Cromwell building up strong jumping team Gavin Cromwell continues to improve the quality at his County Meath yard and, having filled fifth spot in the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship, will hope to progress further with an exciting group of novice chasers for next season headed by Darver Star but also including the likes of Alfa Mix and Jeremy’s Flame. Alfa Mix was a highly progressive handicapper over hurdles last term winning the Tara Handicap Hurdle at Navan and signing off with a creditable seventh in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham. Jeremy’s Flame, Grade 2 placed in bumpers, beat all bar Fiddlerontheroof in the Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown in January before her season was cut short when finishing lame on her latest outing at Leopardstown. “Alfa Mix and Jeremy’s Flame are two that will probably go chasing. “Alfa Mix came from point-to-points so he’s already jumped fences. He was up with the pace in the Coral Cup but got a soft enough lead so I wouldn’t blame the way the race was run. He just got tired in the last furlong. He’s a big raw horse and hopefully a summers grass will do him the world of good. “Jeremy’s Flame was lame after her last run at Leopardstown. She’s fine again and is gone out on a summer break. There is a good chance that she will go chasing next year. “She’d some good form in bumpers and over hurdles and she jumps well over a fence.” Cromwell won the Welsh National and the Cork National in the past with Raz De Maree and he has a number of candidates for staying handicap chases. “Jimmil and Tokyo Getaway are both staying chasers and the two of them could be aimed at some of those longer distance chases — races like the Munster National and Cork National or a Porterstown Chase. “Jimmil won well in Navan and the track suited him much better than Downpatrick which he didn’t handle at all last time. The place was too quick for him and the ground dried out a lot on the day. “Tokyo Getaway also handles soft ground. She was good in Clonmel where it was bottomless but she is versatile enough and will go on most types of ground. She’s gone on a break as well.” Wolf Prince would have been on his Cheltenham team this year but for a slight injury. The dual-purpose son of Pour Moi won twice over hurdles last season and was runner-up to A Wave Of The Sea when last seen in the Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival. “Wolf Prince gave himself a little knock but he’s fine again and is out on a break now. We might try and get him out for the likes of Listowel. He could go for the Lartigue Hurdle while he’s also still a maiden on the Flat so that is another option as well. “He might have gone for the Triumph but for getting that knock as he would have nearly had top-weight in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. He’s not a bad little horse. “We’re hoping to have about 70 horses which is a nice number. Like everyone we are always trying to increase the standard and hopefully we can. “We got some nice point-to-point horses from the Cheltenham Sale this year and are looking forward to them for next year.”
