THE PLAINS, Va.--Tom Garner had a huge weekend, with three winners including Lydford (GB) in the featured $100,000 Hurdle Stakes at the International Gold Cup on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Lydford, center, leads King of the Kids, left, and Little Trilby over the final fence (Photo by Tod Marks)Ricky Hendriks, following his huge weekend at Far Hills had another good showing with two winners at the Gold Cup while Noah And The Arc (Ire) won his second straight Timber Stakes for Todd McKenna.
Maranto Manor's Lydford won the $100,000, G2, 2 1/8 mile William H. Allison Hurdle Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over King of the Kids, trained by Cyril Murphy, and Little Trilby (GB), trained by Hendriks.
"We had a very good weekend," said Garner. "I've won three races at a meet as a rider, but this is the first time as a trainer."
"LYdford is a legend," said Garner. "He does everything right. I'm so very proud of this horse."
"He's miserable at home," he said of th 9-year-old. "He's a grumpy old man. But today he showed what a nice horse he is."
GARNER said they'd celebrate today, after feeling they really couldn't really celebrate three weeks ago when he won at Foxfield by disqualification.
"We'll put him away for the winter, give him some grass, and bring him back next year in a grade 1," he said.
Garner also saddled Butler Hall Racing's Spring Getaway (Ire), ridden by Evan Dwan, to win the $45,000, 2 1/2 mile Maiden Hurdle by 4 3/4 lengths over Copper Missile, trained by Matthew Sims, and Park the Doubt (Ire), trained by Arch Kingsley.
"He's a lovely horse,"said Garner. "He's one for the future."
Max'd Out (Ire), owned by the Estate of Irv Naylor, trained by Garner and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won the $40,000 Ratings Handicap by 4 1/2 lengths over Tuddenham Green (GB), trained by Jack Fisher, and L'Avvocato (Fr), trained by Kathy Neilson.
"That one was special, winning for Irv Naylor," said Garner. "I just added checkpieces, and that gave him some confidence."
Hendriks saddled Del Rio Racing's Lynches Knock (Ire), ridden by Conor Tierney, to win the $50,000 Allowance Hurdle by 2 3/4 lengths over Flash Frozen, trained vy Garner, and Investment Mandate, trained by Leslie Young.
"He fit the conditions really well, so we took a chance and ran him right back,"said Hendriks after Lynches Knock won at Far Hills.
"He jumped really well," said Tierney. "He likes passing horses. He has a lot of speed at the end."
Hendriks also saddled Del Rio Racing's Rotterdam, ridden by Tierney, to win the $30,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 2 lengths over City Leader, trained by McKenna, and Run Forrest Run, trained by William Wofford.
McKenna saddled Noah And The Ark (Ire0, owned by Keystone Thoroughbreds and ridden by Harry Beswick, to win the $50,000, 3 1/2 mile Timber Stakes by 3/4 length over Moonshine Time (Ire), trained by Keri Brion, and Uco Valley, trained by Young.
"I was having the best time out there," said Beswick. "Noah has a huge amount of experience. I was never much in doubt of winning."
"A good thoroughbred is a good athlete, whether he's running two miles or three and a half miles." said McKenna of switching Noah from hurdles to timber. "You just have to back him off a bit."
"This is the last timber race of the year for him," said McKenna. "The Pennsylvania Hunt Cup is for big timber horses. These races are for medium timber horses."
Young saddled Michael A. Smith's Foxy Walk (Ire), ridden by Freddie Procter, to win the $20,000 Steeplethon by 4 lengths over Anzio, trained by Sandra Webb, and Wheresmemoneygone, trained by Garner.
