Belated New Year celebrations as we enjoy a brilliant treble at Kempton

January 10

Alan had not had a winner for a month, yet on the day he chose to fly off on his fortnight’s winter holiday to the Maldives the Barbury quartet sent to Kempton returned with three winners and a second.

It was a simply wonderful day for Alan and the team, and doubtless both the boss and Rachel will have derived extra pleasure from that first bottle of red wine at dinner last night.

As expected, Baron Noir and The Doyen Chief both justified favouritism and King Al left his Sandown disappointment but a distant memory when a creditable runner-up to Dan Skelton’s highly-rated French recruit Precious Man.

However, it was arguably the stable veteran Edwardstone, just 10 days into his 13th season, who stole the headlines, rolling back the years to win the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase, his first success for 22 months.

Celebrations were obviously tempered by the tragic fatal injury suffered by odds-on favourite Kalif fu Berlais, who was sailing along in front when he crash-landed at the first open ditch on the second circuit.

Edwardstone has been a superstar for owner-breeders, Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle, this being his 11th victory from 39 races. It was his eighth triumph over fences but his first beyond two miles, and one which was extra special for Tom Cannon, who knows Edwardstone so well.

Cannon said:”Edwardstone is the best that I have ridden, but maybe even more delighted than me is my young son, who wears these same colours when he rides his pony and idolises this horse. I can’t wait to see his face when I get home.

“You cannot go quick enough for Edwardstone in a race, and half-way round I was wishing it was two miles, but, though we have won well, my condolences go out to Paul Nicholls and the owners of Kalif du Berlais, all of whom were in my thoughts as we were pulling up.”

Edwardstone has done so much for Cannon’s career, and the jockey agreed that he holds a special place in his heart. Not that his favourite horse was running away turning into the straight, where Tom had to cajole him to stay on the heels of the two leaders.

However, pulled to the outside going to the third last fence, Edwardstone found his second wind, and, touching down in front at the penultimate obstacle, the 7-2 chance dug deep to hold off Master Chewy by a length and three-quarters.

Our first two winners were ridden by stable jockey Tom Bellamy, who was lavish in his praise for Baron Noir, who, having been keen over the first two flights in the novices hurdle, settled much better once the pace increased going to the third, the odds-on favourite, who jumped super, eventually winning by two and a half lengths.

Bellamy said:”Baron Noir is not yet the finished article, but I love this horse and so does Alan. I think he would be more effective in a stronger race and on better ground, and Alan will decide where we go next, though I’d be happy to see him stay at two miles for the time being.”

Successful in two of his three races over hurdles, Baron Noir, also a dual winner on the bumper circuit, was made a 25-1 chance for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Noel Fehily, whose syndicated horses are enjoying a hugely successful winter, is also in favour of remaining over two miles. He said:”It’s no secret how highly I rate Baron Noir, and he showed today how good he is. He would have preferred a stronger gallop, and, consequently, Tom had to let him go earlier than planned. He is a horse who idles in front, but I think he’s a hell of a good horse and that there is plenty more to come.

“I’d imagine that we’ll go straight to Cheltenham now as he’s had three runs, but, while he is entered in both the two and the two and a half mile novices, he looked like a Supreme horse to me today.”

Bellamy was equally enthusiastic about The Doyen Chief, who has earned a tilt at the Coral Trophy (formerly the Racing Post Chase) at Kempton next month, having shown great battling qualities to beat Your Darling a neck in the three-mile handicap chase.

Dropping back to his favoured trip, having shown stamina limitations over three and a quarter at Cheltenham last time, The Doyen Chief jumped great, apart from one hiccup at the sixth fence, where Bellamy later confessed “I thought I was a goner there – we were on different pages!”

He added:”The Doyen Chief did not stay at Cheltenham – I thought I’d win at the second last, yet he faded to finish only fifth. He was foot-perfect today after that one jumping error, but he is not a horse on whom you can get to the front too soon.

“He deserves plenty of credit as I thought we were beaten at the last, but he fought back on the run-in and got the job done. They will go a faster gallop in what will be a better race at Kempton, which will help.”

King Al looks nailed on for a juvenile hurdle, having beaten all but the classy Precious Man , and ‘Choc’ Thornton, racing and bloodstock manager to the owners, Apple Tree Stud, was delighted.

He said”King Al is a decent Flat horse, but we were disappointed with his first run over hurdles at Sandown, where maybe we took too long to get him involved in the race, He was ridden handier today, which seemed to suit him, and he has always schooled well and jumped much better than he did on his debut.”