Big win for two big horses in Graduation Chase
Hey Big Spender and Big Fella Thanks were the first two across the line on Monday’s Class 2 Weatherbys Bank Graduation Chase at Carlisle. The one-two earned them each a cut from 20-1 to 14-1 for the Hennessy
Gold Cup, by Stan James’ calculation.
“It is a brilliant start to the season for him,” said Hey Big Spender’s trainer Colin Tizzard. “We will now look to win a big handicap with him and we will have to seriously consider the Hennessy. He proved
today he stays, he's bred to stay and we always thought he would stay.”
Paddy Brennan set the day’s pace with his mount Hunters Ploy and the eventual winner, ridden by Joe Tizzard, sat comfortably in second place for the first part of the five-horse race. Graham Lee rode Big
Fella Thanks last from the beginning, until Hunters Ploy started to tire out and the other two horses, Massasoit and Prince De Beauchene, made it clear they weren’t in the running for the win.
Lee and Big Fella Thanks managed to make the impressive jump from the end to the front of the line. Hey Big Spender was nearly dropped three lengths from the finish but managed a last minute jump ahead
of the Ferdy Murphy-trained Big Fella Thanks to take the £25,000 win by a length. Massasoit finished seven lengths behind while the other two horses fell way back.
The runner-up’s performance was strong enough to earn Big Fella Thanks the same boost in odds for the Hennessy Gold Cup as the winner. The leading pair will face off against 5-1 favourite Denman at the
Gold Cup at Newbury on November 27. Sam Thomas will jockey the favourite, replacing Ruby Walsh who is off for 12 weeks after surgery on a broken leg. But both Hey Big Spender and Big Fella Thanks went a long way towards making themselves viable contenders
with their one-two.
"Anyone told they were riding Denman would be over the moon and I certainly am,” said Thomas. “It is terrific news from Mr Barber and it will be great to renew the partnership."
Thomas and Denman won the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2007 and have won three other races in a total of six rides together, plus one second-place finish in the Gold Cup behind Kauto Star. Denman’s stablemate
and fellow Paul Nicholls-trained horse Kauto Star is also a potential starter for this year’s Gold Cup, fresh from a victory at Down Royal.
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