River Alhaarth to target new £40,000 handicap at HQ
Wednesday 9th May, 2007
Michael Prosser - eagerly anticipating new race
PETER CHAPPLE-Hyam has indicated that last year’s Northumberland Plate runner-up River Alhaarth will take his seasonal bow in a new £40,000 heritage handicap at Newmarket on May 19.
The NatWest Rowley Mile course is to stage a 14-furlong event - sponsored by betdirect - for high-class staying handicappers and it is the ideal starting point for the five-year-old’s latest campaign.
River Alhaarth tuned up for his 2007 return when he worked on the Al Bahathri polytrack in company with Derby favourite Authorized and German import Litalia on Wednesday morning.
Newmarket-based trainer Chapple-Hyam said: “Everything is going well with River Alhaarth. It takes a while to get him fit but he is getting there now.
“I’ve been very pleased with his recent work and he will probably run at Newmarket on May 19 in a valuable new race that they are staging.
“That looks an ideal starting point for his campaign, which will take in another tilt at both the Northumberland Plate and the Ebor.”
The betdirect.com Crepello Stakes (Class 2 Heritage Handicap) will be the feature race on Newmarket’s Lester Piggott Day on which each of the contests is named after one of the seven Guineas winners that the legendary jockey rode.
Michael Prosser, Newmarket’s director of racing, said: “Having had discussions with the BHB, we are delighted to unveil what promises to be an exciting addition to our racing programme.
“This Heritage Handicap offers a perfect early-season opportunity to those smart staying handicappers who may just fall a fraction below the level required to be competitive in the Yorkshire Cup.
“There is a decent prize on offer and we hope that the inaugural running of the race will be well supported by owners and trainers.”