'It's a dream': Hales sets sights on Supreme with flagbearer For Pleasure

Alex Hales will sidestep some top novice hurdle races during the winter with stable star For Pleasure, with a "dream" appearance in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle the major spring target for his Grade 2 winner.

The trainer lowered the colours of some top jumps yards with his five-year-old at Cheltenham's November meeting, where For Pleasure put in a remarkable front-running performance when winning impressively by three and three-quarter lengths.

That victory capped off an extraordinary rise by For Pleasure, who has improved 36lb since his hurdles debut at Market Rasen in July, and after showing a strong dislike for racing right-handed previously, Hales will resist the temptation to run him in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January.

He will instead wait to test his star's credentials at the top level for the first time in the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival in March, for which he is a best-priced 50-1 shot.

Alex Hales: trains Cheltenham winner For PleasureCredit: David Carr

"He's very well. He came out of the race in really good form, but he has been on the go since the early summer, so I suspect he'll end up having a mini-break now and then come back," Hales said. "We might start back with a prep run somewhere and then on to the spring festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree, but we can also go straight there.

"It's a dream. We're only a small yard with 25 horses, so to have a horse like him and do what he did is hugely exciting. It gives the whole yard a boost and it's a really fun time at the moment."

For Pleasure's Cheltenham success is Hales's most notable in his training career, and while 2020 will want to be forgotten by many, the Oxfordshire trainer has had a memorable year, with his maiden Grade 2 victory accompanied by Huntsman Son's Listed success at Wetherby last month and Smooth Stepper's Grand National Trial win in February.

Watch For Pleasure's impressive Cheltenham victory

Harry Bannister rode For Pleasure and Smooth Stepper to their respective triumphs and Hales stressed how important the rider is to his flagbearer.

"Harry is riding well and knows For Pleasure brilliantly, we're pleased to have him as part of the team," he added. "Kielan Woods normally rides the main bunch of my horses but unfortunately he's banned at the moment, so to have them both on our team is brilliant.

"Every trainer strives for these big-race victories, it's what we work for. Luck has been going our way for the last year and we have had some lovely wins. We have plenty to look forward to as well, which is really exciting."

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