Ascot Victoria Cup: Kevin Philippart De Foy sends Alrehb and Vafortino in search of big handicap success | Racing News

With a optimum subject of 28, Saturday’s tote Victoria Cup (4.05) at Ascot, live on Sky Sporting activities Racing, will choose loads of winning, but the upwardly cell Kevin Philippart De Foy has two stay likelihood.

The fledgling flat trainer hopes that both of them will be extremely aggressive – granted the luck in working that is frequently expected in purchase to acquire this most aggressive of handicaps.

ALREHB (Franny Norton, drawn 24) has thrived due to the fact he was acquired by Philippart De Foy for 120,000 guineas at Newmarket’s Horses in Instruction Sale, after creating a belated racecourse debut for Charlie Hills at four and profitable a Lingfield beginner on the second of only two starts.

The gray has narrowly received seven-furlong all-weather handicaps off 85 and 87 for his new connections and went down by just fifty percent a size to Boardman in a aggressive handicap at Haydock on his turf debut off 88, when he was in front loads soon enough. He will be a different pound higher below, and up in quality, but you will find scope for extra improvement.

VAFORTINO (Benoit de la Sayette, drawn 27) is a different rather new recruit, having arrived from Joseph O’Brien late previous year.

Whilst Alrehb has only not long ago created his turf debut, Vafortino raced solely on turf ahead of heading down by a neck to the patiently ridden Bless Him in a decent seven-furlong handicap on the all-weather conditions at Newcastle on his first start out for his new secure.

Two pretty different profiles then, but two equally solid likelihood.

Phillipart De Foy, who has created a excellent begin to what is just his next complete year, stated: “Alrehb has been hectic by means of the winter and manufactured a very good debut on the turf at Haydock, the place regrettably he couldn’t get any address and was in front too extensive.

“He is off a nice reduced pounds and we’d like to trip him much more patiently, as he demonstrates a excellent transform of foot at residence.

“I was slightly unhappy when he was crushed on his initial outing for us, but that race worked out pretty effectively and the only real disappointment was at Kempton, the place he was caught out broad and the mile looked a bit way too much for him.

“The Victoria Cup is a great race for him, and I never anticipate the straight track remaining any difficulty as he is effective nicely on the Limekilns at Newmarket.”

Turning his focus to Vafortino, he claimed: “When he arrived from Joseph O’Brien’s late final yr we made a decision to geld him and give him loads of time off. He ran a great race at Newcastle on his very first get started for us, ending 2nd to Bless Him, who was then 3rd at the All-Weather conditions Finals.

“We’d retained him rather refreshing, as he experienced a relatively occupied 3-year-aged marketing campaign, and he must arrive on for the race. We decided to wait around for this to go again on grass, and it will be interesting to see what he can do.

“He’s in superior sort, and his operator is on the lookout forward to earning the excursion about from Luxembourg to see him.

“It truly is a major industry and they will want luck, but it truly is exciting to have two runners in the race.”

De Foy eager to reward faithful homeowners

Saturday will be an vital working day for the secure, as Philippart De Foy is also looking ahead to the return to motion of final year’s Salisbury Team Three runner-up Pearl Glory (Ben Curtis) in the Team 3 SBK Chartwell Stakes (3.50) at Lingfield, also dwell on Sky Athletics Racing.

He stated: “We want Saturday runners, and additional importantly Saturday winners. Pearl Glory confirmed some very good variety as a two-calendar year-outdated and while she was marginally disappointing in excess of 7 furlongs at Newmarket at the back again-conclude, she wintered perfectly and she’s completed loads of function for her 1st commence of the yr.

“She’s using on more mature fillies, but she is on a low fat and she was a class winner above six furlongs at two, so we know she handles the monitor. It will be attention-grabbing to see how she receives on.”

Philippart De Foy discovered his trade from some of the greatest, including Christophe Clement, James Fanshawe, Criquette Head and John Oxx, and his Machell Area workforce has grown quick, from just seven horses when he experienced his initially runners in November 2020 to the 74 listed in the latest edition of Horses In Training.

The 30-yr-aged was speedily off the mark, with a few winners late in 2020, and he followed that with 30 winners in 2021. He previously has 16 winners in 2022, so it would not be unrealistic to hope for 50 or additional by the conclusion of the 12 months.

He claimed: “I am someone who is under no circumstances overly optimistic, and it truly is never ever excellent more than enough for me, but it is been a good get started and we have a strike fee of 23 for each cent – or something like that.

“It’s quite significant to keep working the horses in the suitable races, and we also want to keep bettering the high quality, with the purpose of obtaining to another degree this yr.

“We want to continue to keep acquiring the finest out of all of the horses and we have great assist from a huge wide variety of proprietors. Some of them are shopping for at the revenue, and some of them are proprietor-breeders. We are seeking to reward them all with a good deal of success on the keep track of.”