Whitaker cements place amongst Hickstead greats

Robert Whitaker joined an elite group of riders to have lifted each the Derby and the Al Shira’aa King George V gold cup in the identical 12 months when he retained his stranglehold on Hickstead’s classics with a masterful efficiency on Vermento.

Rob and Caroline Blatchford’s stallion have now seized this CSIO 5* grand prix on the Agria Royal Worldwide Horse Present (RIHS) twice up to now three years, whereas Rob additionally claimed this 12 months’s Derby with Gents VH Veldhof.

“I used to be actually assured at present and generally you’ve these rounds that don’t work however my spherical labored all over the place, each flip, each stride I obtained was on the proper second,” Rob mentioned.

It was a robust week for Whitakers; Rob’s cousin James gained the Queen’s Cup on Simply Name Me Henry — who, like Vermento, is sired by John Whitaker’s Argento — and two of them remained within the operating for this €54,500 grand prix, making up half the four-man jump-off area.

There was lots of class on present from the Brits within the first spherical; 5 combos missed out by simply 4 faults — John Whitaker (Equine America Distinctive Du Francport), Matthew Sampson (Daniel), Jane Annett (Jywan), Mark Edwards (Dillinger) and Sammie-Jo Coffin, who had a foot within the water with the very constant Chaccomo Blue.

Nevertheless it was Rob’s cousin Donald, final 12 months’s winner on Millfield Collette, who delivered the one different British clear, this time driving the 14-year-old gelding Di Caprio.

They had been joined by Eire’s Jordan Coyle (Chaccolino) and the UAEs Omar Abdul Aziz AL Marzooqi driving the thrilling 11-year-old Take pleasure in De La Mure.

Excessive-stakes soar off delivers drama

The jump-off spherical Kelvin Bywater and Ben Townley’s observe was filled with drama, and demanded all the standard you’d count on for this historic class, whose strong gold trophy dates again to 1911.

First out Jordan and the 14-year-old Chacco Blue x Heartbreaker gelding attacked the course in a stunning open rhythm to set a worthy benchmark in 40.17sec.

“I don’t assume I might have performed something in another way, sadly!” mentioned Jordan, who completed thirf. “I most likely couldn’t have gone sooner or had that spherical once more, even when I had one other 20 makes an attempt at it. The horse has been wonderful not too long ago, for the previous six months he’s been clear each spherical he’s jumped however he’s simply not the quickest.”

Luck wasn’t shining on next-in Donald this 12 months, his good begin on Di Caprio was quashed on the double, when the gelding pecked on touchdown leaping in and needed to be pulled out of the second half.

It left the door open for Rob, who executed a scything line around the water to the closing oxer to axe 1.29sec off Jordan’s time.

“I watched Jordan’s spherical and I didn’t actually need to see something after that, he did all of the distances that I believed I used to be going to do and I knew I wanted to be a bit just like him,” Rob mentioned. “Vermento is a giant horse, however someway he’s really fairly quick. I’ve been quick indoors with him as effectively, if you’d assume he wouldn’t be, I feel he’s simply fast throughout the bottom.”

However there was nonetheless yet another rider, Omar, between Rob and glory and the UAE’s Al-Shira’aa-backed group, skilled by William Funnell, are a rising drive on the worldwide stage.

His spherical on the world-class Take pleasure in De La Mure was up on the clock, till he opted to take a verify on the ultimate oxer, crossing the road 0.86sec behind.

“To be trustworthy, within the jump-off I simply wished to be clear as a result of I’ve been unfortunate the previous couple of jump0offs and velocity lessons and I had the final fence twice within the Nations Cup,” he mentioned. “Lessons like this provide you with confidence and I’ll positively be again for extra.”

Rob’s efficiency ranks among the many elite

Solely three different — legendary — combos have matched Rob’s efficiency in profitable the Derby and King’s Cup in the identical 12 months. The primary had been whereas the occasions had been at totally different venues: David Broome with Mr Softee in 1966 and Harvey Smith with Mattie Brown in 1970.

The one rider to handle the feat after each occasions moved to Hickstead in 1992 was Rob’s uncle Michael, who landed them that 12 months with Monsanta and Midnight Insanity.

“He’s good, him!” Rob quipped.

Rob’s double King George victories are actually additionally near rivalling his father John’s three triumphs within the class: with Ryan’s Son in 1986, Milton in 1990 and Welham in 1997.

“I don’t assume he’ll be giving me another horses to trip now!” Rob added.

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