Mark Of Gold Makes Winning Debut Over Fences at Ascot
Mark Of Gold, trained by Gary and Josh Moore, made a successful debut over fences, capturing the Howden Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot in an exciting race.
Despite being an 11-2 outsider, Mark Of Gold overcame early hurdles, including an impressive jump over the tricky fences at Ascot, to secure victory. Personal Ambition, initially leading the race, stumbled at the final fence, allowing Mark Of Gold to seize the opportunity.
Josh Moore, joint-trainer, expressed confidence in Mark Of Gold’s abilities, stating, “He’s a versatile horse, he happily switches back to the Flat, goes on slow ground, he’s competitive over hurdles and he’s obviously competitive over fences. He’s jumped so well around here today and that’s a big thing first time over fences. We’ll have to seriously look at plans over fences now because he’s taken to them so well.”
The race saw a thrilling finish, with Johnnywho, the 13-8 favorite, making a late surge to secure third place, ahead of a fading Rare Edition.
Trainer Ben Pauling acknowledged Personal Ambition’s unfortunate stumble at the final fence, stating, “I think so, yes. It’s unfortunate as he jumped really well for him; he was just on absolutely no stride and how Ben stayed intact I do not know. He did pick up again, so I don’t think he was cooked but that’s racing. You have to jump and he didn’t.”
Meanwhile, Captain Bellamy, who won the Visit Warren Greatrex Racing At Rhonehurst EBF Stallions NH Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury, was later disqualified due to excessive whip use by jockey Lorcan Williams. Williams received a 14-day suspension, impacting his participation in upcoming races.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the world of horse racing!