Sam Thomas saddles double at local course

Sam Thomas can look forward to having a fruitful time at Chepstow on Sunday as he saddled a double at his local course.

Based at The Hollies on the outskirts of Cardiff, the Gold Cup winning jockey has sent more of his string to Chepstow than any other track since entering the training ranks – a move that has paid off Zarmix took the first Cazoo Novices’ Hurdle.

Tzarmix was sent off at 16/5 against Tolworth Hurdle, second L’Astroboy, and smuggled into the race by Harry Cobden before aiming dead and rolling over his rival when Evan Williams was the odds favorite – the one at Betfair with had traded at least 1.01 – tired after the last one.

“We’re excited about him, he’s a work in progress,” said Thomas.

“I don’t want to get too carried away, the second horse was in front for a long time and in these conditions it probably didn’t suit him. It’s nice to beat a well praised horse, but I just hope the handicapper doesn’t take it literally. It’s a lonely old place up in Chepstow and it’s nice that we were able to target something and not really the other way around.

“Harry rode him to basically run well and I think if he rode him to win he wouldn’t have won, so it’s funny how it worked out.”

The winner will be left swimming in calm waters for now – with plenty of time to continue his race training.

“He still has so much to learn,” Thomas continued. “He’s not jumping very fluidly and he doesn’t show any respect for his hurdles at the moment, so he has to practice a lot at home. He was always the same, he doesn’t have much regard for a hurdle.

“Hopefully as he does more runs he will learn at work alongside his training at home. But it clearly has an engine and is a work in progress.”

Another string Thomas treasures is Shomen Uchiwho sailed to an easy 11-length win in the Cazoo Maiden Hurdle – Charlie Deutsch just had to point the 11/10 favorite in the right direction.

After running on credit in Class Two at Aintree last term, Shomen Uchi could return to the Merseyside track during next month’s Grand National Festival.

“It’s only a girl at the end of March, so I don’t want to get too carried away, but he’s a horse I like a lot,” said Thomas.

“For some reason we haven’t been able to get him as far out as I would have liked this season, but he’s very talented and loves soft ground. He will be a lovable time chaser.

“I’ve always thought highly of him and it just shows what they can achieve when not overwhelmed – the more time we give this horse the better it gets.

“We’ll see if the handicapper gives us a grade now and if it’s a rating that would justify us going to one of the handicaps then we’ll consider Aintree but it’s not the be-all and end-all if we don’t. don’t go there.”

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