy Brennan’s mount travelled smoothly throughout, but increased the pace early in the straight, with his rider admitting: “I knew it was going to be cat and mouse and I was keen to be the cat!”
Knight Salute, who gained his fifth successive success for the Four Candles Partnership by three and a quarter lengths, was left as a 12-1 chance with MansionBet, who were seemingly not as impressed as his jockey.
Brennan added: “For the first two furlongs I was going as fast as I could comfortably go and that was really going to play in my favour and with respect to that, I probably got to the front a bit too soon.
“He is probably the quickest horse I have ever ridden over hurdles. He is so accurate. He is small, but he knows his limits. He is very, very quick from one side of a hurdle to the other.
“He stays very well and you will get there a bit soon on him, but I know he stays, so I’m keen to keep the race going and Cheltenham suits him.”
The winning trainer admitted Knight Salute’s build-up to the two-mile Grade Two contest had not been smooth sailing.
He explained: “Ten days ago, he had a little cough and a splutter and while he scoped OK, he came back on Tuesday and worked like a demon. That put me off a bit, because he doesn’t do that.
“He is a good horse. I’m sure the Irish horses are good horses, but every single one of the first three in the betting has been beaten – we have not been beat yet. I think he just does enough.
“I think we will be better on better ground. I’m not sure we will beat them, but they will have a race from the last.
“He will probably work once, maybe twice. He is a professional. He doesn’t do a lot. He’s easy. I’d like to take a lot of credit, but there is not much!”
Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
£60,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Knight Salute 4 11-3 Milton Harris Paddy Brennan 15/8F
2 3¼ Teddy Blue 4 10-12 Gary Moore Jamie Moore 16/1
3 3½ Graystone 4 10-12 Lucy Wadham Aidan Coleman 12/1
4 10 Iroko 4 10-12 Oliver Greenall Jonjo O'Neill Jr 22/1
5 3¾ Moka De Vassy 4 10-12 Mrs Jane Williams Chester Williams 8/1
6 nk Big Boy Bobby 4 10-12 Alan King Tom Cannon 33/1
7 5½ Impulsive One 4 11-3 Nicky Henderson James Bowen 7/2
8 19 Rubaud 4 10-12 1 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost 16/1
9 4¼ The Famous Five 4 10-12 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 16/1
10 22 Patient Dream 4 10-12 Oliver Greenall Nick Scholfield 150/1
PU
Pleasant Man 4 10-12 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 6/1
