The talent-spotting of ex-US racer Tap Night has paid off handsomely for trainer Lucinda Russell and another fascinating recruit from across the Atlantic is about to join her Scottish stable.
Jane Buchanan, sister of stable jockey Peter, is credited with finding Tap Night and the woman who operates as a racing manager and bloodstock agent in the States has now snapped up Pulpitarian who will go into training in the coming weeks.
Arguably, the five-year-old son of Pulpit has better form than Tap Night boasted before he was shipped over.
Another winner: Pulpitarian joins Tap Night (pictured) Payoff: Lucinda RussellHis 13 runs have yielded three wins and five places with winning of over $100,000 when trained by Graham Motion and then Donnie Van Hemel.
He was even pitched into the Arlington Turf Classic when he finished fifth to Willcox Inn, who went on to lock horns against the mighty Wise Dan in Keeneland’ s Turf Mile Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
Pulpitarian will now swap the likes of Monmouth Park, Parx and Pimlico for Ayr and Perth, although it is likely he’ll start on the Flat before going over hurdles.
Meanwhile, Tap Night, who has won six races over jumps and been bought by leading owner JP McManus, has both novice chase and handicap options at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
These are exciting times for Cotswold jumps trainer David Bridgwater. The Giant Bolster has next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup on his agenda and JP McManus has just joined the roster of stable owners with this week’s purchase of Racing Plus Chase and Grand National hope Wyck Hill.But McManus is not the only new owner on the list of Bridgwater patrons.He has just taken delivery of Oscar Close, winner of a chase last year who races in the colours of Wales and Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.Not that he will get much soccer chat from the chirpy Bridgwater.‘I once went to watch Wolves with (club legend) Steve Bull. All I knew was they were playing in orange,’ he told The Captain.Emerging trainer Jamie Snowden is well on the way to matching last season’s tally of 19 winners and has been rewarded by being sent his first horse by Henry Ponsonby’s well-known Shefford Bloodstock.
Snowden will prepare Dancing Royal, who struggled with his health when with Philip Hobbs.
Snowden, a former assistant to both Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson, was successful in the Ponsonby colours as an amateur rider, notably winning the Barclays Bank Amateur Riders handicap Hurdle on Bonchester Bridge at Sandown in March 2008.
The late jockey Campbell Gillies would have been very proud of dramatic recovery performed by young amateur Hamish McNeill, who then went on to ride his first ever winner on See You There at Alnick point-to-point last Sunday.That pride would have been swelled by the fact Hamish is Campbell’s cousin.McNeill, like Campbell, is based with Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell as he attempts to start his riding career.Campbell tragically lost his life in an accident while on holiday last summer.Cheltenham Festival tributes next months are planned for the rising star of the jump jockey weighing room, who enjoyed his first Festival winner at last year’s meeting on Brindisi Breeze in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.More... Dodging Bullets can be the dark horse at Cheltenham next month, says Nicholls Derby-winning Dwyer sees hearing delayed after police request
