Unbeaten Getaway Mare A Class Above In Listed Bumper
Queens Gamble (4f Getaway - Gambling Girl, by Hawk Wing) backed up last season’s impressive debut with another exciting performance in the mares’ Listed bumper at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Oliver Sherwood commented that the daughter of Getaway would improve after her 10 length romp at the track in April, and the market took note, as they sent her off favourite against last year’s unbeaten winner Bonttay (Westerner).
Ridden by Jonathan Burke, she was travelling strongly behind the leaders with three furlongs left to race and was shaken up to lead a furlong later. Ridden clear inside the final furlong, she ran on well to beat her aforementioned rival by eight lengths, while Fortuna Ligna (Soldier Of Fortune) completed a 1-2-3 for Coolmore NH sires.
“To get a filly like that is very special,” the delighted winning trainer later said. “She's as good a filly as I've trained and I've won the mares' novice hurdle final at Newbury a few times. I'd always thought she was nice, but you never think you're going to win two bumpers like that, especially a Listed one.”
Subsequently made joint-favourite for the Champion Bumper at the 2023 Festival, Queens Gamble will now be aimed at another Listed mares’ bumper at Huntingdon on December 4th. Owned by breeder Alex Frost with E Galvin, she completed a treble on the day for Grange Stud sire Getaway.
Supreme Gift (5g Getaway - Prairie Call, by Oscar) got the ball rolling when making a winning hurdle debut in the maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter for Henry Daly.
Charlie Deutsch partnered the bay to a three length success, marking a second career win, having been purchased. privately after winning a four-year-old maiden for Denis Murphy. Owned by Sir T Pilkington and RA Pilkington, the Imelda Harney-bred gelding had also been placed in three bumpers.
Meanwhile, at Necarne, the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Ah Whisht (5m Getaway - Listening, by King’s Theatre) made a winning debut in the mares’ maiden under Tom Harney.
Mary McCann’s homebred denied the odds-on favourite by a length, with the pair pulling 40 lengths clear of their rivals. The daughter of Getaway will now be sold.