I break betting odds news as it happens, so you’re never left behind when the market moves or a top offer lands.
Derham targets Aintree Grade 1 with progressive Kluv De Reve after Kempton Success
Speaking with OLBG brand ambassador Ella McNeill, OLBG-sponsored National Hunt trainer Harry Derham discusses weekend success, upcoming runners and Cheltenham entries.
- Progressive novice hurdler Klub De Reve will bypass the Cheltenham Festival and instead be aimed at a Grade 1 contest at Aintree, following an impressive victory in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton.
- One Horse Town remains on course for the Triumph Hurdle after finishing second in the Adonis; juvenile’s hurdle earnings now exceed £100,000 this season, with Punchestown next after Cheltenham.
- Jasmine Bliss set for Cheltenham in April in a Listed Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase after a career-best run in the Pendil.
- Jackie Hobbs expected to line up in the Mares’ Chase at the Festival, with Derham confident she’s improving at the right time.
- Strong handicap team assembling for Cheltenham, including Teddy Blue (The Plate), Dargiannini (Coral Cup), Escapeandevade (Grand Annual) and Brentford Hope (County Hurdle).
Q: Klub De Reve, was obviously fantastic, but how was the weekend as a whole?
HD: Very satisfying, because it is dangerous going into a weekend with expectation rather than hope. Obviously, we had three pretty legitimate chances in Grade Twos, which, for me at this stage, is massive. The first two ran really, really well. I was absolutely delighted with the pair of them. I thought Jasmine Bliss ran a career best. I thought One Horse Town ran well on a track that does not massively play to his strengths. He was always going to be vulnerable to that mare, given she was not beaten that far at Cheltenham last time and we were giving her plenty of weight. So I thought he ran with good credit.
Klub was just like his work. The last three weeks had been really pleasing and he just progressed but when you are stepping up in grade, you never quite know. The race worked out beautifully; they went a good gallop, and he jumped great. I was very pleased with how he performed from the last hurdle home.
He put a couple of lengths between himself and the horses that were not stopping. I thought it was a really eye-catching performance.
I was speaking to the owners today. We are going to scratch him from the Supreme and we are going to go for the Grade One over two miles at Aintree.
Q: How exciting. I was just thinking, obviously, he enjoys it, does he enjoy the flat nature of Kempton? Or do you think that is just a coincidence?
HD: It might well be a coincidence. Obviously, he got beaten at Exeter and that is a stiff track. He has shown pace. I did not think he had in his last two races, to be honest.
Q: Especially now he has been able to settle down a bit and not race so freely?
HD: Yes, big time. That was a really good performance on Saturday. We have six weeks this Friday until Aintree, and we think that is the right thing to do by him. So that is what we are going to do.
Q: That is so exciting, a Grade One at Aintree. He would not be a big price for that either?
HD: I don’t think he would be a back number by any means. He is a Grade Two winner now. We are looking at him thinking he is a very legitimate runner in that race. Where we finish, who knows, but I think he will be well worth his place in the line up in a Grade One. He is an exciting horse and it is so satisfying when you get one that is progressing like he is. He has run to a nice level of form all season and he just kept getting better. That is very satisfying.
Q: Especially when the Dovecote has been the plan for such a long time as well?
HD: Yes, it was cool because, as you know, with horses, plans do not normally come off. But he has done great, so hopefully he can keep progressing. Whatever happens, he is a Grade Two winner over hurdles now. This season has been an enormous success for him. I think chasing is going to bring out a bit more in him as well.
Q: Let us just touch on the other two. As you say, Jasmine Bliss has probably run a career best there. What do you do with her now?
HD: Our thinking currently is there is a Listed mares novice handicap chase at Cheltenham in April. She has had two quick runs and she is very genuine. We are thinking the right thing to do is not give her a break, but just let her freshen up a little bit. We are going to aim her at that chase at Cheltenham in April. She is a black type winner now and she has placed in a Grade Two. I thought she ran a superb race and I was incredibly proud of the effort she put in. We will freshen her up and then go to Cheltenham in April. There are a couple of options at Punchestown as well, but we are going to try to get her in really good shape for Cheltenham.
Q: One Horse Town as well. He is so consistent and always runs his race. Cheltenham is still the plan?
HD: Very much so. The significant thing for him on Saturday, which I am particularly proud of, is that he got his hurdle season earnings over one hundred thousand pounds. For a horse of his stability, that is something I am really proud of. He is just eight hundred and eighty-seven pounds over, which is amazing. He has done well to do that. He will now run in the Triumph, then we will freshen him up and go to Punchestown after that.
Q: I noticed he got a little bit hot and sweaty. Is that just him beforehand?
HD: Yes, that is just him. That is the man he is.
Q: Let us just touch on Cheltenham quickly, you’ve got quite a few in the handicaps?
HD: Teddy Blue is in the Plate. I suspect he will run this weekend and then we will see. He would be one of the less likely runners at this stage. I would think Dargiannini will run in the Coral Cup. He is not getting any younger, but he is a classy horse. We have kept him fresh because that is when he goes best. Is he a winner of a Coral Cup? Probably not, but he is a lively outsider.
Escapeandevade is similar in the Grand Annual. He would run if he gets in. Tough, hardy, is a genuine horse who keeps going up in the weights. You are better off running in a one hundred and fifty thousand pound chase than a twenty thousand pound chase because you are probably just as likely to win either. He is not a good thing in an ordinary handicap anymore. He is a good, tough horse and some of those older horses can run well in a Grand Annual if they get on the front end and jump and gallop. He will run if he gets in. We will know more when the weights come out.
Brentford Hope is in the County. He runs on Saturday. If he runs well and comes out of it fine, I would probably back him up. He is not getting any younger and he has been amazing for his owners. If they can all go and have a brilliant day at the Festival, that would be great. He always runs well around Cheltenham.
Q: And one we did not touch on last time was Jackie Hobbs?
HD: The plan is for her to run in the Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle. When she won at Warwick, the discussion was whether to go to Doncaster this Saturday for the Listed mares novice hurdle or to go to Cheltenham. Her owners wanted to go to Cheltenham, which I completely understand. Generally a one hundred and forty rated mare wins this race and she has a stone to find on ratings. But she is a legitimate runner in the race and I think she is progressing at the moment. She looks particularly well and she is just coming to herself nicely. I am not saying she is going to go and beat Bambino Fever, because I do not think she is, but I could see her running a massive race and finishing fourth or fifth.
Q: She is still pretty unexposed, is she not? I don’t think we have seen the best of her yet.
HD: I hope she is still improving. She will need to keep improving, but at this stage of her life, that is not impossible. We will get her in really good shape. I have learned a lot about her recently and I think I am getting more out of her now as a result. We will go there and give it a good go.
Q: Finally, we are nearly just two weeks away from the Supreme now. Is Mossy Fen Road, all good and progressing nicely?
HD: Currently everything is fine with Mossy. He is all good. We have one more gallop to get through tomorrow and then he will do very little. He is fit. I wanted him and Jackie Hobbs and the others to have three runs so they were well conditioned and hard fit. He will do his final gallop tomorrow and then just canter all the way into Cheltenham. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes well.
