Believe given lucrative All-Weather options after Ascot success

Believitanducan has been handed an entry in the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle next month after making his first start on the Flat for Alan a winning one at Ascot on Friday.

The son of Make Believe, who has won three of his seven starts over hurdles since joining Alan in November 2024, hit the target under Luke Catton on his return to the Flat in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Apprentice Handicap.

Although the Owners Group 140-owned gelding has been nudged up four pounds to a new mark of 77 it is still likely to leave him short of the rating required to get into the prestigous heritage handicap on June 27th, which Alan has won with Who Dares Wins in 2019 and Trueshan in 2022.

However, Alan has a back up plan at Gosforth Park on the same day for the five year old should he fail to make the cut for the £150,000 prize.

Alan said: “He was very good and he did it well. I think he is a horse that is really starting strengthen up. He has taken a bit of time to fill into his frame. I was very happy with him before the race and he did it extremely well.

“He went up four pounds for that win and I have put him in the Northumberland Plate. He is unlikely to get in that, but he might well get in the consolation race, the Northumberland Vase.

“That would give us an option if we were having a really hot summer. It is over two miles, and it will be on a decent surface, so I think it would suit him. If we got some wet weather we would go again on the turf, but it just gives me another option.”

Despite having runners across the country on Saturday victory was to elude Alan and his team with those flying the flag for Barbury Castle Stables out of luck at Ascot, Hexham and Haydock Park.

And while there was the odd performance that left a bit of re-thinking to be done there were a number of displays which offered plenty of encouragement.

Alan said: “Barbury Boy came there cantering at Haydock Park, but he didn’t get the trip so I will come back down to a mile and a quarter with him next time.

“He is fine, but we will give him a few weeks as that was his second quick run. Rossa (Ryan) was adamant that he didn’t stay.

“He might stay a mile and a half later in the year, but he is not ready for it at the moment. I was hoping he would stay the trip, but to be fair to Rossa after Beverley he said there was no need to step up him, however I thought it looked like the right race.

“I was very happy with Helnwein in the Swinton Hurdle and he is now very much back on track as it was a solid run. He will go back home now for his summer break and then he will be back in the autumn.

“Whether we go for the Greatwood Hurdle first then go chasing I’m not sure, but I definitely want to go chasing with him at some stage.

“They went no pace in the race Harbour Lake won at Haydock Park last year. Twelve months ago he stayed on coming through them off a really fast pace, but they hacked and it just turned into a sprint which didn’t suit him. He has gone home now and we might try him over fences in the autumn.

“I’m not sure what happened with Deedaydiva at Ascot. I’m going to back off her for a bit as she is still quite wintery in her coat, and she possibly wants a mile and a quarter, but I’ve got no plans for her.

“Betterforeveryone ran a grand race up at Hexham. He wants a bit further than three miles, but he was staying on well. He is off on his holidays now. He obviously likes Hexham so we will see what we can find there, but he ideally wants three and a half miles plus.”

It was a case of rattling the woodwork for Alan on Monday after It Takes Two finished second, and Agreymiracleseeker dead-heated for second, before being placed third at Southwell.

Alan said: “They are both lovely fillies and I was happy with the pair of them at Southwell. They will both go home now and be sent novice hurdling in the autumn.”

And down at Windsor on the same day I’d Go Maniac also had to settle for second best under Alan’s daughter Georgia, who was riding in her first race in three years.

Alan said: “It is great to see that Georgia has got her amateur licence back. I’d Go Maniac ran really well and quite a few people from the Alan King Racing Club went along and they had a very good night at Windsor. He will be a good fun horse for the racing club.

It will be a quiet couple of days for Alan until the end of the week, however Heroics will make the long journey up to York on Thursday where he will bid to go one better than at Southwell last time out in the Frank Whittle Partnership Handicap.

Alan said: “It is a competitive handicap at York which is what you would expect at a track like that. I’ve been delighted with him since his Southwell run. He has really come forward from that and I’m looking forward to running him.

“Rossa was going to ride him, but he has been switched to go to Salisbury. Tom Marquand was avaliable for the ride and that suits us well.”