Brentford Hope fuels Hughes optimism for a big day, but only on desperate ground

Richard Hughes missed his Sunday morning kickabout near Lambourn to head to the East Midlands, but was chuffed to see stable star Brentford Hope hit the back of the net in the 1m½f feature.

"The drive's a lot shorter coming home when they win like that, but he got his ground," stressed the trainer, whose winner was given a typically cool ride by Jamie Spencer.

"He didn't get his ground at Windsor last time when it was more good and, jumping into a Listed race on his first run of the year, he was going flat out.

"Today was only soft and the heavier the ground, the better."

Richard Hughes: trainer will be guided by the weatherCredit: Edward Whitaker

Owned by Bernardine and Sean Mulryan, Brentford Hope is 16-1 (from 33) with Paddy Power and Betfair for the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, but Hughes will reach for his top hat and tails only if the heavens open.

"We'll go wherever he'll get his ground," he said.

"In a really good race, he'd have to have really bad ground, but he was stuffed in a Listed race, so don't get carried away. He's won on soft ground on the bridle, but he's a bridle horse and there weren't six more lengths hidden under Jamie's hands there.

"He does everything on the bridle and when it's really soft, it suits those horses.

"We'll duck and dive and look for our ground, and there'll be an entry in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day as some years the ground is that bad he could be placed in it."

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