Northern Raiders: O'Keeffe issues rallying cry

Having been born too late to enjoy what the 80s had to offer, my knowledge of the decade is rather limited, and most of what I do know can be traced back to my parents.  Dad still seethes with indignation when recounting Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup, while photos of my mum reveal a permed hairstyle, one similar to many of the footballers at the same event.

Much has changed in my lifetime, however. Mum now fashions a far sleeker do, for a start, while Dad rarely takes an interest in the embarrassment that is the England national team these days, angered by too much diving and too little passion. 

A look through the history books demonstrates how much has changed in the landscape of National Hunt racing, too. The 1980s were a golden age for jumps racing in the north, with Peter Easterby, Jimmy Fitzgerald, Michael Dickinson (twice) and Arthur Stephenson all sending out the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in that time. Peter Beaumont, who trained in Brandsby in North Yorkshire, was only a little late in adding his name to that list, sending out Jodami to win by two lengths from Rushing Wild in 1993.

The fortunes of northern-trained runners have been on the slide since, though. There have been no further winners of the Gold Cup or the Champion Hurdle in that time, while 20 years have now passed since Gordon Richards won the Champion Chase with One Man.

Only four at the time, I sadly have no memories of the popular grey storming up the hill to gain a deserved first success at the Festival, but at least the three Stayers’ (or World) Hurdle victories of Inglis Drever – trained by Howard Johnson in County Durham – are in there, his terrier-like style of racing firmly imprinted on the brain.

Ten years on from Inglis Drever’s final triumph, and there is another leading northern-trained contender for what looks a wide-open renewal of the race this time round. There are similarities between Inglis Drever and Sam Spinner, too, with the Timeform race report describing his latest success in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot as an effort “built on good jumping, abundant stamina and a very willing attitude”, an assessment with which his trainer Jedd O’Keeffe concurs.

“I think those comments are right on the button,” O’Keeffe agrees. “I think he is very genuine, a real athlete, and he’s got a huge amount of stamina. I think he’s a relentless galloper and the penny’s dropped. Now we can truly see how good he is.”

Sam Spinner is verging on top class already, joint-top on weight-adjusted ratings with doubtful runner Apple’s Jade, and it would certainly be no surprise if there were more to come, still only six after all. Described as “a big baby” by his trainer last year, he has progressed with every one of his three starts this term, for all that O’Keeffe felt he still did plenty wrong when second on his seasonal/handicap debut at Chepstow in October.

“I think it was inexperience that got him beat at Chepstow,” Jedd explains. “The problem was his novice season was cut short and suddenly you’re starting off this year as a handicapper off a mark of 136. And Chepstow did find him out, but he showed a huge amount of promise and we knew, having seen that, how much he could improve when he really learnt his job.

Sam Spinner (6-1) easily wins the @Betfair Stayers' Hurdle @HAYDOCKRACES and is a winning selection for @Louchepunter.

Results ▶️ https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx

Tips ▶️ https://t.co/DMBQOz8ALP pic.twitter.com/9Mm0doqdhu

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) November 25, 2017

“Going into Haydock, I knew we had a smart handicapper with potentially some improvement, but I was shocked by how well he won [by 17 lengths]. And it was after Haydock that it really came through to me how much he’d grown up and how much natural ability he had.”

Sam Spinner clearly has far more ability than any other jumper O’Keeffe has ever trained, as this year will be the first time that the Leyburn man has ever had runners at the Cheltenham Festival, never mind a horse with a serious chance in one of the championship races. He readily admits that this is new territory for him, with ATR, ITV, and BBC Look North among those sending television crews to the yard, and there are understandably plenty of nerves with the big day fast approaching.

“It’s been a little bit overwhelming really, but at the same time we’re very flattered that people want to come and see us – they obviously think that we’ve got a good horse!

“Obviously we’re nervous and slightly anxious. Every day I’m walking into his box and looking out for a cough or a lame step. We know how lucky we are to have struck on one like him when we have so few jumpers. We’ve just felt, since Ascot, like we’ve been in a bit of a bubble.

“A winner at Cheltenham with him would just be incredible. It would be great for us and our family, but also the owners and all of our staff. They all work so hard and, for some of them, it would be a once in a lifetime thing being involved in a Grade 1 winner at the Festival."

A superb performance from SAM SPINNER to hold on and win the @JLTGroup Reve De Sivola Longwalk Classic in fine style at Ascot pic.twitter.com/bpSzMK25Cr

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) December 23, 2017

Sam Spinner is one of several key runners set to represent the north in Grade 1s at the Festival, along with the Brian Ellison-trained Definitly Red in the Gold Cup, and O’Keeffe would love nothing more than a return to the days of when Michael Dickinson, Peter Easterby and co dominated the sport.

“I’m very keen to be part of the flag-flying for the north,” he explains. “We want a resurgence of jumping in the north and, although I’m predominantly a Flat trainer, it’s been a crying shame watching how the north has struggled with jumpers over the last few years.”

Ellison himself echoed those sentiments, stressing that Malton, from where Jimmy Fitzgerald sent out Forgive ‘N Forget to win the blue riband in 1985, is as good a place as anywhere to train jumpers. He shares a laugh with office manager Mandy when asked if there would be a party should they follow suit, but it is obvious how much any winner at the Festival would mean to him, too.

Gold Cup contender Definitly Red (@Timeform rated 167+) and trainer @BERacingLtd braving the cold in Malton this morning pic.twitter.com/5HIAOLDRjS

— Adam Houghton (@hought94) March 1, 2018

“We’re not the biggest yard, we only have about 60 jumpers. But I think for the yard and the area, it would be good [to win the Gold Cup]. I’ve had a few run well at Cheltenham, Bothy got beat in a photo and Nietzsche last year jumped the last in front.

“It would just be nice to have a winner, but you know what it’s like. Look at Willie Mullins last year, things didn’t look so good the first two days, then he came out with a four-timer!”

The Gold Cup and a first four finish are the chief goals for Definitly Red at this stage – a Grand National bid is said to be unlikely whatever the outcome at Cheltenham – and Ellison holds out hope that the nine-year-old could even bridge the 5 lb-gap between himself and Might Bite on weight-adjusted ratings, with that rival’s form failing to convince the Newcastle-born handler.

“With Native River and Might Bite in it, it’s going to be a strongly-run Gold Cup. 5 lb is not a lot is it and would Might Bite be favourite if he wasn’t Nicky Henderson’s? I don’t think the form of the King George is great, everyone thought he was idling but I thought he was emptying.

“Our lad’s improved loads this year, he’s a better horse at home – he’s got a lot more speed at home now. He always looked like he was going to be a good horse and I think he thinks he’s a good horse now.

An impressive round of jumping from Definitly Red (7-1) who wins the BetBright Trial Cotswold Chase for trainer Brian Ellison and jockey Danny Cook. pic.twitter.com/t3Q1LgG7mb

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) January 27, 2018

“The only times he’s disappointed have been when the ground’s been holding and tacky. He definitely doesn’t like that. I think the ground’s going to be key, but he stays well and jumps well, and that’s two things you’ve got to have.”

“Good jumping, abundant stamina and a very willing attitude” were the words used to describe Sam Spinner at Ascot and, in the shape of Definitly Red, the north has a second string to its Cheltenham bow with very similar qualities. You could ask for little more in a Grade 1 contender heading there. We only ask that we could have a few more of them...