Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Splash Of Ginge heads back to Cheltenham with Grand National glory next year the target
Splash Of Ginge heads back to Cheltenham today but his long term aim is for Aintree glory next year
OWNER John Neild has a million and one reasons to dream of Grand National glory.
The million is the amount he’ll pick up after betting £1,000 on his Splash Of Ginge at 1,000-1 before he had even set hoof on a racecourse.
The one is a life-long ambition to win the world’s greatest race after becoming mesmerised by the horses charging past the scouser’s childhood home at the back of the track.
Neild said: “It’s the stuff of dreams. When we struck the bet it was a bit of a joke – it’s not a joke any more.
“It’s the biggest race in the world. You can have your Derby, Kentucky Derby, Melbourne Cup – there’s only one race that’s known the world over and that’s the Grand National.
“We’re going to go there – half a mile from where I was born – and we’re going to give it our best shot.”
Today Splash Of Ginge will attempt to become only the fourth horse to win both of Cheltenham’s big pre-Christmas handicap chases in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.
Tom Bellamy – on board when he won last month’s BetVictor Gold Cup – will again pull on Neild’s blue and orange colours.
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is hoping the ground is testing at Cheltenham today after watching Splash Of Ginge slog through the mud for a 25-1 success four weeks ago.
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He said: “I couldn’t believe it when there he was cantering at the bottom of the hill.
“He’s always had a lot of ability he just lost his way over fences. A spell over hurdles got his confidence back and he was away.
“The Grand National is the plan, very much so. I think he’ll stay – I don’t see why not. The reason he wins these heavy-ground races is down to his stamina.”
He’ll certainly need that if he is to hit the Aintree jackpot for enthusiastic Neild.
But Splash Of Ginge has already triumphed at the course Neild used to play football on as a child growing up at Sparrow Hall just a gentle trot from Becher’s Brook having notched up his first win over hurdles at the track four years ago.
Neild – a Liverpool supporter – was seen charging around the Cheltenham winners’ enclosure last month cheered on by his pals in the ‘Ginge Army’ supporters club.
It’s not hard to imagine Aintree’s sumptuous grandstand might be in danger if Splash Of Ginge – partly named after his dad - were to win the National.
Neild laughed: “The horse is doing better than the football team, thank god.
“My old man’s nickname was Ginge and I had a dream when I was a kid that I owned a horse called Splasher that won the National so I put the two together.
“I grew up at the back of the course. We used to play football on there in the summer using Becher’s Brook as a goal. We’d hide in the spruce and mess around - we’d get chased off the course by the fence builders.”
Chasing Neild out of the winners’ enclosure won’t be as easy if he were to claim glory in the world’s greatest race.
That’s where Twiston-Davies has been most Saturdays this season. A string of big-race victories has thrust him up to third in the trainers’ table and there’s a chance he could pass the £1million mark for the season.
Not only has he got Splash Of Ginge and course winner Foxtail Hill – eighth behind his stablemate last month – going for gold but yard favourite The New One is hoping to break records in the Unibet International Hurdle.
He’s going for his fourth win in the race that used to be called the Bula Hurdle. If he completes the quartet his total earnings will push past £1million.
He gave My Tent Or Yours 8lbs and a beating 12 months ago when Richard Johnson stood in for injured Sam Twiston-Davies.
But this time Sam will be back on board, having been passed fit to ride his “dream horse” at the 11th hour yesterday following a spell on the sidelines with a broken elbow.
Sam recognises how important The New One has been for the stable.
He said: “Every yard needs horses like him. He started when our Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander left and he comes back year after year after year.
“The pleasure he’s brought to the place is incredible - he puts a smile on everyone’s face.
“It would be some story to win a fourth one and he loves that ‘new’ track.”
The Champion Hurdle – run on Cheltenham’s sharper ‘old’ track – has proved elusive.
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He was fifth in the Festival’s big ‘un last season having finished fourth and fifth in previous years.
But it was his third-place in 2014 that was the one that got away.
The New One was badly hampered when Our Conor fell in front of him down the back straight and he did well to charge home behind Jezki and My Tent Or Yours with Hurricane Fly back in fourth.
Victory would have seen his trainer join the exclusive group to have won the Grand National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.
He remembered: “It was absolutely gutting. He didn’t win it, so he didn’t win it – but I can’t believe he wouldn’t have done without that mishap half way round.
“I think he’s as good as ever – he’s proved that this season. He was only beaten six lengths in the Greatwood last time giving an awful lot of weight away.
“He’s only nine but it seems like he’s been there for ever – season in, season out. He’s been so successful and genuine – let’s hope he can carry on.
“We’ll stay around two miles for the moment. It’s looking a very strong Champion Hurdle so I would have thought he’ll go for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. That’s the plan at the moment but we’ll see how he gets on at the weekend.”
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It was The New One’s victory in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las in October that started Twiston-Davies’ astonishing Saturday success story.
A Cheltenham treble followed the next weekend and Bristol De Mai, Splash Of Ginge and Blaklion have added further big pots to the Twiston-Davies haul.
Bristol De Mai’s wins in the Charlie Hall Chase and Betfair Chase have made him a real King George contender.
If he were to triumph at Kempton on Boxing Day he would be gunning for the Jockey Club’s £1million Triple Crown bonus in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Twiston-Davies said: “We’re absolutely blinkered on the bonus – it’s a very exciting idea.
“He won a good race on the bridle at Haydock and it didn’t seem to take anything out of him. He’s in the form of his life.”
The same could easily be said of his trainer.