Lanzarote seen as the perfect destination for Jipcot team

Kempton’s Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle is seen as the “perfect opportunity” for Jipcot to back up his impressive win at Newbury over the Christmas period and extend the Megson family’s winning streak.

Always held in the highest regard, the six-year-old underwhelmed in his first two starts for new training team Jonjo and AJ O’Neill.

However, a wind operation combined with a step up in trip worked the oracle at Newbury last month, with Jipcot serving a reminder of his talent to win by a bloodless six and a half lengths.

As short as 6-1 for Saturday’s £100,000 feature, the gelding now heads to the Sunbury venue with the chance to not only enhance his own reputation but also give his owners more cause for celebration after seeing their last three runners all find the scoresheet.

“We were really pleased with the win at Newbury, there’s not too many good races over two and a half miles but off his mark the Lanzarote looks a perfect opportunity,” said owner Andrew Megson.

“After the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las and then his run at Bangor, it was Jonjo who turned round and said he didn’t think he was a two-miler and to try him over two and a half because he has a really high cruising speed.

“But he also said he was convinced he had an issue with his wind and that you don’t stop like he was doing unless it is to do with wind.

“He had his wind done and all of a sudden he was a lot calmer before the race and the plan at Newbury was to put him to sleep and let his speed come through at the finish and it was a phenomenal run.”

This weekend’s Lanazarote bid has a familiar feel to it after Jipcot headed to March’s Imperial Cup with high hopes after a similarly impressive win in preparation.

The four-time winner could only finish a respectable third on that occasion, but having credited the persistence of the O’Neills for reviving Jipcot’s fortunes, Megson is confident the best is yet to be seen from Jipcot as he attempts to scale the ranks over timber.

“He is a proper horse and he is only six and what we will be doing with him is keeping him hurdling,” continued Megson.

“The guys at Jackdaws have said he has a very French hurdling style and he flicks the front of the hurdles and is very low over them.

“He didn’t take to fences last season, but Jonjo seems to think we should stay to hurdles and if we wanted he will get three miles.

“We think he is potentially very smart and he has done it well in one relatively big handicap, ran well in the Imperial Cup and did well in France, but he has to back Newbury up now.”