Western Victory looking to make mark on UK debut Western Victory makes her first start since joining Emma Lavelle in the SBK Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday. The nine-year-old won eight times during spells with Colin Bowe and Declan Queally in Ireland, and has struck gold in Listed company on two occasions. She was last seen trouncing her rivals by 11 lengths at Clonmel, before changing hands for £80,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale a week later. Western Victory’s connections are hoping to get an immediate return on their investment in the £60,000 Grade Two contest. Lavelle’s husband and assistant, Barry Fenton, said: “She is a whip of a filly. We kind of know what you know, as much as you know on what we are seeing on the form. “She has won over two miles on good ground, she has won over three miles on soft ground, but all has gone well with her prep. “We have opted to go three miles with her, as you might not get your your own way over here as you would over two miles in Ireland. We’ll give her a starting point over three miles and see where we go. “She seems straightforward, but she is only small. It seems to be ‘pop out and go hard and hope you stay there’.” Dan Skelton saddles Molly Ollys Wishes, who goes back against her own sex after finishing last of five runners in Ascot’s Coral Hurdle in November. The Black Sam Bellamy mare also had the option of running at this weekend’s inaugural Winter Million meeting at Lingfield. “Ascot was always on the agenda. That was going to be her Gold Cup for the year. I just noticed the entries at Lingfield and thought we’ve got to make sure we’re entered her and give ourselves the option,” Skelton told Sky Sports Racing. “Ultimately then I left it up to the owner Dean Pugh what he wanted to do and he’s very keen to go to Ascot. It’s worth a little bit more money and it’s always been in the forefront of our minds. That’s been plan A and he was keen to stick to plan A and I think rightly so. “Although it looked a nice race for her at Lingfield, I feel she leads on numbers, and she’s got some very good recent form, at Ascot. I’m not afraid to go there. This is the race we targeted all year.” Willie Mullins, who claimed this prize with Vroum Vroum Mag in 2016, is this year represented by My Sister Sarah. Anythingforlove (Jamie Snowden), Whitehotchillifili (Harry Fry) and Emmpressive Lady (Sue Gardner) are the other hopefuls.
