Lavelle's got a cracking chance with Jack the lad

Jack’s back: Crack Away Jack runs in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham

13 April 2012

Success at last year's Cheltenham Festival has whetted Emma Lavelle's appetite for more glory at jump racing's premier fixture.

Crack Away Jack gave the Hampshire-based trainer the biggest success of her career to date in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle last March.

And it is the five-year-old who will again spearhead her team with a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.

"It was tremendously exciting last year and it would be lovely to think we could go and try to win another race with him at the Festival," Lavelle said.

"It has definitely made me hungry for more success there."

Crack Away Jack disappointed when last of five to Binocular and Celestial Halo in the rearranged Boylesports.com International at Ascot in December and Lavelle (right) felt the horse needed a break after having had three races in a 10-week spell.

She added: "It certainly was the plan to give him a mid-winter break after Ascot. He just bubbled over the top and I wanted to freshen him up.

"The way the weather has been, it would have been difficult to find another race before Cheltenham anyway, so it's actually worked out pretty well.

"He'd had three races within quick succession and I think I just needed to let him down, freshen him back up and then bring him back up to fitness.

"He's cantering away and doing a bit of stronger work and I'm very happy with him. He's fresh and looks great."

Lavelle, 34, who has been training for 11 years, has replaced Crack Away Jack's regular jockey Jack Doyle with the more experienced Noel Fehily for the Champion Hurdle but she also has an interesting candidate for a follow-up win in the Fred Winter this year in Amore Mio.

She said: "If the ground came up soft, that would definitely suit him.

"He won well at Sandown last time and has followed a similar pattern of races to Crack Away Jack from last year. He's a versatile type of horse and very tough.

"Realistically, we'll probably have the biggest number we've ever had going there.

"Pause And Clause won at Kempton last time and is in the Ballymore as an option, and we are considering Chariot Charger for the Albert Bartlett.

"If the ground came up okay for Kangaroo Court he'd go for the Supreme Novices', so we've got a few this year.

"We were held up a little by the wintry weather but nothing too drastic. We've probably missed a couple of bits of work but were able to keep them cantering, so it's not been too bad."

One horse missing from Lavelle's Cheltenham string this year is Labelthou. The nine-year-old mare, who has run at the last two Festivals, has been retired.

She won six of her 17 starts over hurdles, including four Grade 2 events, and has been sent to France to be covered by Gold Away, the sire of Crack Away Jack.

Lavelle said: "She'd done enough miles on the track. I think she'd just had enough."

"Gold Away is the sire of Crack Away Jack so, hopefully, that will be the start of a future generation. The plan is for me to have her offspring."

Who knows? In about five years' time, Lavelle could be celebrating the product of that match in the winner's enclosure at Cheltenham.

MORE ABOUT

Hampshire

Lavelle's got a cracking chance with Jack the lad

Read More