By Bill Finley
Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in U.S. steeplechase racing. He's been leading steeplechase trainer 25 times, has trained 15 champions and has won every major steeplechase race run in the U.S.-many of them numerous times. But the native of Ashwell, Hertfordshire, England who came to America in 1961 has never won a race in Europe. In the months ahead, he hopes to change that.
With the U.S. steeplechase season having ended Nov. 15 and because only a limited number of races were held this year due to the coronavirus, Sheppard has a barn full of fresh horses who could be sitting on wins. Rather than waiting until next spring for them to race again, Sheppard has mapped out a bold plan to send some of his best horses to Europe.
Six Sheppard-trained horses arrived in Ireland on Nov. 24. They are based at James Doyle's stables in Wexford and the string is being overseen by Sheppard's assistant, Keri Brion. Gerard Galligan, a native of Ireland who was the leading steeplechase rider in the U.S. this year, will be working with Brion.
“There's no steeplechase racing here in the winter and most of these horses only ran once or twice this year,” said Sheppard. “We thought it would be a fun thing to do and could be productive. It used be that our horses had a pretty busy summer schedule here and then we gave them a break over the winter. It didn't work out that way this year because racing was curtailed. They're not super horses but they are good horses. They are all sound and fit and ready to go.”
Lonesome Glory is the only U.S.-trained steeplechase horse to have won in Europe. In 1992, he won the Sport of Kings Challenge at Cheltenham. He returned in 1995 and won a race at Sandown. Sheppard twice sent his top horse at the time, Flatterer, to Europe. He finished second in the French Champion Hurdle in 1986 and was also second in the 1987 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Sheppard's return to Europe comes at a time where he is enjoying an unexpected resurgence. The trainer, who will turn 80 Wednesday, was edged out for the trainer title in 2011 and finished behind Jack Fisher over each of the next eight years. But everything clicked for Sheppard this year as his 20 wins from 79 starters was more than enough for him to reclaim his position on top of the steeplechase standings. Sheppard sewed up the training title with four wins at Charleston on the final day of the jumps season.
“It's just the way the chips fell,” he said. “You do the same thing every year. Some of our borderline horses turned out to be better than that and it was the reverse with a couple of other horses trained by other people. It's not just how good our horses were. You're only as good as the horses you are running against. I was very happy for the owners because they are loyal and supportive and they deserved to have some success.”
He said he will not be making the trip overseas.
“I'm turning 80 in a couple of days and I don't get around quite as nimbly as I did at one time,” he said. “My assistant has been with me for about 10 years and has been over there and knows the ropes.”
Sheppard hopes his momentum carries over to the European campaign. His best chance of success could come with Winston C (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). The 6-year-old gelding began his career in Europe before selling at the 2018 Tattersalls February Sale and being exported to the U.S. He won two Grade I races in 2019 and was named champion steeplechase horse that year. Plagued by minor problems, he has not started in 2020. Sheppard is hopeful he can make it to the Cheltenham Festival.
“He had a minor problem at the end of last year,” he said. “I was nothing major like a bowed tendon or a fracture. He just wasn't quite himself so we took our time with him and hopefully it has paid off. We are hoping to race him at Cheltenham. We will give him a race or two and then see if he's good enough. If any of our horses are going to make it to Cheltenham he'd most likely be the one. He's a pretty nice horse. But we don't want to run at Cheltenham just to say we had a runner at Cheltenham. We want to be competitive.”
Winston C may make his return to competition at Punchestown on Dec. 31.
With U.S. jumpers having run so few times in Europe, it may be difficult to know where the horses belong. After Winston C, the best of the group is French Light (Fr) (Muhtathir) {GB}), a two-time winner this year, including an allowance race at Saratoga. Baltimore Bucko (GB) (Sholokhov {Ire}), a lightly raced 4-year-old, has shown promise and ended his year with an allowance win. Clondaw Camp (Ire) (Sans Frontieres {Ire}) was an easy winner of his only start in 2019. Fancy Pance (Ire) (Arcadio {Ger}) is a maiden. Francois (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) has not started since winning in France at Maisons-Laffitte in 2018.
“I am really looking forward to this,” Sheppard said. “It's a new angle, something we haven't attempted before. We shipped the odd horse over there but have never done anything like this. It will be interesting to see how it all works out.”
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