Ahoy Senor compared to cricketing legends ahead of crack at Betfair Chase at Haydock Park

Peter Scudamore says Ahoy Senor is like cricketing legends Sir Viv Richards, Sir Ian Botham and Ben Stokes ahead of the Lucinda Russell-trained chaser's bid for glory in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock Park. The nine-year-old was among the 10 entries for the Grade One feature of this weekend's seven-race card at the Merseyside track.

Ahoy Senor was third to fellow Betfair entrant, Donald McCain's Minella Drama, on his seasonal return at Aintree Racecourse in the Virgin Bet Old Roan Chase at the end of last month. Ahoy Senor had been second in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival before winning the Grade One Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree the following month. But things haven't always gone to plan since then and he hasn't won since landing the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase in January 2023. He has, though, been runner-up in the past two runnings of the Grade One William Hill Bowl Chase at Aintree. Ahoy Senor is a best-priced 4-1 second favourite with Ladbrokes and bet365 for Saturday’s extended 3m1f contest behind the Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning, who is 15-8 market leader with William Hill and bet365.

Russell's partner and assistant trainer Scudamore believes they have had to work hard on Ahoy Senor's technique and that a change of tactics on his last run at Aintree may have helped. The former Champion Jockey said: “I use cricketing terms with him. He’s almost been somebody who’s been able to bash at a lower level. You see kids do that and then when they have to step up their techniques have to improve and I think we allowed him to bash at a lower level and not get his technique right. I think part of running him at Aintree now opens up another solution for me, that he settles and he might finish his races better, which he clearly did at Aintree. The horse has to do the talking now but I’m pleased with what we’ve got.

“I think he’s a cross between Ian Botham and Ben Stokes with possibly a little bit of Viv Richards. I always think people would have paid to walk to the crease looking like Viv Richards and if you watch Ahoy Senor walk round the paddock you’d pay to be able to walk like that. As far as being brilliant but having a few faults as well, Mr Botham comes in there as well. I love my cricket and I think it’s a good way of describing it to the public.”

Scudamore added: “When I first schooled him over hurdles I’d never seen a horse jump as well as that and sometimes when they’re that good you tend not to school them that much. So he did what he did over hurdles and won that Grade One over hurdles but he was getting lower and lower. So then we schooled him over fences and he was immediately brilliant. But then he would change that leg, even when he won at Newbury. He fell first time (over fences) at Carlisle but he was just getting beat when he fell so you couldn’t really criticise him for that.

“Then at Newbury, like a great batsman, when he hits it for six it goes into the stands but when he takes a wild one and it either touches and goes to the slips or it doesn’t, so we just had to get that out of him a little bit. He will still miss, but I felt his experience and Derek’s (Fox, jockey) understanding of him… he’s got this far so he should be learning a little bit. Experience is a great thing as in any sport.”

Asked whether he will be hard for for Ahoy Senor to break his losing streak in Saturday's Grade One contest, Scudamore said: “When he won at Aintree and beat various horses like Bravemansgame in that novice hurdle (Sefton Novices Hurdle in April 2021) you think Gold Cup. You think you’ve got that Gold Cup horse and then suddenly when you start racing at that level you realise. I don’t think he’d run in a handicap until he ran in the Coral Cup so I knew that it was very difficult. I don’t blame him in any way. Sometimes there aren’t reasons but I think there have been reasons. I’m not saying he’ll win a Gold Cup but he’s perfectly capable of being very competitive in a Gold Cup. He was in front when he fell. Although it was an uncharacteristic fall, he jumped it ok and it wasn’t one where he’s crashed into it.”

And on preparations for Saturday's contest, Scudamore added: “His home work is really good. He’s most impressive to watch. He makes you so proud. I think he’s better on good ground, which is unusual for a horse of his size, although he did win the Cotswold Chase on soft. I think for his jumping he likes a little bit of bounce. Obviously we’re all looking at the weather forecast now and if it was good or good to soft then I don’t think we’d complain at that.”

Entries for the Betfair Chase at Haydock include one French-trained runner in Gabriel Leenders' Cleeve Hurdle hero Gold Tweet, who is a best-priced 16-1 with Ladbrokes, William Hill, sponsors Betfair and Paddy Power. Last year's winner Royale Pagaille, from the Venetia Williams' stable, is is a best-priced 5-1 with Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Betfred and bet365 to triumph again. The 10-year-old grey, who was winning for a fourth time at Haydock, beat Paul Nicholls' Bravemansgame, who is a best-priced 10-1 with most bookmakers to go one better this time.

There are three Irish entries in the Shark Hanlon-trained Hewick, who won the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day last year; Willie Mullins' Capodanno, who was supplemented to the field earlier this week; and Gavin Cromwell's Limerick Lace. Capodanno is a best-priced 8-1 with Betfair and Paddy Power, while Hewick is available at 10-1 with William Hill.

Other entries include Patrick Neville's The Real Whacker, who beat Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month, and the aforementioned Old Roan Chase hero Minella Drama – trained by Merseyside-born, Cheshire-based McCain.

The going at Haydock Park is currently good, good to soft in places. With rain and wintry showers forecast for the rest of the week, ground conditions are likely to ease before Saturday. The seven-race card at Haydock Park on Saturday sees the action start at 12.05pm with the opening contest, the Betfair Racing Podcast Newton Novices’ Hurdle. The finale, the Betfair ‘Free Racing Multiple Today’ Handicap Steeple Chase, is due off at 3.35pm. Gates open at 10.05am and tickets are priced from £28 for adults, if booked in advance. For more information and to buy tickets go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/betfair-chase/

Entries for the Betfair Chase (Grade One) 3m1f125y, Haydock Park Racecourse, Saturday, November 23 2024 (3.05pm)

(horse, age, weight, owner, trainer)

Ahoy Senor (IRE) 9-11-10 Wymer & Russell Lucinda Russell
Bravemansgame (FR) 9-11-10 Bryan Drew Paul Nicholls
Capodanno (FR) 8-11-10 Mr JP McManus Willie Mullins (Ireland) *
Gold Tweet (FR) 7-11-10 AGV Karwin Stud Gabriel Leenders (France)
Grey Dawning (IRE) 7-11-10 Mr Robert Kirkland Dan Skelton
Hewick (IRE) 9-11-10 Mr TJ McDonald John Joseph Hanlon (Ireland)
Limerick Lace (IRE) 7-11-3 Mr JP McManus Gavin Cromwell (Ireland)
Minella Drama (IRE) 9-11-10 Green Day Racing Donald McCain
Royale Pagaille (FR) 10-11-10 Mrs Susannah Ricci Venetia Williams
The Real Whacker (IRE) 8-11-10 Neville, Mann, Duffus, Dennis-Price Patrick Neville

10 five-day confirmations (3 Irish-trained, 1 French-trained)
* supplementary entry

The Betfair Chase (Betfair odds): 7-4 Grey Dawning; 4-1 Ahoy Senor; 11-2 Royale Pagaille; 7-1 Hewick; 8-1 Capodanno; 9-1 Bravemansgame; 10-1 The Real Whacker; 12-1 Gold Tweet; 16-1 Limerick Lace; 40-1 Minella Drama