GLYNDON, Md.--Winning the Maryland Hunt Cup, that's a pretty dramatic way to break your maiden.

Blackhall, right, and Vintage Vinnie at the last fence
But that's what Blackhall did.

With one last surge to hold off Shootist's closing run, Kinross Corporation's Blackhall, trained by Joe Davies and ridden by Charlie Marshall, went from a maiden with only two seconds from 15 starts to a Stakes winner with $63,600 in earnings.

Blackhall won the $100,000, 4 mile Maryland Hunt Cup Timber Stakes by a neck over Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna, with Goodoldtimes, trained by Mark Beecher another 1/2 length back.

Vintage Vinnie, also trained by Davies, was a further length back in fourth, and Rocket Star Red, trained by Beecher, was the fifth and final finisher from a starting field of nine.

This year's race was highly anticipated, and it lived up to expectations with one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the race.

Vinnie went straight to the front and led by huge margins for much of the race , almost lost his rider, Teddy Davies, at fence 10,, but recovered and continued to lead but was caught at the last fence and was out-kicked to the finish.

It was a thrilling stretch run with the four horses fighting it out to the end.

 

MR. FINE THREADS fell at the third, last year's winner Withoutmoreado lost his rider at the ninth fence, Royal Ruse lost his rider st the 12th, and Wagner, making a move and looking like he could win, fell at the 17th.

Joe Davies with Blackhall, Zohar Bendov, his,owner, in the blue hatDavies said he got Blackhall about four years ago and hunts him regularly, first running him over timber at the Grand Natioanl in 2022.

"Keri Brion called me from Ireland and told me she'd ridden and jumped a horse that was too slow for racing there but was a good jumper, and she thought he'd do in this country," said Davies. "We got him around four years ago, around Covid time. We hunt him. He's  great hunter. When his owner Zohar Bendov had a joint meet meet for Piedmont and Orange, we took Blackhall down there to hunt so Zohar could see him."

"He was second last year in the Murray at the Grand National," said Davies. "Theresa Dimpfel rode him. She did a great job prepping him, but I thought he needed a more aggressive ride.

"Charlie Marshall had been anxious to come over here for a while, so I called him, and he came over. Charlie rode him in the Grand National allowance race, and he was second.

Blackhall"Based on the ride Charlie gave him in the Grand National, I was exited for him. I wondered if Vinnie, at 15, could return to his previous form. I thought Blackhall would be right there if Vinnie wasn't. It had just rained before the race, so the ground was slippery. Vnnie had one bad fence where he almost lost Teddy. But the race finished just two seconds off the track record, so it was fast..

I have to confess to being a little surprised at Blackhall's win," said Davies. "But I knew it was a good partnership between Charlie and Blackhall, and that's always important in the Hunt Cup."

Teddy Davies, number 9, on Vinnie congratulates Charlie Marshall, number 2, on Blackhall, Shootist on left and Goodoldtimes on right
Davies said all his horses, Blackhall, Vinnie and Mr. Fine Threads, as well as Blythe's Wagner, came out of the race okay.

"I was worried about Mr. Fine Threads," said Davies. But he's fine."

"No more runs for Blackhall this year," said Davies. "I never run my Hunt Cup horses in the fall. We thinking about whether we'll take a run at an English trip next spring. Blackhall doesn't run on Lasix. I'd sure love to go over there."

For many years, Davies has concentrated on training horses for the spring and the Maryland Hunt Cup, just recently adding a few horses to his stable that run year round.

With this win, Davies has now trained seven Hunt Cup winners, and this year's winning jockey, Charlie Marshall, is the first Englishman to win the race.