Wells De Lune goes for hat-trick win in Cartmel Cup
23/08/2018
Wells De Lune will bid to make it three wins from three runs at Cartmel this season when he goes for the £20,000 William Hill Cartmel Cup, the feature race of the first day of the August Bank Holiday meeting on Saturday.
Pembrokeshire trainer Peter Bowen confirmed that the seven-year-old, who has taken to Cartmel like the proverbial duck to water, will attempt to make it three wins and for a third different jockey!
“Yes, he will be running on Saturday all being well and Sean will be riding” Bowen confirmed, “and we are hoping that it will be a hat-trick of wins”.
Wells De Lune paid his first ever visit to the Cumbrian course in June when, ridden by amateur Peter Bryan, whose father is a part owner of the horse, he took command on the long run in to win the John Smith’s Extra Smooth Amateur Riders Handicap Hurdle.
And he was back at Cartmel last month when he carried Jo Hughes to a brilliant victory in the Banks Lyon Jewellers Lady Riders Handicap Hurdle.
He faces a much stiffer task on Saturday off a mark 12lbs higher than when he won in June and in what is shaping up to be a high-quality contest, but with the talented Sean Bowen in the saddle will not be beaten easily.
Leading the opposition is likely to be another course and distance winner Volcanic, which is expected to be Donald McCain’s main representative in a race which he has four entries left to choose from.
The winner of three of his eight races at Cartmel, Volcanic has bounced back to his best this season and after beating Allfredandnobell on July 1, returned for the William Hill Cumbria Crystal Cup just under three weeks later and was three lengths clear and going strongly when falling at the last.
Cartmel’s leading jockey Brian Hughes, the unlucky rider on that occasion, is set to take the ride again on Saturday.
Local trainer James Moffatt has a strong team entered including multi course winner Lough Kent, who has been below his best this season, but would be a major threat if repeating last year’s run in the race when he finished fourth.
Moffatt has an outside chance of claiming the £1,000 bonus prize attached to the five race Hadwins Motor Group Mares Only Series, which comes to a conclusion with the final leg on Saturday.
To do so, he has to finish first and second with Bon Chic and Lapalala and current leader Dianne Sayer’s entry Da Dou Ron Ron not take part.
Both trainers will be anxiously scanning the overnight entry stage as the race is currently over-subscribed and Da Dou Ron Ron is first to be balloted out and Lapalala third should more than 12 be declared.
