Christmas is a time for giving and no one can fault the seasonal generosity of L’Ami Serge, who cheerfully gave up first prize in the Marsh Hurdle here, presenting the trophy gracefully to The Worlds End. There is not much doubt that L’Ami Serge had it in the bag, as he was trading at 1-33 on Betfair after the final hurdle, but at that point he plainly felt he had done enough and slowed to allow the favourite to pass him.
Racing history contains many splendid examples of defeat being seized from the jaws of victory but this one will surely find a place on any ‘top ten’ list. L’Ami Serge has long been one of jump racing’s characters and it is great to have him back. Anyone who lumped on at 3-1 or at shorter in mid-race will feel differently, but it is not as though he has never done anything like this before.
“One never quite knows that this talented horse will produce when put under maximum pressure,” the Racing Post mused when he was beaten in this same race two years ago. But really, one does know; the answer is “very little” and so L’Ami Serge must be kidded into winning races without realising what is happening.
That being so, it was tough luck on Nico de Boinville that he found himself in front at the second-last, which was rather too soon. Nicky Henderson, trainer of L’Ami Serge, said: “Nico’s gutted, as you can imagine. He’s absolutely destroying himself but it’s very difficult. What can you do? I mean, the thing is running away with you. The others are all off the bridle and going nowhere.”
Henderson insisted he was just happy the horse was back to his best after a long absence and added: “There’s absolutely zero rogue in him. He just thinks that when he’s got there, he’s done enough. If you say he’s a loveable rogue, Sarah will kill you,” a reference to L’Ami Serge’s groom, Sarah Shreeve.
“He’s won some of the biggest races for me and taken me to some of the best places,” Shreeve added. “I love him to bits. I’ll not have a bad word said about him.”
Anyway, The Worlds End was a very game winner and provided Tom George with a welcome Grade One success. But the race was much the poorer for the withdrawal of Paisley Park, whose connections felt there were false patches of ground in the back straight.
Two other heroes from this card have hope of becoming Grade One winners in time. Not So Sleepy ran away with the Betfair Exchange Trophy and, although he carried no weight, he got his trainer, Hughie Morrison, dreaming of a tilt at the Champion Hurdle. On the way, he will take in Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle, where victory would earn him a £100,000 bonus.
Nigel Twiston-Davies can hardly believe his luck at having such a classy young horse as Riders Onthe Storm in his yard and the six-year-old was an emphatic winner of the graduation chase. He is down to 16-1 for the Ryanair Chase and will be back here for the Ascot Chase in February.
