REGAL WIN FOR MARK EDWARDS AT HICKSTEAD
Mark Edwards and Royale Tale won today’s Brilliance Horse Auction Speed Derby in definitive fashion, finishing more than 7sec clear of Joe Whitaker and Icaterina in second.
Making the most of his penultimate draw, Mark and the super speedy Royale Tale blazed round the lengthy course to cross the finish in 95.80sec to clinch the Liz Dudden Trophy. They were one of just two clear rounds, with the other produced by Hamburg Speed Derby winners Georgia Tame and Loughton Diamond, who finished in seventh place in a time of 110.30sec.
Edwards has been on an exceptional run of form late, and was being cited by his fellow competitors as the pre-class favourite to win today’s feature class. Mark had already claimed an International Arena win at Hickstead with other ride Flying Tinker II, winner of Thursday’s Stoner Jewellers Vase, while Royale Tale went well in Friday’s Agria Derby Trial to finish 11th.
“The Speed Derby has been the plan for her for the last couple of weeks – she’s been in great form. She should have jumped clear in the Derby Trial yesterday, but I mucked it up for her,” said Mark.
He is now in the enviable position of choosing whether to return for another tilt at winning the Speed Derby in 12 months’ time, or to step up to the Al Shira’aa Derby itself. “With the way she went yesterday, I think she’d be really good at the Derby. We were tempted to put her in there for tomorrow and leave it for today, but we made the right decision. A year’s a long time, so hopefully we’ll have a good season and reassess in the new year,” he added.
The first major title Mark won was the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hickstead in 2021 with Montreuxs Tale, and now he is having continued success with that horse’s daughter, the 10-year-old Royale Tale. Asked his strategy for winning a first Speed Derby, he said: “We just kept in a good rhythm and kept running all the way to the finish. She has such a big stride that she gets away from the fences quickly. She’s nice and quick and a real winner, and this was great fun – I’m thrilled to be here.”
It was Joe Whitaker’s mare Icaterina’s debut in this class too, and he believes she could well be in with a chance of going one better next year. “She never really got on the bridle well enough to be competitive and keep up with Mark on the time, but she settled into the round really well about halfway through. She’s such a genuine mare,” he said. “I think everyone had the opinion that Mark would win this – he’s the man to beat every time he goes into the ring at the moment.”
In third place, for the second year in a row, was Jessica Hewitt and Hot Bluebird – meaning all of the top three horses in this year’s Speed Derby were mares.
Earlier, a total of 79 horses and riders came forward for today's €28,200 ClipMyHorse.TV Hickstead Master’s Trophy.
While 10 combinations jumped clear in the first round, the subsequent jump off turned into a battle of the brothers. First to go, Trevor had initially set the pace with Luidam’s Warrior, finishing on 41.12sec to put pressure on the riders that followed.
Both James Whitaker (Just Call Me Henry) and Joe Stockdale (Laska JDV) produced quicker times than Trevor only to have a fence down apiece, while the others failed to catch the time.
With just one rider left to go, it seemed as though the younger Breen brother had the title in the bag, but elder brother Shane Breen then stormed round clear with the nine-year-old BP Arctic Blue, shaving more than 1.4sec off the winning time.
“The late Con Power once told me, if you gallop through the start beams, you’re surely already half a second ahead of anyone else, and I’ve never forgotten that,” said Shane.
The 2022 Al Shira’aa Derby champion Shane describes the young BP Arctic Blue as “my absolute dream horse.”
“My wife Chloe and I bought him around Christmas in 2023, and I’d first spotted him as a five-year-old – I just thought he looked like a dream horse to have,” he says. “I’ve been producing him quietly over the last year, and he’s just amazing – he’s a pleasure to ride, he’s super smart, he’s a great character, and he’s not spooky at all. It helps when you really love an individual. They seem to know that, and you get that little bit more from them.”
For full results click here.
The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting takes place from 19-22 June. Tickets are available online, while the action is being shown live on ClipMyHorse.TV.
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Photos by Boots & Hooves Photography
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