Steve Jones: “Lambourn is now the home of sprinters”

LAMBOURN has been forever associated with the stars of National Hunt racing.

Some of the best jumpers have been trained in the ‘Valley of the Racehorse’ down the years.

Historic yards are jammed into every corner with plaques fixed to stable boxes marking big-race wins of some of the most famous names in horseracing.

For nearly two hundred years jumps racing has dominated the Berkshire village and nearby Upper Lambourn.

Nicky Henderson, based high above the narrow streets and bustling centre at historic Seven Barrows, has remained a constant over the last 40 years in bringing the most coveted jumps prizes back to Lambourn with the likes of See You Then, Remittance Man, Long Run, Sprinter Sacre, Buveur D’Air and Altior. The list, if not cut short, goes on and on.

Dozens of Grand National winners have been trained in the village including Many Clouds, Royal Athlete, Mr Frisk and Corbiere.

It’s almost as if Lambourn was put on the map to encourage horses to jump steeplechase fences.

But times they are a changing. In fact, they’ve changed.

The heart of jump racing country is beating faster these days. Much faster.

Some of the top Flat trainers now call Lambourn home. There’s always been a fair sprinkling of Flat-orientated yards but there’s a distinct division of the summer game that has been dominated by the equine locals in recent years.

It’s probably fitting to point this out at the time one of its favourite – and most successful – sons bows out.

Battaash was destined to be something special from day one! @BathRacecourse

pic.twitter.com/4qJW0e8NHS

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 31, 2021

Battaash was retired after failing to win the King George Stakes at Goodwood for an astonishing fifth time.

In many of his 13 victories he made greased lightning looked positively pedestrian. His 2019 Nunthorpe victory was very special as it lowered the 29-year-old course record for five furlongs held by another sprinting great, Dayjur.

Trained by Charlie Hills, based half-way between Henderson’s yard at Seven Barrows and the village centre, Battaash is undoubtedly the fastest horse to have been a regular on the Lambourn gallops.

But the local law enforcers don’t want to be putting their speed gun back in the draw anytime soon.

The sprint division, that has lacked a bit of depth in recent years, is now bursting at the seams and most of the young guns out to take over from Battaash hail from Lambourn.

Oxted – last year’s July Cup hero – has already got one of Battaash’s crowns. He stormed through to give trainer Roger Teal, based just off the High Street at the historic Windsor House Stables, his first Royal Ascot success in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes.

Hopes were obviously high that Oxted could retain his July Cup title at Newmarket’s July Meeting. He was far from disgraced in third in the season’s top six-furlong prize, but he couldn’t quite get the better of a couple of his near neighbours.

Starman, now beaten just once in his six races, flew up the final climb to confirm himself the premier six-furlong speedster he had looked when landing the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes in May.

He is trained by Ed Walker as Kingsdown Stables, where Peter Nelson prepared 1974 Derby winner Snow Knight.

Starman and Oxted were split in the July Cup by another Lambourn resident, Dragon Symbol.

Archie Watson has made a big impact since starting training at Saxon Gate Stables, once home to National Hunt legend Fulke Walwyn, five years ago.

He saddled Glen Shiel to win the British Champions Sprint on his favoured soft ground at Ascot last October to give Hollie Doyle her first Group 1 winner.

Now, in Dragon Symbol, he has another top-class speedster on his hands. It seems only a matter of time before this lightly-raced three-year-old grabs glory in one of the biggest sprints.

He was first past the post in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot before losing it in the stewards room and he just couldn’t quite cope with Goodwood’s sharp five furlongs when runner-up in the King George.

The current crop of Lambourn sprinters look like they could dominate for a good few years.

Only injury stopped last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde from joining them in the top races.

Golden Horde wins the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup! #RoyalAscot @Ascot pic.twitter.com/I7tAOmq0OM

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2020

His trainer Clive Cox is based above Lambourn at Beechdown Stables, owned by multiple champion jump jockey John Francome.

Cox is also a former National Hunt rider but speed is definitely the name of the game these days.

Harry Angel won the July Cup and Haydock’s Sprint Cup in 2017 and his Lethal Force had also completed a Group 1 double four years earlier when landing Royal Ascot’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the July Cup.

A good performance from Harry Angel who wins the Darley July Cup at Newmarket under Adam Kirby. Last year's winner, Limato, was second. pic.twitter.com/BLFSjNoUyZ

— The Jockey Club (@TheJockeyClub) July 15, 2017

Profitable was another top-level sprint winner when taking the King’s Stand five years ago so history suggests it’s only a matter of time before Cox nurtures another high-class sprinter.

It was a Lambourn Royal Ascot sprint double in 2016 as Henry Candy, based just up the road from Henderson, won the Diamond Jubilee with the previous year’s Sprint Cup hero Twilight Son.

In that golden summer for the trainer, he also won the July Cup with Limato – one of six Lambourn-trained winners of the Newmarket Group 1 in the last nine years.

There’s a fair chance Charlie Hills won’t be long in finding another top sprinter, either. His Muhaarar was champion sprinter the year before Battaash arrived on the scene as an excitable two-year-old.

A lot of top sprint trophies have arrived in Lambourn since his debut win at Bath just over seven years ago and the sprinting top gun won’t be forgotten way beyond the confines of the horse-mad village nestled in the Berkshire Downs between Newbury and Swindon.

It’s now clear racing fans who feel the need for speed should be heading to the Lambourn valley for their kicks.