3 minute read

A tilt at the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is very much on the cards for Endless Escape after her impressive win at Newcastle rounded off a successful winter campaign.

Ben Clarke's unbeaten seven-year-old placed in an Irish point-to-point before following up a winning hurdles debut at Lingfield in November with a 22-length success at Wincanton on Boxing Day, and then sealing her hat-trick with a Ffos Las win in late January.

As a result Endless Escape was the 8-11 favourite at Newcastle on Saturday and her winning streak continued when she landed the Break From The Herd With Vertem Novices' Hurdle under Ben Jones by three and a quarter lengths.

"She's been great, she was odds-on at Newcastle the other day and people may have expected her to do it a bit easier but I was very happy and Ben Jones was very happy," Clarke said.

"She hated that ground, it was very tacky, and she's never a horse that's going to go and offer it up and win by 30 lengths. She's a horse that'll only do as much as she has to do.

"We were very happy, Ben said she just needed a little bit of company out in front."

Endless Escape is entered for the Grade Two Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and is likely to take her chance if the conditions at Prestbury Park prove suitable.

Clarke said: "We're going to look at Cheltenham and if we get a bit of dig in the ground, we'll go.

"I think she deserves a crack at something nice now, if she doesn't go there then we'd perhaps look at Kelso or Fairyhouse later in the month."

Either way, the mare has more than paid her way so far as she was a bargain purchase via the online sales site ThoroughBid, through which she was bought for just £6,500 in June.

"We bought her through ThoroughBid for £6,500 and she's progressed and progressed," said Clarke.

"She's very straightforward at home, we don't do an awful lot with her, just tick her along and keep her happy.

"I say to the owners that she spends most of her life asleep but the rare moments when she's awake she really does deliver on the racetrack, so we don't mind.

"I wouldn't mind a few more, especially at that price!"