Martini Majesty revives wonderful memories of Trueshan when making a winning debut

February 15

Alan won the Grade 1 Melling Chase twice with Voy Por Ustedes, and, with Edwardstone having been beaten nine times at Cheltenham since winning the Arkle Chase there in 2022, Alan could be tempted to give the Ryanair a miss with our stable veteran at next month’s Festival and instead wait for for the Melling at Aintree on the eve of the Grand National.

Jonbon and Pic d’Orhy had too much pace for Edwardstone up the home straight in yesterday’s Betfair Ascot Chase, but he hung on in there and was only caught for third place in the last 100 yards.

Alan was making no excuses for Edwardstone, and he said: “I feared it would be too soft for him, but the course had done a brilliant job and Jonbon’s winning time suggests it was not far off good to soft. I could not believe what I was seeing, but Edwardstone has run as well as we hoped he would.”

No 12-year-old has won the Melling – Moscow Flyer was a year younger when he captured the race for a second time in 2005 – but Edwardstone continues to show all his old enthusiasm in his final season.

The last three runnings of the Melling have gone to either  Jonbon or Pic d’Orhy, so Edwardstone would face another stiff task, but Aintree is a course which seems to bring out the best in him and he can boast a first, second and third on three visits to Merseyside.

Alan’s horses have had a quiet February with the seemingly non-stop rain producing texting ground from Newcastle to Newton Abbot, but it is not a month he particularly likes, not helped by the fact that he always endures a “dry” February, not a drop of alcohol passing through his lips.

So no sooner had Tom Bellamy weighed in from stablemate Martini Majesty after winning the closing mares bumper at Ascot than Alan was hotfoot to the car park rather than join the syndicate of owners who call themselves  The Ringers and were off for a celebratory drink in the bar.

Bought for £9,500 as a yearling, Martini Majesty, who is closely related to our much-lamented Group 1 winning stayer Trueshan, has understandably given Martini Majesty plenty of time, and he was absolutely delighted by this belated winning debut.

Pushed along turning for home, Martini Majesty produced an impressive gear-change in the final furlong to cut down the leaders and win by a length from One Dimensional, who is two years her senior.

Alan said:”It’s not easy for a four-year-old to beat her elders so early in the year, and that was a very decent start.  I hope that she might prove quite smart.”