Bradley in the hunt for trophy riches at Beverley

Adam Morgan
June 5, 2024 4:19 pm

Familiar colours will be doubly-represented in Westwood highlight at the weekend.

Nick Bradley is set to launch a two-pronged assault on Beverley’s Hilary Needler Trophy, with the Yorkshireman keen to land a telling blow at one of his local haunts.

The conditions event is one of the highlights of Beverley’s season and has been farmed by local handlers in recent years, with the race often used as a stepping stone to more lofty targets at Royal Ascot.

And Bradley – managing director of the popular syndicates that bare his name – links up with Middleham handler Karl Burke who will saddle both Larchill Lass and Invincible Annice on behalf of the owner.

The two fillies both opened their accounts at the third time of asking recently and have been backed to be involved at the finish once again.

“I’ve had a discussion with Karl and both are going to go, I’m just waiting to hear from Sam James (jockey) which one he would like to ride,” explained Bradley.

“I’ve said if it comes up quick he should ride Invincible Annice and if it is soft to go for the other one. I think they both go there with good chances depending on where they get drawn.

“I thought it was a monstrous performance from Larchill Lass when she won at Carlisle. I’ve watched her win alongside the Hugo Palmer horse that won the six-furlong race on the card and I think she would have won that race by about 12 lengths. I thought it was a huge performance.”

Although Larchill Lass is shorter in the betting than Invincible Annice, the latter impressed when winning a Musselburgh seller only seven days ago and has since seen a timely boost of her debut second to Francisco’s Piece when the Adrian Keatley-trained runner scooped Listed honours in France.

Bradley went on: “We only ran Invincible Annice in a seller because it was GBP 10,500 to the winner and we’ve had plenty of faith all the way through, Karl had said before her debut at Pontefract she was a very good filly.

“The Keatley horse that beat us that day won the Listed race at Chantilly Sunday and I think if the horses were drawn the other way round at Pontefract the result would definitely have been close.”