BOOTHILL TAKES HURST PARK HANDICAP CHASE AT ASCOT

Boothill was the star of the show at Ascot on Saturday 25 November as he won the £65,000 Class 2 Hurst Park Handicap Chase for the second year running.

It was a splendid victory under top weight though the result was in the balance until Saint Segal fell heavily when fractionally ahead at the final fence.

Things were tight between them at the time but jumping is the name of the game and Boothill was left clear before keeping on well to beat Frere D’Armes by half a length.

Johnny Burke reported that the race didn’t go quite as we hoped in the early stages with the pace too steady for Boothill’s liking. He is best suited by a strong pace from the start and his jumping was not as fluent as usual. But he continues to progress and was staying on stoutly when Saint Segal departed.
Having excelled by winning back to back big races at Ascot three weeks apart Boothill deserves a step up in grade.

The Tingle Creek at Sandown in a fortnight probably comes a bit too soon so Plan A is to keep him for the Grade 1 Clarence House at Ascot in January.

Having enjoyed two winners at the course on Friday we came tantalisingly close to another double on Saturday with Whitehotchillifili denied by whisker under top weight in a mares’ handicap hurdle.
She looked like winning all the way up the finishing straight until caught in the final stride by Midnight Reflection.

Our record at Ascot this season is four winners and two close seconds from six runners.