Ben Clarke is backing Ooh Betty to be up to the task when she flies the flag for his Dorset team in a possible clash with Irish raider Kargese at Ascot on Saturday.
Having garnered plenty of experience since starting out for Clarke as a four-year-old, she has now won five of her 17 career starts under rules and after rising through the ranks is deemed ready for a shot at Grade Two glory in the BetMGM Mares’ Hurdle.
She ended last season by giving Jeremy Scott’s Cheltenham Festival scorer Golden Ace a run for her money over two and a half miles and the Ooh Betty team elected to drop back to the minimum distance this term, a decision that has so far reaped two victories from three starts.
The seven-year-old’s taking victory at Kempton over the Christmas period confirmed Clarke had a new leading light among his ranks and that not only was she primed for a step-up in grade, but also ready to take over the mantle of stable star from popular stayer The Galloping Bear.
Star Horse
“Every stable needs that bit of a star and for us she is definitely that,” said Clarke
“She has won two £20,000 handicaps already this season and has progressed nearly 40lb since her opening mark – and it’s just confidence with her.
“The better the ground, the better she is and she is a proper two-miler, we’ve campaigned her deliberately like that this season.
“She is so talented and if you look at the Grade Two at Newbury and the Cheltenham race behind Golden Ace, they were both over two and a half miles.
“She gave Golden Ace a race down to two out and even between two out and the last, and then she just conked out. She just doesn’t really see out two and a half, which is why I haven’t put her in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham – there’s just no point.”
After galloping on well from the front, the Ooh Betty camp have now made the call to forego a trip north of the border for more handicap action, instead pitching their in-form performer into deep waters while conditions appear favourable at Ascot.
Kargese
And while Clarke is well aware the might of Closutton could be in opposition, with Willie Mullins’ dual Grade One scorer and Triumph Hurdle runner-up Kargese slated to make the trip to Berkshire for her seasonal reappearance, he is confident his rapidly-improving charge can hold her own.
Clarke added: “I’m sure Kargese is up to it, but if you are ever going to topple a Grade One-winning Willie Mullins horse, it might just be one stepping out of her juvenile year into open company.
“It will probably work out Kargese will have a couple of little penalties and this will be her first race against open mares – it is different to racing against juveniles and it will be a different kettle of fish.
“I’m sure Willie has kept her back, as a four-year-old rising five, after Christmas deliberately, they have done that before and those horses tend to do better in the New Year onwards.
“But we will look after ourselves and if Kargese wasn’t there, we would fancy our chances – we think we might be the best of those this side of the Irish Sea.”
He went on: “I do still think there is room in her mark. It was either go to the Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh in early February and use her mark, or run in this. Because this might cut up and there is good prize-money – with a very dry forecast, I think Ascot will suit her really well.
“She’s a cracking mare and for a small stable like ours, to go to a race like this at Ascot with a chance, we’re very grateful we have her.”
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