George to decide on duo’s next step

Horse Racing

Racing365
October 24, 2018 12:16 pm

Trainer Tom George has high hopes for both Summerville Boy and Black Op next season as he ponders where to run them.

The two Grade One winners shared the highest rankings of the English horses in the Anglo-Irish Novice and Juvenile Hurdle Classification in 2017-18 for their respective distances.

They have both been schooled by Noel Fehily and George is now looking at where to send them.

Black Op is being prepared for his chasing debut, while Summerville Boy could go in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on December 1.

George told GloucestershireLive: “Summerville Boy and Black Op were the best of their generation in England last season so I’m delighted with that.

“It’s great for us to have two horses of their calibre at Down Farm.

“Noel Fehily has been to school them and it has gone well.

Summerville Boy will jump fences one day but we don’t need to be doing that with him yet.

“The Fighting Fifth is on the list as a possible starting point and we’ll take each step as it comes.

He’s a very sharp horse.

Hopefully he’ll end up in the Champion Hurdle.

“Black Op schooled over fences last season, he and Summerville Boy popped over some obstacles for the first time since they have been back in on September 28.

“Black Op is a big, rangy horse and you’d think he will make a nice chaser.

Samcro didn’t beat him that easily at Cheltenham.

He needs proper winter ground so we won’t be rushing with him.”