Hats off to Cloth Cap

A winning pair score a 10-length victory and a six-year-old hurdler prevails in a closely matched fight to the finish

- MARCUS ARMYTAGE

Ladbrokes Trophy Chase,

Newbury, Berks

CLOTH CAP added his name to the roll of honour for jump racing’s most prestigious handicap chase outside Aintree, when he ran away with the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury on Saturday.

His owner, Trevor Hemmings, has already won the Grand National three times with Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds. Cloth Cap, named after Hemmings’ favourite headwear, was bought with that race in mind but not for one moment did the owner think he would win a Ladbrokes Trophy in such style.

When the horse was going through the ring as a three-year old, Hemmings initially said he was not going to buy another son of Beneficial because he already had two, but Mick Meagher, his racing manager, liked him and Hemmings told his team they had better bid for it “otherwise Mick will go off in a sulk”.

The eight-year-old is closely related to Irish National winner Niche Market and Aintree will be his aim now. One imagines, however, having won the Ladbrokes by 10 lengths, he will get a hefty hike in the weights and that Jonjo O’Neill, his trainer, will not want to inflate his new rating before April.

The key to Saturday’s race, apart from just scraping into the handicap on 10 stone, was good ground and it was the first time he had had that going since finishing third in the Scottish National over 18 months ago.

But he may have quickened up a bit too and thinking he would get left if he did not get a flyer, Tom Scudamore jumped him out and, once the race settled after three fences, found himself in a nice rhythm out in front.