Fleur De Lys Chase |
|
Lingfield 15:00
£150,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
2m 6f 10y, Class 2  |
|
Sunday 23rd January 2022 |
1 Two For Gold 10/1
2 Dashel Drasher 6/4F
3 Bristol De Mai 4/1
6 ran NR: Fanion D'Estruval
Distances: shd, ¾l, 2l Time: 5m 43.00s (slow by 5.50s)
Two For Gold edged out G1 winners
Dashel Drasher and
Bristol De Mai in a thrilling first running of the £150,000 Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield Park this afternoon, the final day of the Winter Million.
Barely a length separated the trio approaching the penultimate fence and all three battled resolutely, with Two For Gold holding a slender advantage over the final obstacle.
Dashel Drasher fought his way to the front on the run-in but Two For Gold rallied as the line loomed to prevail by a short-head. The 11-year-old Bristol De Mai ran with credit in third, going down by less than a length. Sadly, Master Tommytucker incurred a fatal injury at the third last fence.
Winning trainer Kim Bailey said: “I said to my assistant Matt [Nicholls] this morning that we need a horse to rescue us this season. First Flow managed it last year and what are the chances of this happening today?
“We all thought that if Two For Gold was third, he would have run really well, but he did have a chance. He is a quirky individual who has given his owners a huge amount of fun.
“Ever since this race was announced, we said this is where we want to go. He loves soft ground and we were always very likely to get that here. He has done his job for the season!”
David Bass said: “I wanted to be really positive but when Two For Gold won at Doncaster last time, he was a bit cold early on, and it was exactly the same today.
“They went quick early and I wasn’t happy with how I was travelling or jumping, but then I passed Bristol De Mai going past the stands and he took hold of the bridle. He can pull himself up in front, but I know if the others are there, they will help him along.
“Great credit to the horse because he has now won 10 of his 19 races and knows how to win. This was his Gold Cup and we will enjoy this.”
Dashel Drasher’s trainer Jeremy Scott said: “That was a fantastic race with three very brave horses fighting it out.
“Rex [Dingle, jockey] said the winner was idling and we could have done with holding on a little bit longer before having one go at him, and we might have got him.
“Assuming our lad comes out of this OK, he will go to Ascot for the race he won last year.”
Fleur De Lys Chase
£150,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 6f 10y, Class 2
6 ran
Going: Heavy, Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Two For Gold 9 11-0 Kim Bailey David Bass 10/1
2 shd Dashel Drasher 9 11-6 Jeremy Scott Rex Dingle 6/4F
3 ¾ Bristol De Mai 11 11-6 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 4/1
4 2 Itchy Feet 8 11-0 Olly Murphy Gavin Sheehan 3/1
PU
Lieutenant Rocco 7 11-0 Harriet Brown Tom Scudamore 14/1
FELL
Master Tommytucker 11 11-6 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 8/1
NR Fanion D'Estruval 7 11-0 Venetia Williams NON RUNNER
