 Barbers Shop, the Queen's best chance of victory at Cheltenham |
During the Queen Mother's long life any mention of the Gold Cup would have seen her face light up with the thought of Cheltenham in March. Equally, mention the same race title to her daughter and the chances are that thoughts would turn to the grandeur of Royal Ascot in June. Both festivals have Gold Cups as their historic centrepieces, and while the Queen Mother revelled in Cheltenham and jump racing, Ascot and the Flat was the Queen's territory. Not quite so much these days. Having inherited her mother's bloodstock interests following her death in 2002, the sovereign's silks have regularly been carried on the National Hunt circuit by home-bred runners. And Barbers Shop, trained like most of the royal jumpers under the tutelage of Nicky Henderson at Lambourn, Berkshire, has emerged as a first Cheltenham Gold Cup runner for the Queen. "It's great that the Queen has continued with everything," said Henderson, "and it's hopefully not a short-term thing because all the mares and the breeding are continuing too.  | 606: DEBATE |
"Barber's Shop is particularly lovely because he's one of the last bred by the Queen Mother. We've had long chats about whether this is the year to go for it, or wait another year, but this is what we've decided to do." On the Flat, the Queen has won every British Classic - bar the Epsom Derby - and 20 races at Royal Ascot, most recently when Free Agent recorded a famous victory in the Chesham Stakes in June last year. Over the jumps, she owned nothing to race at the equivalent level until Barbers Shop lined up in the Cheltenham Festival's Jewson Novices Handicap Chase last year. A second place in what's an increasingly reliable pointer to the future was followed this season by another second place at Cheltenham and a convincing success at Sandown, racing over three miles for the first time. "The revelation was Sandown," said Henderson, "and it was very easy to see how much more sweetly he travelled during the race, and how much more easily he jumped, because the pace had slowed by one little gear as they go further. "The Gold Cup is the Gold Cup and the best of the whole thing, but they are not going to quite go at the really furious pace which will suit him, and I'm confident he will stay the extra quarter of a mile." Those that are looking at an alternative to the three Paul Nicholls-trained favourites - Denman, Kauto Star and Neptune Collonges - are looking increasingly at the prospects of Barbers Shop. If successful, the horse, who's due to be ridden by Barry Geraghty, will continue what's become a golden period for the royal string which also has Classic hopes for the Flat racing season ahead. But nothing obvious for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot; when it comes to that type of trophy, the Queen, for now, concentrates on Cheltenham.
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