Speaking exclusively to his yard sponsor
OLBG, National Hunt Trainer Harry Derham reveals the upcoming targets and plans for some of his team over the next month. Brentford HopeQ: Let’s kick off with Brentford Hope: International with Constitution Hill, Lossiemouth entered, but nice prize money up for grabs? HD: “He ran below his best at Windsor but just took a blow. “He actually ran well for a long way, and took a blow. “We are under no illusions about Saturday, but, five entries and Charlie and I were driving to Warwick and I was like, ‘I’m gonna put him in’, because, as you rightly say, there’s a lot of money all the way down. “So, he’s not going to pay for a month’s training fees at home on Saturday, but he might at Cheltenham. “If Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill run we are very aware we have no chance of beating them, but, he’s there to run and give his owners a great day out.” Il Va De Soi Q: Il Va De Soi runs at Sandown, he ran well at Cheltenham not so long ago and I think he’s on a career high mark now of 112, does it look like a nice chance for him? HD: “I wanted to run him at Christmas time but couldn’t for well-documented reasons, but the rain coming will suit him. “I think a stamina test over two and a half is very suitable for him. “He ran as you rightly say, very well at Cheltenham. “Two slow jumps at the last two, in particular, the second last stopped him from being in the four, but slower ground is a big positive. “That race has worked out well, there were a couple of progressive, well-treated horses in front of him and he’s a nice horse. “I still think he’s on an upward curve. “Slow ground round Sandown should see him in a good light”. Klub De ReveQ: Klub De Reve is making his debut for you under rules. He’s entered in a couple of bumpers, where do you plan to run him? HD: “I plan on going to Doncaster as long as we don’t get balloted out. “He’s a nice horse. “His big target this season is the Goffs sales bumper at Newbury in March. “He’s ready to start, if he wins, he’s very nice because he’s not fully wound up, he’ll go there and try his best, but, if he runs a nice race and we can build on that into March then I’ll be delighted”. Sonification Q: Sonification making his handicap debut, tell us about that? HD: “He’s taken some time and his owners have been very patient. “Nice run at Leicester last time out in a novice. “Again, I think two and a half round Sandown on slow ground will suit well, I think he stays nicely, “Just a few of mine in handicaps recently have been a bit short of experience. “Ran very well. The Blueberry One, Norn Iron, Casual Observer, have sort of run well to a point without winning, he might be one of those, but he’s a horse worth following”. MatwanaQ: Matwana is entered up at Doncaster in a Listed race on Saturday, she won there last month, are you planning to run her there? HD: “She jumped very well this morning. “Very much planning to run. “She has a very good pedigree, so the first thing to do was try and win with her, which we’ve done, albeit a bit, fortuitously at the last with Belfrina falling, but, take a bit of luck, and now the big objective is to try and get black type but I think Belfrina is probably still the one to beat in that race. “Our form ties in well, with her, any rain would probably be a negative for her over the weekend, but she’s in good shape. “She’s a very, very honest, likable filly. “She’s not over big, but she’s very tough. “If we could get black type for her owner breeders then that would be amazing”. Queens GambleQ: Lets talk about the DFR (Dublin Racing Festival): That’s always been your long term target for Queens Gamble. She ran an absolute stormer in the Gerry Fielden how has she been since then? HD: “Yeah, very good. Obviously as you say since Newbury that’s been the plan. “She’s trained extremely well. “I’m a little bit at the stage now where I want it to be tomorrow. “She’s in really good shape and looks terrific. “As you rightly say, her run was superb at Newbury. “I think the experience of having a really tough race like that will have improved her because in novice hurdles, she never really raced. “Two and a quarter miles I think is a positive. “I’m hoping the Dublin forecast is nice and dry, so she gets some decent ground to run on. “I’d hate to see her have to run on really deep ground which you can get in Ireland, but I’m told Leopardstown can be drier than most places, so that gives me cause for optimism, but she’s in great nick. “She’ll travel the Friday before. I’m very happy with her. I’m actually quite excited about running her, she’s a really good mare and I think her best days are in front of her”. Musselburgh plans (1st February)Q: Musselburgh next weekend: You’ve got a couple of entries up there at the moment in the Scottish Champion Chase, Fidellio Vallis, Kansas City Star and Sir Psycho. Who will run there and what’s the plan? HD: “Well, Kansas had a big grump at Ascot on Saturday. Didn’t want to go so I don’t suspect he’ll go. “We’ll probably go back into calmer waters with him. “He seems to be very good when he has top weight in a lower grade race, so we’ll probably do that with him. “Sir Psycho and Fidelio Vallis, are both very much planning to run. “This has been the target with Fidel all season. “He seems in good shape and not getting any younger. We’re thinking about trying him in a pair of cheek pieces. “He’s a very honest horse, but when you get to his age you’re trying to get a few more per cent. “He loves Musselburgh. He’s been second twice and had a lovely win there. So he’s going. “Sir Psycho ran really well at Ffos Las the other day over an inadequate trip. “He’s a dead consistent horse in the grip of the handicapper, but you know, it’s worth an awful lot of money. “He’s a very odd horse, but he’s come out of Ffos Las in terrific form – he’s bucking and kicking, so while he’s in form like that, we’re going to run”. Willam Hill Hurdle PlansQ: Let’s discuss the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury, your local track. You’ve got plenty of entries in that. What are you planning on targeting in it? HD: “First choice at the moment and team captain is Washington. “He was obviously very good at Fairyhouse, and at the time, I wasn’t sure how strong a race that was, but Enniskerry came out and won at Christmas at Leopardstown, which I think sort of made the form quite solid. “He’s gone up 10 pounds, which will make life tougher and I’m just hoping it doesn’t get too wet for him. “I think at Fairyhouse the ground was good to soft, beautiful ground. “I would be disappointed if the ground was deep. “Brentford hope won’t go. There are a few of them that will come out of the race, at the next stage. Just Ennemi is a “maybe”, he’s a smart horse. It might be quite a big ask from him first time out, we might wait. “Washington is the main target at this stage”. Cheltenham EntriesQ: Just to touch on the Cheltenham entries you’ve got Jus De Citron, who you’ve entered up in the Albert Bartlett he won for you over Christmas. What can you tell us about him? HD: “I absolutely love him. “He’s a chaser. I was very pleased with his Doncaster run. “We just put him in at Cheltenham because we all went to Doncaster thinking he’d finish third or fourth, run a nice race and improve. “He won, which obviously would suggest he’s a nice horse if he went and did something silly, like win really nicely with a penalty, then we’d look a bit stupid if we didn’t have the option. “It’s tentative at this stage, I’d have loved to have time to get him into an EBF final. “I’m going to run out of time this season with him, but, he’ll run somewhere early/mid February in a two and a half mile novice hurdle with a penalty. “I’m not going to go anywhere flash, just run him in a penalty and that will tell us, if he finishes third and runs really well with a penalty but he’s not good enough, we won’t have any business going to Cheltenham but if he wins really nicely again, we’ll then consider it. “These entries do close early and it’s one of those things that you can sort of feel a bit mad by entering one, but actually, in a month’s time, you’d be mad if you hadn’t. So we have the option” OLBG Racing ClubQ: Let’s start with Viyanni, who ran a really lovely race for OLBG Racing Club at Ascot. What was your assessment of the race and will you go to the Triumph Hurdle now after that? HD: “I thought he ran fantastically well. I was very happy. “I’m rarely that happy with a third. “Lulamba is obviously extremely smart, and the second horse is rated 40lb above us on the flat, so I think he ran very well. “Triumph hurdle was more just a case of having him in just in case he went and won really impressively next time out and kept massively progressing. “He looks more like a Fred Winter horse at this stage. “He’s a progressive horse Viyanni and he’s a horse I really like. “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him, and I don’t think you’ll see the best of him until he’s old enough and mature enough to run over a long trip. “I think he’ll end up a three mile horse one day (but that’s for later down the line). I think at this stage, he’s probably looking like a Fred Winter type. “We’ve also got Matre En Science entered in the triumph, nice form in France, which has been boosted, by a horse (the name escapes me at the moment), but, some decent form behind him. “He’s going to run at Musselburgh on trials day and that will tell us whether he’s a Fred Winter type or a Triumph Hurdle type. “The only thing that I do have in my mind with him is that generally, the Triumph is won by horses that have a lot of staying power. “I think Matre En Science is quite a quick horse, so whether he’s better suited to the old course, a bit more of a pace test, I don’t know, but he’s a nice horse worth following. Q: Whilst we are just on the topic of the OLBG Racing Club, Lario, also ran for you on the weekend. Ran a great race into second, only a length and a half behind the winner. What was your thoughts on that race? HD: “Extremely pleased with him. “I thought down the back everything was perfect. “Turning in, I was extremely happy and I personally thought it looked like he was going to win all the way up the straight. “I would suggest he’s just short of a run, a lot of my horses have run really well to a point and just got tired – I think he’s that case” “I was thrilled with how he jumped and relaxed. He’s much more rideable this year. “I think a step up in trip will see him in a better light but he’s just progressing nicely now. “Last year I kept saying to all the OLBG members that this is a horse that needed to learn to race and do things properly, I think he’s done that now and I think as a result, he’ll keep progressing. “Yeah, he hasn’t won yet this year, but he’s run two rock solid races and I think he’ll keep quietly progressing and he’s a horse I’m really looking forward to”. Final CommentsQ: Any final comments? HD: “I’ve got a mare called Ascending Lark next Tuesday who’ll go to Newcastle on the 28th. “I really like her, she’s not the easiest to get right, but her work the last few weeks has been really good. “She’s off a handicap rating of 113, and I don’t think she’s shown what she’s fully capable of yet. “She was very good at Haydock one day. Dameofthecotswolds who’s now gone on and done really well was behind her. “I’m looking forward to her running a bit”.
