Knebworth puts up winning performance at Doncaster

Adam Morgan
March 24, 2024 5:19 pm

Richard Hughes’ plan comes to fruition on Town Moor.

It was a case of mission accomplished for Knebworth who stuck his head out in game fashion to achieve trainer Richard Hughes’ early-season objective.

The four-year-old was sent off a 6-1 chance for the William Hill NRMB On The Grand National Handicap and was always prominent in the hands of young apprentice Ethan Jones.

The 9-2 favourite Aleezdancer and most notably Woven laid down a stern challenge at the business end of the six-furlong event, but Jones was strong and had a willing partner when he needed him to prevail by a short head from Woven.

Hughes said: “It was a great run and that has been the plan. I gave him a prep on the all-weather to knock the cobwebs off as you can find with sprinters they can be quite fresh after they’ve had a break.

Knebworth gets the head bob!
Woven loses momentum a few strides from the line, allowing the @RHughesracing-trained four-year-old to snatch victory at @DoncasterRaces 😮 pic.twitter.com/b8K7ELlTP7

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 24, 2024

“I wanted to get that freshness off before he went running on soft ground up there and it was an ideal spot for him.

“Ethan claiming the 7lb certainly helps and it was a lovely win. Ethan is doing most things right at the moment, he’s listening and riding well.”

On future plans, Hughes added: “That was our first target and there might be a race back on the all-weather for him Easter weekend as he’s quite good on the all-weather.

“That might be one of the last highly-rated all-weather races because when the summer comes, it’s hard to get a highly-rated all-weather race. He’ll either go there or I’ll wait for another turf race where there is some moisture in the ground.”

The William Hill Epic Boost Novice Stakes has been won by the likes of Maljoom and Fox Champion in the past and produced another likeable winner in the shape of Eve Johnson Houghton’s Balmacara.

Balmacara (left) showed a great attitude to win (Nigel French/PA)

Third on debut behind a subsequent Listed winner and the highly-regarded Kikkuli, the son of New Bay relished the cut under foot to get off the mark at the second attempt at odds of 5-2.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with him and he probably enjoys a bit of juice in the ground, he hits the ground quite hard so I was always keen to get him out early,” said Johnson Houghton.

“He probably wants further and is just a really nice, likeable horse. He definitely wanted soft ground last year but now he’s maturing he might be able to handle better ground better – but he wouldn’t want it very firm.

“It’s our first runner on turf and he wins, so it’s great for all the team and gives us a boost.”

King Of Spain provided a sentimental victory for Gemma Tutty in the Harrison College Your Future Your Choice Handicap as she continued her fine weekend on Town Moor.

King Of Spain ran out a comfortable winner of a 10-furlong event (Nigel French/PA)

Tutty saddled Look Back Smiling to win the Spring Mile at the South Yorkshire track on Saturday and she was in the winner’s enclosure again with a half-brother to former stable standard-bearer Mostly Cloudy, with the three-year-old King Of Spain making an impressive turf debut to follow up a recent success on the all-weather.

“He’s a half-brother to Mostly Cloudy who was our star during our first season so he has a lot of sentimental value anyway, but to see him keep progressing is really satisfying.

“We bought him as a yearling and the owners have been really patient. We were really keen to get him on soft ground and up in trip. I knew he would come on from his last run because he felt amazing at home, but I wasn’t expecting him to put the race to bed quite as impressively as he did.

“Looking at his knee action, he was always going to appreciate a bit of juice in the ground, but he has taken a big step forward today.

“I’m really thrilled and most of the owners of Mostly Cloudy have reinvested and it’s wonderful to pay them back for keeping the faith in me. The weekend couldn’t have gone much better really.”

The afternoon was kicked off by husband-and-wife team of Archie Watson and Brodie Hampson combining with Throne Hall (13-2) to win the William Hill Epic Value Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while Qitaal (14-1) returned from over 600 days off the track to make a blistering debut for Charlie Johnston in the 10-furlong Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap.