Al Ferof

Al Ferof (30 March 2005) is a French-bred British-based National Hunt horse trained by Paul Nicholls and owned by John Hales. He won the 2011 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival before progressing to chasing the following season, where he has won several top races including the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Background

Al Ferof is a grey gelding and was bred by J. Rauch and G. Chenu in France. His sire Dom Alco is a hugely successful sire of National Hunt horses, with 2012 Grand National winner Neptune Collonges and 2012 Betfair Chase winner Silviniaco Conti among his progeny.^[1] Al Ferof was initially owned by Martin Murphy before being sold to John Hales.^[2]

Racing career

2008/2009 season: Point to Point

Al Ferof began his career on the amateur Point-to-point circuit. He made his racing debut at Summerhill in 2009, where he fell behind Jetnova. He then won a three mile race at Athlacca, beating future Tolworth Hurdle winner Minella Class.

2009/2010 season: National Hunt Flat races

Al Ferof finished third to Summit Meeting in a National Hunt Flat race at Punchestown, before winning a similar event at Fairyhouse.^[3]

Al Ferof made his debut for Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls in a Grade 2 Bumper race at Newbury, which he won by five lengths under Ruby Walsh.^[4] He then finished an eight length second to Cue Card in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.^[5]

2010/11 National Hunt season: novice hurdling

Al Ferof’s first start over hurdles ended in a fall when leading at Cheltenham in December.^[6] He immediately stepped up in class and trip to contest the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury, finishing nine lengths back in third behind Backspin.^[7] Al Ferof finally got off the mark over hurdles in a two mile three furlong race at Taunton, which he won easily by twenty lengths as the 1/7 favourite.^[8]

Newbury incident

Al Ferof was then involved in a tragic incident at Newbury, where live cables under the parade ring electrocuted two horses before a novice hurdle race. Al Ferof avoided a shock, and won the race by fifteen lengths before the rest of the meeting was abandoned due to safety concerns.^[9]

Al Ferof’s next race came in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, where he was considered a 10/1 shot behind the favourite Cue Card. In an unusually strong field, Al Ferof became outpaced two flights out, but stayed on resolutely up the hill to beat Spirit Son by two lengths.^[10] The subsequent performances of the beaten horses marked this out as a quality renewal of the race: Spirit Son went on to romp in the Grade 2 Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, third placed Sprinter Sacre developed into a top class two mile chaser and won the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Cue Card also became a top class chaser and winner of the Ascot Chase.

2011/12 National Hunt season: novice chasing

Al Ferof switched to fences the following season and made his chasing debut in the Grade 2 November Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, which he won easily by seven lengths from Astracad.^[11] He then stepped up in class for the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in December. Sent off the 4/11 favourite, Al Ferof was forced to work unexpectedly hard to repel future Scilly Isles Novices' Chase winner For Non Stop by a neck.^[12]

Paul Nicholls next pitted Al Ferof against seasoned chasers in the Grade 1 Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot in January.^[13] Kept wide by Ruby Walsh, Al Ferof jumped well but was outpaced by Somersby and subsequent Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow.^[14] Afterwards, Walsh suggested that the King George VI Chase over three miles at Kempton would suit the horse, who appeared more of a stayer.

Despite the reverse, Al Ferof stayed at two miles for a rematch with Sprinter Sacre, who was unbeaten in two starts over fences, in the Grade 1 Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. Sent off at 3/1, Al Ferof attempted to pressurise Sprinter Sacre on the far side of the course, but made a bad mistake four out and dropped away to finish a distant fourth behind Sprinter Sacre, Cue Card and 2010 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Menorah.^[15]

Al Ferof completed his first season chasing in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles at Aintree. Although the favourite, Al Ferof ran a rather lifeless race to finish third to Menorah and stablemate Cristal Bonus.^[16]

2012/13 National Hunt season

Al Ferof made his seasonal debut in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, a race his trainer Paul Nicholls had never won. He was given the weight of top weight of 11 st 8 lbs and, in very soft conditions, stayed on stoutly to defeat Walkon by three lengths. Trainer Paul Nicholls called it “a stunning performance”.^[17] After the race, the King George on Boxing Day was announced as his target, and he was cut to around 5/1 second favourite behind Long Run for the race.

On 17 December 2012, Paul Nicholls announced that Al Ferof had “a small nick in a tendon”,^[18] and would miss the King George and the rest of the season. In a strange coincidence, his illustrious stablemate Big Buck’s, four time winner of the World Hurdle, suffered a similar injury at the same time. Owner John Hales announced that Al Ferof would probably need around twelve months off, but would hopefully be fit to race the following season.^[19]

References