Coral Trophy Handicap Chase |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, Kempton Park 15:37 £150,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m, Class 1  |
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1 Forward Plan 15/2
2 Al Dancer 28/1
3
Bowtogreatness 4/1J
12 ran Distances: 1¼l, 1¼l, nse
Time: 6m 7.60s (slow by 13.60s)
He absolutely flew home! 🤯
— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) February 24, 2024
Forward Plan storms past Al Dancer to snatch the Coral Trophy 🏆 pic.twitter.com/2igiN6jXUX
Ben Godfrey rode the biggest winner of his career as Forward Plan snatched an unlikely win in this Grade 3 handicap.
One of three runners in the race for Anthony Honeyball, he was in among horses jumping the second last as Al Dancer set sail for home. However, Forward Plan gathered momentum going to the final fence, landed running, and powered to the line, overhauling the leader to score by a length-and-a-quarter. Bowtogreatness ran well in third.
The winning trainer, Anthony Honeyball, praised Ben Godfrey’s ride, saying, “Ben has given him a peach of a ride. He actually gave two a good belt down the back, then Harry Skelton has gone down his inner, and he’s almost had to take back and wait his turn. The horse has a bit of boot and speed, and we were hoping we didn’t have to use that to stay in the race, but to win the race instead. When he switched and winged the last, it was brilliant, a great performance.”
Ben Godfrey added, “His best form is on good ground, but ground-wise we weren’t really too worried. It’s a little bit dead, but they’re not kicking it up too much. It was more an emphasis on stamina we were worried about with the ground being soft. He toughed it out and deserved this; he’s a tough little horse.”
This thrilling victory in the Coral Trophy showcases the excitement and unpredictability of horse racing, where unexpected triumphs can happen at any moment.
Coral Trophy Handicap Chase
£150,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Soft, Heavy in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Forward Plan 8 10-9 Anthony Honeyball Ben Godfrey 15/2
2 1¼ Al Dancer 11 12-0 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 28/1
3 1¼ Bowtogreatness 8 10-9 Ben Pauling Ben Jones 4/1J
4 nse Flegmatik 9 11-2 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 15/2
5 1¼ Sam Brown 12 12-0 Anthony Honeyball Jonathan Burke 14/1
6 4½ Unanswered Prayers 8 10-4 Chris Gordon Freddie Gordon 22/1
7 ½ Lord Baddesley 9 10-8 Chris Gordon Rex Dingle 10/1
8 3 Killer Kane 9 10-7 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell 8/1
9 ½ Cap Du Nord 11 10-2 Christian Williams Tristan Durrell 28/1
10 2¾ Il Ridoto 7 11-9 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 15/2
FELL Blackjack Magic 9 11-0 Anthony Honeyball Sam Twiston-Davies 4/1J
PU Tweed Skirt 7 11-3 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 12/1
