North West Masters

Kauto Star at Haydock yesterday, Nicholls said: “That’s racing, we’re looking forward to next weekend now.

“You’ve got to keep the whole team looking forward.

“He (Kauto Star) is 100% sound today and he ate up.

“We’ll try and get him back to his very best for Boxing Day for the Stan James King George VI Chase.”

2.50pm TOTESPORT.COM BECHER HANDICAP CHASE (LISTED RACE)
Class 1, Listed Race, 120,000 guaranteed, 3m 2f Grand National. For 5yo+. Minimum weight 10st. Penalties: after November 15, a winner of a chase 3lb (no penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 12lb). Penalty values 67,596, 25,464, 12,744, 6,372, 3,192, 1,596

1. BLACK APALACHI (IRE) (Gerard Burke) Dessie Hughes IRE 9-10-05 Denis O’Regan 15/2
2. MR POINTMENT (IRE) (Stockton Heath Racing) Paul Nicholls 9-11-06 Sam Thomas 13/2
3. OULART (G T Pierse) Dessie Hughes IRE 9-10-00 Robert Colgan (3) 20/1
4. IDLE TALK (IRE) (Trevor Hemmings) Donald McCain Jnr 9-10-07 Brian Harding 13/2
5. HIMALAYAN TRAIL (Mark Gittins) Jimmy Mangan IRE 9-10-08 Barry Geraghty 12/1
6. IRISH RAPTOR (IRE) (Caroline Beresford-Wylie) Nigel Twiston-Davies 9-10-05 Paddy Brennan 9/2 Fav
7. PHILSON RUN (IRE) (Christian Leech) Sophie Leech 12-09-11 Johnny Farrelly (3) 16/1
8. ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) (Andrea & Graham Wylie) Howard Johnson 8-10-00 Paddy Aspell 20/1
UR 8th IVOIRE DE BEAULIEU (FR) (I Todd, F Murphy, C Leigh, S Holman) Ferdy Murphy 12-10-00 Keith Mercer 50/1
F 11th A NEW STORY (IRE) (Storeys Over Syndicate) Michael Hourigan IRE 10-10-00 Jack Doyle (3) 5/1
UR 15th SOUTHERN VIC (IRE) (Brenda Graham) Ted Walsh IRE 9-10-10 Richard McGrath 12/1
pulled up 16th FINZI (IRE) (Eddie Moss) Michael Scudamore 10-09-09 John Kington (5) 40/1
pulled up 17th GUNGADU (Maggie Findlay & Paul Barber) Paul Nicholls 8-11-12 Christian Williams 9/1
NON-RUNNERS
ALWAYS WAINING (Mr & Mrs Peter James Douglas) Peter Bowen 7-11-00 NON-RUNNER
NOIR ET VERT (FR) (Plantation Stud) Ferdy Murphy 7-10-00 NON-RUNNER
OUT THE BLACK (IRE) (James Drummond) Philip Hobbs 10-10-00 NON-RUNNER
13 ran time 7m 27.7s
Distances: dist, 0.5, 11, 12, 12, 25, dist
Breeder: Thomas Hatton
Breeding: b g Old Vic - Hattons Dream (IRE)
Tote: Win: 8.60 Pl: 2.70, 3, 7 Exacta: 66

Winning Trainer DESSIE HUGHES Born: October 10, 1943 Based: Osborne Lodge, Kildare, Co Kildare, Ireland Background: A highly successful jockey, Dessie Hughes partnered Davy Lad to win the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup and returned to Prestbury Park three years later to ride the diminutive Monksfield to victory in the Champion Hurdle. Having always had one eye on the future, Dessie prepared his yard for three years before finally taking out a training licence in 1980 and the winners soon started flowing, including a first Cheltenham Festival victory as a trainer when Miller Hall took the 1982 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. His yard was struck down by a persistent fungal problem in the late 1980s which resulted in Dessie enduring several years of poor form, but the yard began churning out the winners again in the late 1990's, with horses such as Guest Performance, Rathbawn Prince and Grade One winner Colonel Braxton being standard bearers. But it was Hardy Eustace who provided Hughes with some of his finest hours as a trainer. Owned by long standing patron Lar Byrne, the Archway gelding won the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at the 2003 Cheltenham Festival before returning a year later to win the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle under a superbly judged ride from Conor O’Dwyer. Hardy Eustace went on to victory at the Punchestown Festival and returned to Prestbury Park the following year for another win in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, becoming the first horse since Istabraq to successfully defend his crown. Central House became another outstanding performer for Dessie, winning five Grade Two contests as well as a Grade One Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown. More recently, Schindlers Hunt has emerged as another superstar, winning two Grade One events as a novice chaser. Dessie also holds the notable feat of saddling a winner on nine consecutive racing days over the 2006 Christmas period. Cheltenham Festival Wins (5): Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1982 Miller Hill), Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle (2003 Hardy Eustace), Smurfit Champion Hurdle (2004 & 2005 Hardy Eustace), Pertemps Final (2005 Oulart) Aintree Festival Wins include: Citroen C4 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (2003 Leinster) Other Big Race Wins: totesport.com Becher Chase (2008 Black Apalachi), Coral Ascot Hurdle (2006 & 2007 Hardy Eustace), Durkan New Homes Novice Chase (2006 Schindlers Hunt), Isuzu Chase (2000 Rathbawn Prince), Fortria Chase (2005 Central House), Hilly Way Chase (2005 Central House), Tied Cottage Chase (2006 Central House) Irish Champion Hurdle (2007 Hardy Eustace) Baileys Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup (2007 Schindlers Hunt), Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2002 Hardy Eustace), Punchestown Champion Hurdle (2004 Hardy Eustace), Irish Champion Hurdle (2007 Hardy Eustace), Maplewood Developments Hurdle (2008 Hardy Eustace) Number of Winners in Britain (2002/03-2007/08): 2; 2; 2; 0; 1; 2; Wins this Season (in Britain):1

Winning Jockey: Denis O’ Regan Based: Rode out at yard ran by cousin John Crowley, before spending a summer with Francis Flood when sixteen, returning to the yard after finishing his education. Rode first winner for Flood aboard All Honey on April 20, 2001. O’Regan rode 13 winners as an amateur before turning professional at Downpatrick in September, 2003. Born in Youghal, Co Cork, on March 24, 1982, to Denis and Derleine O’Regan, the jockey has no family involvement in racing – his father runs Lombards Pub in Youghal. O’Regan is good friends with Niall Madden - who rode Numbersixvalverde to victory in the 2006 John Smith’s Grand National. He ed the powerful Co Durham stable of Howard Johnson in the summer of 2007 but prior to that his biggest victory came on Ansar in the 2005 Galway Plate for trainer Dermot Weld and a few months later he rode his first Cheltenham winner when the Michael Hourigan-trained Church Island won a novices’ chase at The Open meeting held in November. In October, 2006, at Wexford, he rode his first treble on Hard Scuffle and Irish National for boss Noel Meade, and Mission Impossible for Philip Rothwell. He enjoyed a fantastic start to his association with Johnson and owners Andrea & Graham Wylie in the 2007/08 season. O’Regan partnered two winners for the connections at the Cheltenham Festival in March, guiding Tidal Bay to success in The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy and sealing an historic win aboard Inglis Drever in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, a third triumph in the race for the great horse.Aintree Festival Wins: John Smith’s Maghull Novices’ Chase (2008 Tidal Bay) Cheltenham Festival Wins (2): Ladbrokes World Hurdle (2008 Inglis Drever), Irish Independent Arkle Trophy (2008 Tidal Bay) First Cheltenham Festival Win: Tidal Bay, Irish Independent Arkle Trophy, March 11, 2008 First winner at Cheltenham: Church Island (Steel Plate and Sections Novices’ Chase, November 11, 2005) Big Race Wins: totesport.com Becher Chase (2008 Black Apalachi), Galway Plate (2005 Ansar), Champion Novice Chase (2007 Offshore ), Boylesports.com Gold Cup (2007 Tamarinbleu) Wins in Britain 2003/04-2007/08): 0; 0; 1; 1; 57; Wins This Season: 31