Could Tritonic provide us with the perfect finale to the Flat?

November 3

The curtain comes down on what for Alan at least has been a terrific 2022 Flat season, highlight, of course, being an unprecedented third Champions Day victory for Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup.

Yet again, Alan is peppering the £1m prize money barrier on the level, and maybe he ain’t quite finished yet, as we are represented by both Tritonic and On To Victory in the final big race of the season, the November Handicap at Doncaster on Saturday.

Wayne Hutchinson, who rode many major winners for Alan in two decades as a jump jump jockey and became the stable number one after Choc Thornton retired, would like nothing better than for his son Callum, who is apprenticed to Andrew Balding, to be the Barbury hero on Tritonic.

Callum, who rode his first Royal Ascot winner this year when Coltrane captured the Ascot Stakes, is only two short of his half-century, and in the versatile Tritonic he looks to have a solid chance of providing Alan with the perfect finish to the season.

Successful in the Betfair Hurdle at Ascot 11 months ago, Tritonic then lost his way over jumps, but he regained all his old zest back on the Flat when finishing second at Newmarket in the spring and after a summer break returned in style to win at Goodwood.

Alan said:”We learned last winter that Tritonic needs time between his races, but he has been in good form at home, though having gone off 4lb since Goodwood he has to carry topweight in what is always a very competitive handicap.”

David Probert has been booked for On To Victory, having ridden him when they finished sixth behind Tritonic in that Goodwood race.

Alan added:”On To Victory won this race two years ago when 7lb higher, and, while I am not sure that he is quite the horse he was, I was pleased how well he ran at Goodwood. Like Tritonic, he’ll go back over hurdles after this.”

Doubtless, Alan will be at Wincanton on Saturday to see the evergreen Sceau Royal attempt to win the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle for the fourth time.

Alan said:”Sceau Royal might be 11 years old in less than two months time, but whether he is running over hurdles or fences he still looks as good as ever.

“It was his 16th win for us when he returned in style at Kempton last month, and, having shown us that he stays two and a half miles well enough when third in the Melling Chase at Aintree last season, we have that option to try him again over that longer trip later on.”

Potterman has been narrowly beaten in the Badger Beer Trophy for the last two years, so he’ll be in the lorry with Sceau Royal, trying to make it third time lucky.

Alan said:”Potterman was hit and miss last season, but we tidied up his wind in the summer and he won well on his comeback at Kelso. He’s best fresh and hopefully he’ll be right in the mix again.”

Wynn House is our other Wincanton raider, her target being the opening Richard Barber Memorial Mares Hurdle.

Alan said:”Wynn House won this race last season, and the plan is to then go over fences, ideally over two and a half miles plus. She has won three times over hurdles and is one I have always liked and I felt that she was probably better than her official rating.”

Finally on Saturday, we have Senior Citizen having another crack over the big Aintree fences in the Grand Sefton Chase, a race he finished second in last year.

Alan said:”Senior Citizen was also third in the Topham Trophy two seasons ago and runs his best races around Aintree. He stays that bit better now, so we might have a look at the Becher Chase afterwards, though he is a horse who would not want the ground too testing.”