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| La Landiere |
La Landiere lets
rip
By Eddie Fremantle
Courtesy of The Observer
La Landiere gave Richard Phillips his biggest winner as a trainer
with a game three-length win in the Racing Post Chase under Warren
Marston, who came in for the ride when Richard Johnson chose to
ride runner-up Gunther McBride instead in the valuable three-mile
handicap.
Phillips clearly adores his mare with a passion, saying: 'She has
such a wonderful temperament that if she were a woman I would marry
her.' He also seemed keen to show affection to La Landiere's owner,
Carol Skan, quipping: 'I've yet to kiss Mrs Skan and I might even
kiss Warren Marston.'
Remarking on Johnson's decision to ride Gunther McBride, last year's
winner, the trainer joked: 'That increased my confidence. He's a
worse judge than Judge Pickles.'
For Phillips, it was another step on the road to proving that he
is a serious trainer after retiring from his other career as an
after dinner speaker specialising in impersonations. He does a mean
Henry Cecil but there was no mimicry on offer.
'We are trying to put Adlestrop on the map,' he said, referring
to the Gloucestershire village to which he moved his training operation
last summer. He now has just under 50 horses in his care and La
Landiere's sixth successive win shows what he can do with the right
ammunition.
If it was a frustrating race for Johnson, he took it in good part,
instructing Marston early in the home straight: 'Kick on, I'm beat.'
The mare responded to provide a deserved big-race win for her hardworking
jockey, who was not feeling too guilty about coming in for the ride.
Marston said: 'Richard jocks me off plenty, so don't worry about
that.'
The official chase handicapper, Phil Smith, was left wondering what
he can do to stop La Landiere. 'I have put her up 25lb for her last
two wins, 13lb and then 12lb, but that did not stop her,' he said,
before intimating that she would probably go up around 8lb for this
win, leaving her only just over a stone behind Best Mate, on 155
to his 170. But Phillips will not have to run La Landiere in a handicap
next time as she is in the Cathcart Chase at Cheltenham where she
will have the 5lb mares' allowance in her favour.
Martin Pipe strengthened his hand for the JCB Triumph Hurdle when
Well Chief took the Singapore Airlines Juvenile Hurdle under a canny
ride from Tony McCoy. Realising the right place to be in a slowly-run
race was near the front, McCoy took Well Chief into the lead at
halfway while his rivals were dithering.
Jumping with alacrity, Well Chief ran on strongly in the straight
to beat Mughas six lengths with Duke Of Earl keeping on for third,
a neck behind.
The 10-11 favourite, Saintsaire, suffered an interrupted passage
but found little when let down, while the well-fancied East Tycoon
appeared ill-at-ease on the fast going. Saintsaire ran moderately
at Cheltenham last time and the form of his win before that at Newbury
has not worked out. It would appear that those who made him ante-post
market leader for Cheltenham have lost their money.
Pipe claimed he was not ready for Well Chief's recent Taunton success,
saying: 'We had him gelded soon after we got him and he had a rough
time of it. He had not done an awful of schooling over hurdles before
he ran at Taunton and he surprised us there. He surprised us again
today.'
As usual, Pipe is playing his cards close to his chest as Well Chief
is in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle as well as the Triumph, for which
he is a best-priced 12-1 with Ladbrokes. His stablemate Don Fernando
is favourite in most lists.
This was McCoy's fourth winner since a crunching fall in the opening
race on Friday and he finally succumbed to his painful shoulder,
giving up his last ride of the day.
Hand Inn Hand, who won the Pendil Novices' Chase in fine style from
Druid's Glen, will have his work cut out if he has to tackle La
Landiere in the Cathcart, one of his Cheltenham entries.
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