Dean Ivory has enjoyed his
best year as a trainer in 2013, with 39 winners as of December 17.
The 51-year-old took over
the licence from his father Ken in 2002 and has a lot to look forward to next
year, starting with All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Lingfield Park on
Good Friday, April 18, 2014,
Ivory, based just to the
north of London in Radlett, Hertfordshire, has made a positive start to the
championships, sending out five winners and saddling Sirius Prospect to victory
in the Listed Winners Are Welcome At Betdaq EBF Hyde Stakes at Kempton Park on
November 20.
"I think the
All-Weather Championships is a very good idea," said Ivory. "It will
hopefully keep some good horses in this country rather than them going abroad
and it is something you can target your better horses at.
"It is still a new
concept to everybody, but I think it's very good for racing. More prize money
is always good and it brings a bit of life back to the racing on the
All-Weather."
Sirius Prospect has been a
grand servant to Ivory, winning on nine of his 34 starts, and victory at
Kempton Park has guaranteed him a berth in the £150,000 Ladbrokes Mile on
All-Weather Championships Finals Day.
"Sirius Prospect is
on his break now and won't run him before the Ladbrokes Mile," reported
Ivory. "He hung on really well at Kempton and proved he got the mile well.
"He is very
competitive and found more when the other horse eyeballed him. He is a stronger
and better horse this year and I think there was more left in the tank."
All-Weather Championships
Finals Day is also the target for rapidly improving sprinter Lancelot Du Lac,
who finished third behind Valbchek in the Listed Best Odds At bookmakers.co.uk
Golden Rose Stakes on November 16 before a decisive success in a six-furlong
handicap at Kempton Park on November 27.
The three-year-old is set
to contest the rearranged £45,000 Compare Bookmakers at bookmakers.co.uk
Handicap at Lingfield Park tomorrow, December 18. The six-furlong contest was
originally scheduled to take place on December 11, but the fixture was
abandoned due to fog.
"In some ways the
extra week between this race and his last will help, but it also means his
winter break will be a week shorter," said Ivory. "I would have
knocked him off by now, but we want to get a third run into him so he will be
eligible for the sprint on Good Friday.
"After his run on
Wednesday, he will have a break and come straight back for Good Friday. I know
he´s pretty strong already but he´s only three and has got some developing
still to do, so the break will do him good."
Ivory is debating whether
or not to target his stable star Tropics at the £150,000 Bookmakers.co.uk
Sprint on All-Weather Championships Finals Day. The progressive five-year-old
gave the yard a first Group success when a hugely impressive three and a half
length winner of the Group Three John Guest Bengough Stakes at Ascot on October
5.
"If I bought Tropics
back, I would have to target him at one Fast Track Qualifier and win it. The
only race there is for him is a six-furlong Listed race (Compare Bookmakers at
bookmakers.co.uk Cleeves Stakes) at Lingfield on February 22.
"The only problem is
that if he wins that, I would have to sit tight for two months because there
are no other races between then and the final due to his handicap mark."
Exciting two-year-old
Golden Amber, purchased out of Willie McCreery's yard following an eye-catching
success at Naas on October 23, and impressive Redcar winner Duchess Of Gazeley
are also possible contenders for All-Weather Championships Finals Day.
"I have got some
other horses, who I would like to target at the other races on All-Weather
Championships Finals Day," revealed Ivory. "I have a staying filly
called Duchess Of Gazeley, who ran really well when she was beaten by Tweed at
Newmarket, and I am very keen to get her qualified.
"Tweed was beaten at
Wolverhampton next time out but that wouldn't have suited her and, for what
it's worth, I think she is a good horse.
"If I run Duchess Of
Gazeley once, hopefully she will run well and go up in the ratings because then
she will be able to get into one of the Fast Track Qualifiers.
"I bought another
filly, Golden Amber, from Ireland and she is a nice horse for six or seven
furlongs. She is only rated 81 and, although it's a longshot, it will be interesting
to see how I get on with her."
Ivory has enjoyed a
fantastic year, accruing over £360,000 in prize money, and is excited by his
string of horses for next year.
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