Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase
Grade 3 Handicap,
Kempton Park 15:35
£150,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus, 3m, Class 1    
Saturday 22nd February 2025

Trainers Quotes

1 Katate Dori 11/2
2 Hyland 11/4F
3 Our Power 11/1
13 ran Distances: 15l, 11l, 1¾l
Time: 6m 15.70s (slow by 21.70s)

Charlie Deutsch delivered a tactician’s masterclass as Katate Dori turned the race into a procession, surging to an emphatic 15-length success.

Sam Thomas’s seven-year-old arrived in prime form and was given a supremely confident ride over the three-mile trip. With Beachcomber setting the early fractions, Deutsch was happy to sit in mid-division, gradually creeping closer as the field passed the stands for the first time. The slight drop in trip appeared to suit the 11-2 shot, who traveled sweetly throughout.

Sensing the moment turning in, Deutsch pressed the button—and Katate Dori delivered in devastating fashion. In the blink of an eye, he had put daylight between himself and his rivals, Deutsch even afforded two long glances over his shoulder as he coasted home. Hyland, staying on from the rear, took second for Nicky Henderson, while stablemate Our Power, winner in 2023 and runner-up last year, filled third, a further 11 lengths back.

For Thomas, the victory continued his fine record in the race. “It’s a great contest with huge prize-money, and I’m lucky to have the horses to compete,” he said. “Massive credit to the boss (Dai Walters) for giving me the opportunity.”

“As a trainer, there’s nothing better than seeing your horse enjoy himself like that. If he’d been carrying 12st, I’d have been more worried, but knowing he only had 10st 5lb made it a joy to watch. I could see Hyland inching closer, and it was only after the last I knew we had it won—Charlie even gave me a big roar as he passed!”

Thomas admitted the bigger occasions bring out the best in him. “These big Saturdays are what it’s all about. Even in my riding days, I never got much of a kick out of the smaller meetings—though maybe I shouldn’t say that! But preparing horses for these major races is what we live for.”

Looking ahead, Katate Dori has options at the Cheltenham Festival. “He’s in the National Hunt Chase, Ultima, and Kim Muir, so we’ll take a look at one of those.”

Nicky Henderson left Kempton with a glint in his eye after Hyland’s strong-finishing second, with Aintree now firmly on the radar.

“He’s run a fantastic race, especially as he absolutely detests that ground—it’s like asking me to eat kale,” Henderson quipped. “He’s just not a bad-ground horse. Early on, he was lost in the ruck, not knowing where he was. But I loved the way he battled back.”

And with that, the Grand National dream remains alive. “After a circuit, I thought the dream was over. A circuit later, it’s still very much on.”

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Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase
£150,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Katate Dori 7 10-5 Sam Thomas Charlie Deutsch 11/2
2 15 Hyland 8 11-13 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 11/4F
3 11 Our Power 10 11-10 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 11/1
4 1¾ Guard Your Dreams 9 11-0 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 33/1
5 6 Deeper Blue 9 10-10 David Pipe Conor O'Farrell 40/1
6 4¾ Beachcomber 7 11-2 Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr 7/1
PU Unanswered Prayers 9 10-9 Chris Gordon Freddie Gordon 12/1
PU UCharlie Uberalles 9 10-7 Dianne Sayer Danny McMenamin 14/1
PU UCorrigeen Rock 8 11-6 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 28/1
PU UGolden Son t 7 11-0 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 10/1
PU UTahmuras 8 11-9 Paul Nicholls Jonathan Burke 12/1
PU UHeltenham 8 11-2 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 9/1
PU U Lowry's Bar 7 12-0 Philip Hobbs & Johnson White Micheal Nolan 17/2

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