Exciting times for Ben Brookhouse on the Flat and over jumps

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There was just an inkling, when I saw Givitawhirl entered to make his debut at Thirsk, that this might be a good time to call Ben Brookhouse. And I think it was, although, given that he trained the Leger Legends winner a few hours later, it would have been even better to have written him up before that.

Well, that's one opportunity missed. Never mind that and let's turn our thoughts to today's fourth race at Thirsk, a 7f novice contest for two-year-olds in which Brookhouse is represented by Givitawhirl, the product of some very sexy breeding.

By the Derby / Arc winner Golden Horn, he's a half-brother to the King George winner Poet's Word. I suppose such a pedigree doesn't scream "precocious speed". Maybe that's why he was knocked down for 75,000gns at Book 1 last October.

"I think he's pretty good, to be fair," says Brookhouse. "He shows us plenty at home. I haven't worked him with Redhot Whisper but he'd be in the same bracket and if I had another week, I probably would work them together." 

For those of you who didn't watch to the end of the St Leger card on Saturday, Redhot Whisper is another of Brookhouse's juveniles, who finished a close second in a good-looking maiden between horses from the Gosden and Johnston yards. He holds an entry in the Doncaster Futurity next month, the Group 1 formerly known as the Racing Post Trophy.

Brookhouse recalls legging up Stefano Cherchi to ride work on Givitawhirl for the first time, telling the jockey this horse could be better than Redhot Whisper. "He came back and said to me: 'You might be right, you know'.

"From his first bit of work, he's shown plenty. Physically, he is weak. So if he doesn't translate his home work to the racecourse, the first reason I'd be looking at is, he's still growing. 

"There's one in the race that's won and has to give us 7lb. There's Tim Easterby's horse, who was second to William Haggas's horse that then ran third in the Acomb. But we're all expecting a big run from him and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins."

Brookhouse has been having runners since December and is evidently enjoying it very much. He is also having his share of success; I assumed his was mostly or almost entirely a jumps operation when he had four winners from eight runners in February.

But he's been a regular winner on the Flat since June and tells me his 40-box yard in Newmarket is evenly split between the two codes. "We're doing all right. "I don't really have enough ammo to have a big season, numbers-wise, everywhere. We give the horses time, try and do things properly.

"I like to have a winner every couple of weeks, keep a '1' next to the name. As long as the horses are running as well as expected, then I'm happy. 

"Jump racing was where I initially got into it. I love my two-year-olds because I enjoy seeing them progress and learn. It's like watching a child grow up, it's beautiful to see.

"On the Flat, I try to win all these weird and wonderful races. I think they're good sport."

It seems like a useful insight into a trainer's motivation and it is borne out by what we've already seen. As well as the Leger Legends yesterday, Brookhouse won the Jump Jockeys' Derby last week with Cardano under Jack Quinlan and the stable staff race at Newbury in July with Liberated Lad, partnered by his girlfriend, Ciera McKeown.

Tom Scudamore with I Still Have Faith after their Leger Legends victoryCredit: Grossick Racing

He has a good story about how the Leger Legends plan was formed, Tom Scudamore having phoned him in mid-February to share the news of his decision to retire. The two men had known each other for a long time, Tom Scu having ridden many a winner in the pale blue silks of Brookhouse's father, Roger, including Western Warhorse in the Arkle. It seemed the jockey had run out of time to win on one of Ben's.

"He rang me and apologised that he wasn't going to be able to ride me a winner. And we had a nice chat. 

"I was driving to Chelmsford and the minute the call ended, I realised something. I pulled over into a layby and texted him: 'You can still ride me a winner...'

"He sent back: '?'

"I said: 'Leger Legends'. That was 16th February, I think." 

Seven months later, I Still Have Faith did the job, providing the jockey with what he insists will be his final, final winner.

Brookhouse, on the other hand, hopes for many more. "I think, going into this season, we've got a team ten times stronger than what we had last year. Proper jumpers.

"We galloped a bunch of horses up the Cambridge Road on Saturday. I think there was £600k or £700k worth of horses there. There are Flat yards in Newmarket that don't have that kind of ammunition."

He gives the novice hurdler Diamond Dealer a good mention. Gozo, who's been schooling, has "taken to hurdles like a duck to water". Cardano and Lucky's Dream will also go over obstacles this term. Saville House will surely be a stable to follow.

Brookhouse hopes to provide Quinlan and also his conditional Eddie Edge with productive, fruitful winters but having fun is at the heart of it all. 

"I didn't set up with any great goals or dreams other than to do what I love and enjoy it. And to provide an entertainment factor and keep the owners happy." 

Monday's picks, by Richard Birch

Coal Fire makes plenty of punting appeal from his position at the foot of the weights in Worcester’s Thank You Bagsy Happy Retirement Handicap Hurdle (6.10).

The lightly raced seven-year-old’s biggest attribute appears to be stamina and further improvement can be expected, now he tackles the second-longest trip he has faced so far.

Coal Fire was off the bridle early in the home straight at Market Rasen in July but he stayed on strongly from the final flight to short-head Lighthouse Mill. That was over 2m4½f on good to soft from a mark of 88 and he possibly bettered that performance in defeat off 4lb higher when third next time at Cartmel.

Locally trained winner Secret Secret landed some good bets that day, while the runner-up, My Gift To You, was bidding for a hat-trick after comfortable victories at Southwell and Worcester.

Coal Fire again needed to be shoved along some way from the finish but he kept on at the one pace, giving the impression connections could soon find him another winning opportunity.

This 2m7f handicap hurdle fits the bill. Coal Fire was asked to concede 18lb to Secret Secret but he now receives weight from all eight rivals.

Carrying just 10st 5lb could prove even more telling if Worcester gets a lot of rain. Soft ground would almost certainly enhance the claims of Coal Fire, while lessening the chance of Halifax and Dynamic Kate.

'She could have been carefully mapped out for an autumn campaign' - our Monday tipster has three selections 

Three things to look out for on Monday

1. Jump racing isn't for you if the first at Listowel doesn't wake you up a little bit. It's only a mares' maiden hurdle but a big field includes quite a few interesting youngsters from powerful yards, notably Four Clean Aces for the Willie Mullins / Paul Townend combination. The RTV cameras were taking a very long view of pretty Ballinrobe when she fell three-out there last month on her hurdles debut, so it's hard to know exactly what she did wrong, but she was a short price then and will presumably be fancied again. Gordon Elliott fields Instant Tendance, a half-sister to Earlofthecotswolds and Good Risk At All, while Henry de Bromhead has Mayor's Walk, a point-to-point winner. This race was won two years ago by Party Central, who went on to score at the Punchestown festival. It's part of Listowel's harvest festival, building to the Kerry National on Wednesday. 

Four Clean Aces14:10 Listowel

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Jky: Paul Townend Tnr: W P Mullins

2. Ordinarily, the feature race on today's Fairyhouse card would be the Listed Ballyhane Blenheim Stakes, featuring Round Tower runner-up Mansa Musa. But a Group 3, the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes, has been bolted onto the start of the card, having been lost when Gowran was waterlogged on Saturday. The strong field of 12 includes Sounds Of Heaven, third in the Coronation Stakes, and American Sonja, runner-up in the Saratoga Oaks.  

Sounds Of Heaven15:10 Fairyhouse

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Jky: Ronan Whelan Tnr: Mrs John Harrington

3.  As we've noted before in this space, Jack Jones is having a high old time of it just now, with seven winners from 20 runners since the start of August. So it's a very interesting time for him to send out Mitigator, a newcomer to his team, in the last at Kempton. Now seven, Mitigator was last seen going close at Yarmouth in May last year, when he was with a small operation for which he was the only winner in 2022. He's on the same rating as for that success, over today's course and distance. Dylan Hogan (9/45 for Jones this year) is booked. 

Mitigator20:30 Kempton (A.W)

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Jky: Dylan Hogan Tnr: Jack Jones

Read these next:

What's on this week: Listowel and the Ayr Gold Cup star on the track as the top juvenile races take shape 

Continuous flies the flag for Japan and Big Evs shows his sprinting potential  - three things we learned this week 

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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.