'Jump' Newsletter - Edition 18
'Jump' Newsletter - Edition 18
"Jack Fisher takes home two $75K Hurdle Stakes victories at Montpelier and Callaway Gardens"
Welcome to the eighteenth edition of 'Jump.'
In our last edition, we asked you to vote on who you thought would win the Eclipse Awards. Well, over 100 people voted in our poll, but there was still no clear winner.
Noah and the Ark led with 37% of the vote. Snap Decision came in second with 34% of the vote. And Merry Maker rounded out the top three with 29% of the votes.
So with no horse getting a majority of votes, it seems like the Eclipse Award winner is still anyone's guess at this point!
Snap Decision and Jack Fisher have the name recognition, which could help sway some undecided Eclipse voters. (Those who don’t abstain that is!)
The intrigue will finally be over on Thursday, January 25, 2024 when the winner is announced at The Breakers Palm Beach. Tickets for the black-tie event go on sale Monday, November 20th.
Riders Up!
Steve Coxon - USASteeplechase
In Case You Missed It: This Week's Top 4 USA Jump Racing Stories
Contents
Saturday’s Recap - Jack Fisher takes home two $75K Hurdle Stakes victories at Montpelier and Callaway Gardens
Sunday’s Recap - "Horse for the course" Royal Ruse earns first stakes win
Entries - Overnights for Steeplechase of Charleston
NSA Standings - Two Titles Still Up for Grabs!
“The ‘Jump newsletter’ is an absolute boon to me. Now domiciled in the UK, it keeps me updated on US jump racing. Thank you.” - Barbara Shaw (Facebook)
Jack Fisher takes home two $75K Hurdle Stakes victories at Montpelier and Callaway Gardens
By Sara Cavanagh
Jack Fisher - Photo by Tod Marks
MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--Jack Fisher had the winners of both $75,000 Hurdle Stakes on Saturday, Nov. 4, the G2 Noel Laing Hurdle Handicap Stakes at Monpelier and the Novice Hurdle Stakes at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Jack Fisher Wasdell Properties' Zabeel Champion (GB), ridden by Bernie Dalton, won the $75,000, 2 1/2 mile Noel Laing Hurdle Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths over Scorpion's Revenge, trained by Cyril Murphy at Montpelier.
"Zabeel Champion seems like a pretty nice horse," said Fisher, who has just had the horse since late summer when he was imported from Great Britain where he won two hurdle handicaps in 2022. "He won on soft going at Far Hills and now he's won on firm ground at Montpelier. I wasn't there, but I heard Bernie gave him a great ride."
That was the third race for Zabeel Champion in this country after finishing sixth in a handicap at Foxfield and then winning the Appleton Hurdle Stakes at Far Hills.
Riverdee Stable's Cool Jet (Ire), ridden by Graham Watters, won the $75,000, 2 3/8 mile Novice Hurdle Stakes at Callaway Gardens by 2 lengths over The Hero Next Door, trained by Leslie Young.
"Cool Jet (Ire) won at Nashville, and now he won here," said Fisher, who said he went to Callaway Gardens because he enjoyed staying with Jill Johnston there.
Cool Jet has run six times for Fisher since being imported in 2020 with three wins, two seconds and a fourth.
Fisher had a second winner at Montpelier with Riverdee Stable's Potus, who won the $25,000, 2 3/8mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 11 1/4 lengths over Withoutdestination, trained by Todd Wyatt.
"All three of them will be turned out now, turned out days and taken in at night, over the winter,"said Fisher.
Sean McDermott also had two winners at Montpelier, training and riding both.
Vivian E. Rall's Icandothat won the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 9 3/4 lengths over Absam, trained by Willy Dowling, and South Branch Equine's Casamo won the $30,000 Maiden Hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths over Samui Sunset, trained by Mark Beecher.
Leslie Young saddled Potter Group USA's Right Tempo (Fr), ridden by Jamie Bargary, to win the $50,000 Filly and Mare Hurdle Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Bercasa (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson.
Joe Davies saddled Celtic Venture Stable's Factotem, ridden by son Teddy, to win the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by a neck over Sleight of Hand, trained by Keri Brion.
At Callaway Gardens, Leslie Young had two winners.
Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Court Ruler (Ire), ridden by Freddie Procter, won the $25,000, 3 1/2 mile Steeplethon by 6 1/4 leengths over Storm Team, trained by Fisher.
Young's second winner was Michael A. Smith's Foxy Walk (Ire), ridden by Procter, who won the $30,000 Maiden Hurdle by 17 3/4 lengths over Macheeda (Ire), trained by Neilson.
Animal Kingston, owned by William M. Russell, trained by Neil Morris and ridden by Ricky Doyle, won the $35,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle by a neck over For the Parish (Ire), trained by Young.
Keri Brion saddled Paul A. Willis' Agitare (Ire), to win the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 5 1/2 lengths over I Am Fortunata (re), trained by Ricky Hendriks.
Read the Original article
"Horse for the course" Royal Ruse earns first stakes win the The Pennsylvania Hunt Cup
By Tod Marks
Sitting off the pace set by two-time 2023 stakes winner Monbeg Stream, Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse and jockey Gerard Galligan advanced the final time around the course, launched his bid in the stretch and took command when Monbeg Stream fell at the 17th fence to take the 4-mile $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup at Unionville on Sunday.
For the nine-year-old son of Hat Trick it was the first trip to the winner's circle in a stakes race after 38 career starts on the flat and over jumps in a career that began at Keeneland in 2017.
Since joining the NSA in 2018, the Sanna Neilson trainee has made 25 starts with six victories, three of which have come at Unionville. He broke his maiden over timber in the Lewis Ledyard in 2019, took the Arthur O. Choate allowance two years later, and finished a solid second to Mystic Strike in last year's Hunt Cup.
Royal Ruse's margin of victory was 24 3/4 lengths, over Keystone Thoroughbred's Shootist (Tom Garner). Nancy Reed's Awesome Adrian was a distant third. However, Shootist was disqualified and placed behind Awesome Adrian. The race would obviously have played out differently had the Tuscany Racing colorbearer, under Freddie Procter, not faltered at the second to last fence. Though Royal Ruse was rallying, Monbeg Stream still was in control when the mishap occurred.
After the race, trainer Leslie Young reported that the horse was OK. But also after the race, Kiplin Hall's veteran timber star Renegade River, trained by Willie Dowling and ridden by Graham Watters, suffered a fatal medical event. The 10-year-old son of Bellamy Road also had made 38 career starts and was a two-time winner of the Willowdale Steeplechase stakes.
You can view photos of the Hunt Cup Races at www.todmarks.photoshelter.com
Overnights for Steeplechase of Charleston
Two Titles Still Up for Grabs!
By USASteeplechase
With only two race meets left in the season, most of the titles have already been decided. However, there are two intriguing races still to be determined.
Can Jack Fisher break the Million Dollar Purse mark? Jack is currently standing at $992,710, and he has an excellent shot at breaking the million-dollar mark. Interestingly, Jack doesn't have any runners this weekend, so all eyes will be on him next Saturday at Aiken.
The other race that is still undecided is the Jockey Title. Graham Waters currently leads Harrison Beswick by 2 wins. Both jockeys will be giving it their all on Saturday at Charleston. Harrison has 4 mounts while Graham has 3, which adds an extra layer of intensity.
This one looks to be going down to the wire!
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Check back on Tuesday for more USA Steeplechase news and insights!
Steve
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