RACING: Hales hoping to hit the heights (From Oxford Mail)

RACING: Hales hoping to hit the heights

9:40am Thursday 9th September 2010 in

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Alex Hales believes the experience he gathered from his first season training at Edgcote, near Banbury, will help him rack up the winners in the new National Hunt campaign.

Hales sent out ten winners from Trafford Bridge Stables last term, having previously been based at Preston Capes, near Daventry.

And speaking at his owners’ open day on Sunday, he admitted that he had learnt much about the yard – and in particular the gallops – over the last 12 months.

He said: “The facilities here are excellent and the gallop second to none, but it has also been a big learning curve for all of us.

“We admit that it did take a while to get to grips with the gallop, but after a few months, we got there and our horses are looking completely different animals because of it.

“I hope we can have lots of winners this season and lots of fun.”

He paraded 29 of his 40-strong string in front of a crowd of around 200, with many of them receiving favourable mentions.

They included Antonius Caesar, the winner of a decent chase at Carlisle in April 2009, who he believes is well-handicapped after failing to get his head in front last term.

“He is moving better than he has ever moved,” said Hales. “He was rated 129 and now he is off 112 and must be the closest thing to a dead cert we’ve got.

“He is a very talented horse and I dream one day of running him in the cross country races around Cheltenham. He is an amzing jumper.”

Hales was also enthusiastic about new recruit Laredo Sound, who won three races for Lambourn trainer Charlie Mann.

“He is a horse we are very proud to have in the yard,” he said. “I think he could do good things for us this year.

“The plan is to go to Bangor with him on October 9 and he will stay over hurdles.”

Hales expects stable stalwart Superior Wisdom, who fell at the third fence in the Scottish Grand National last season, to pay his way over hurdles.

And he feels there is more to come from Iconoclast, who won a Kempton novices’ handicap chase in front of the Channel 4 cameras last season.

Of his younger charges, he picked out Darn Hot and Royaume Bleu as horses to follow.

Rounding off the parade was Southandwest, who won a claiming stakes under Eddie Ahern at Wolverhampton on Saturday night.

“I thought it was very good timing to have a winner before the open day,” joked Hales.

“Wolverhampton is not our usual stamping ground, but any winner is gratefully received.”