FLYING grey Absalom's Lady put herself in line for a tilt at the season's top jumping prizes with a victory in the Grade Two William Hill Haldon Gold Challenge Cup Chase at Exeter yesterday.
Making her debut for Gay Kelleway, the mare was backed from 16 to 1 to 8 to 1 before proving too strong for Coulton under a fine ride from David Bridgwater.
Absalom's Lady was competing from 17lbs out of the handicap, but her trainer said: "I wasn't worried about her being out of the handicap as she's class.
"She's in the Murphy's Gold Cup at Cheltenham but that might come a bit quick for her and we'll have to sit down and see how she comes out of this race."
Kelleway reckoned the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day may prove a better race.
Tony Clark partnered a 254 to 1 double at Redcar but both he and Matthew Henry found themselves in hot water with the stewards. Clark's brace was initiated when 14 to 1 shot Renzo was awarded the Sycamore Handicap after the disqualification of Blurred.
Blurred was travelling well on the inside for Henry but had nowhere to go as he found himself behind Enriched, the mount of Frankie Dettori.
Henry squeezed through on Blurred, hampering the weakening Enriched in the process and getting up to beat Renzo, who himself drifted left, a neck, with Traceability a head away in third.
After a lengthy deliberation, the stewards demoted Blurred to fourth, the race going to Guy Harwood's Renzo, with Traceability placed second and Enriched third.
The stewards decided that Henry was guilty of irresponsible riding and banned him for six days, to be served from November 14th-22nd.
They also found Clark guilty of careless riding but felt there were mitigating circumstances in that his cause was not helped when Renzo was hampered by Enriched. He was banned for two days, November 14th and 15th.
Clark doubled up when Askern, 16 to 1, gamely stuck his grey head out to register his third win of the season when just holding off Shaffishayes in the Poplar Handicap.
American champion Cigar is set to take up his stallion duties at the Ashford Stud, the American division of Cool more which borders his owner Allen Paulson's Brookside Farm in Versailles. Kentucky. The deal, which is subject to vet and contract signing, will result in Paulson and Coolmore holding shares in the six-year-old entire, with international owner Michael Tabor also possibly becoming a partner.
