Alan King Stable Tour
27 Feb 2008
Few trainers have served a better apprenticeship than Alan King, who was David Nicholson’s right hand during the glory days at Jackdaws Castle.
However, the pupil is now outstripping the former master with over 150 horses under his care and a raft of top flight jumpers.
Unlike Nicholson, who had to wait until the 1986 Triumph Hurdle win of Solar Cloud to break his Festival duck, King was quicker away with Fork Lightening in the 2004 William Hill Handicap Chase.
In each of the following seasons he has had at least one winner and all six have been in top class conditions races. Indeed, last year was by some way his best when he won three of the most prestigious races at the meeting, My Way De Solzen in the Arkle, Voy Por Ustedes in the Champion Chase and Katchit in the Triumph Hurdle.
The bare fact that those three again take the stage make him a trainer of significant interest but he has brought plenty more besides.
Here he discusses his strategy and, where applicable, the rating movement of each horse since the start of the season will be bracketed after its name.
Please note: figures in brackets indicate horse's official ratings. A figure of (120>134) would indicate a horse has improved 14lb during the course of the season.
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TUESDAY
3.15 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle (2m 1f)
“KATCHIT (159) has to improve but I still think he’s in it with a chance. It was a very good performance when he won the Fighting Fifth and I don’t think he was at his best in the Boylesports International at Cheltenham when he was second to Osana — there was only two weeks between that race at Newcastle. He has been freshened up and I would be very hopeful of getting a lot closer to Osana. Winning the Kingwell was just what we wanted to boost his confidence. Goes on anything but loves good ground.”
5.20 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m ½f)
“SQUADRON (132) and PRIDEUS (123-122) are both likely to run. It was an impossible task for Squadron last time when he finished second to Crack Away Jack trying to give ten pounds but I had to get a third run into him. He is one that won’t be phased by the Cheltenham bustle. Prideus was trying to give seven pounds to Metaphoric when he was two lengths second last time and will stay all day and is another that is not going to be phased by Cheltenham. Both are suited by good ground.”
WEDNESDAY
2.00 Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle (2m 5f)
“GROUP CAPTAIN (138) has won his three hurdle races and has got better with each race. A few people think I should be running him in the two mile novice but he looked good when he won over two and a half at Taunton and he probably beat a good horse in Working Title at Exeter last time. I think he’ll appreciate the big field and the one thing we haven’t seen him on is decent ground, and I think he will be better on it. He’s been racing on dead ground.”
3.15 Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m)
“VOY POR USTEDES (169) won this last year and loves the track — he won the Arkle the previous season. I don’t like making excuses for his defeat at Newbury when he was second to Master Minded but the ground was plenty sticky enough and it doesn’t suit him — ideally he likes a bit of bounce. If anything, I think he’s working slightly better than last year and is every bit as good as he was, if not a touch better — but he might need to be. However, he’s been and done it at Cheltenham and that's something his two market rivals haven’t.”
4.00 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f)
“I intend to run KING’S REVENGE (124>131) who is very consistent and the only time he was out of the money was on his second last start in the Totesport Trophy Hurdle at Newbury. Last time over two and a half at Ascot he probably travelled at bit too well up the front and it was also quite soon enough after Newbury. My only worry is that he’s a bit too exposed to win a race like this but he’s been crying out for this trip and will be ridden with a bit more restraint. Good ground is ideal.”
4.40 138th Year of the National Hunt Chase (4m)
“This is the target for OLD BENNY (130). He’s been placed in his three novice chases and did well to be second to Ornais at Newbury on his last outing. Could be interesting because he’ll be suited by this distance — he stays all day.”
THURSDAY
2.00 Jewson Novices Handicap Chase (2m 5f)
“It’s possible that RUSTARIX (123), who was second to Gold Medallist at Exeter last time will run. He is improving.”
3.15 Ladbrokes World Hurdle (3m)
“MY WAY DE SOLZEN (163) , who won this in 2006, and BLAZING BAILEY (163) who was third last year, will both run. Blazing Bailey is very consistent but if Inglis Drever comes in the same form as when he won the Cleeve Hurdle then we won’t beat him. Whatever else, he loves Cheltenham and will run a sound race. He's adaptable ground-wise. I was well satisfied with My Way De Solzen’s comeback run over hurdles at Fontwell, when he was second to Lough Derg over two and a half miles. It was a step in the right direction and although he’s not quite back to where he was it was his first proper race for a long time and will have blown away a few cobwebs. I hope it brings him on the way I think it will.”
4.00 Racing Post Plate Handicap Chase (2m 5f)
“IL DUCE (143>148) hasn’t run since he blundered and was pulled up at Cheltenham in December but the plan was always to leave him fresh for this. Ran his best race of the season first time out when he was a close second to L’antartique. He doesn’t want too much racing. He's best on good ground and providing the ground is like that I’ll also run KELREV (125>131). He won first run for me at Newbury in December and he ran very well to be fourth to Vodka Bleu at Cheltenham next time - a competitive veterans' race - and he was fourth in at Wincanton last time. He would need the ground in his favour to take his chance.”
4.40 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (3m 1½f)
“NYKEL (117>128) is the plan for this. It was uncharacteristic of him to fall last time and he’s had plenty of schooling since. He would not want it too quick.”
FRIDAY
2.00 JCB Triumph Hurdle (2m 1f)
“It revolves around FRANCHOEK (141>147) who is rated 4lb higher than Katchit when he won it last year but they are different types of horses. This horse is more of a grinder but he is very progressive and he sets the standard for everything else. He’s improved physically and form-wise through the season. Nothing will phase him on the day but ideally he’d have a bit of cut because it might take the sting out of the speed horses.”
2.35 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle (3m)
“I am actually looking forward to NENUPHAR COLLOGNES (134>135) running in this. He was a good chaser last season (134) but we’ve gone back to hurdles with some success. He will be powering up the hill when a lot of others would have had enough. I thought Carruthers was very impressive when we were second to him at Warwick last time but two and a half miles is the absolute minimum for my horse. I anticipate a very good performance.”
3.15-Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2½f)
“HALCON GENELARDAIS (145>165) will run here. His Welsh National form when he was a head second to Miko De Beauchene is now some of the best around. Ok, the top two in the betting look exceptional but after them it’s wide open. He hasn’t run since Chepstow in late December because he has to be fresh and he’s at the top of his game at this minute. Providing the ground isn’t fast he’d take his chance but the softer the better. If he were fourth or fifth I’d be thrilled.”
4.35 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (2m ½f)
“HOWLE HILL (138>152) has had a phenomenal season over fences and for that reason is probably exposed. But he deserves to take his chance despite his rating.”
5.10 David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle (2m 4½f)
“THEATRE GIRL (137) was a top bumper mare last season and has done nothing wrong over hurdles. She hasn’t been over this trip but I think it will suit her better and will help. She was only three quarters of a length second to Chomba Womba at Doncaster which puts her right in it.” - attheracaces.com
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