'Training looks easy so far!' - Listed bumper joy for rookie Brookhouse with Aslukgoes

Ben Brookhouse had his tongue well and truly in his cheek when he said training horses was easy, but he seems to be making a fine fist of it and that point was underlined when his Aslukgoes won the Listed bumper.

Owned and bred by the trainer's father Roger, the five-year-old was obliging just two days after Sarsons Risk had given Brookhouse his first success at Doncaster.

Officially training since December, Brookhouse has a broad depth of knowledge having honed his skills with Henry de Bromhead and Ian Williams, who saddled Aslukgoes to win two bumpers last summer. And the five-year-old had him beaming with delight in beating Masaccio a length and a quarter under Jack Quinlan – after he had been thumbing the racing calendar.

"Training looks easy so far, doesn't it?" he said. 

"That was very good. I had him ready to go for a bumper in December at Ascot, but that was abandoned and then there was temptation to go for another race at Lingfield, but that was also called off.

"The more racing he's getting, the better he's getting, and after three days in Newmarket he walked round like he owned the place. 

"Jack rode him in work in the week and he went nicely, while he's been very straightforward to train, even if the racing programme has been difficult for him."

Aslukgoes is by Yorgunnabelucky, whom Brookhouse snr raced.

"We had this horse at Ian's and he put in all the groundwork," the winning trainer added. "Ian taught me how to deal with him."

Thinking of future targets, Brookhouse said: "I wouldn't have thought about Cheltenham. The festival is great and I've got a great team of horses, but it's my first year training and these horses have got to last me. 

"Aintree could be more up his street, but I honestly don't know. The target was to get some black type for the stallion so we'll sit down with Dad and discuss it."

Serein shock in opener

A flying visit from Portugal was worthwhile for owner Andy Ralph, whose Coeur Serein landed the opening 2m7½f novice handicap chase.

The race was won by Bravemansgame 12 months ago, who has since landed the King George, and winning trainer Jonjo O'Neill joked: "That's the plan for this horse – he'll win it easily!"

Coeur Serein and Jonjo O'Neill Jr (left) get the better of Unanswered Prayers in the novice handicap chaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Taking a more serious view of the three-runner race in which 4-6 favourite McFabulous was pulled up, O'Neill added: "We were running for place money behind McFabulous, but he'd have got more than £3,000 for finishing third and that's better than schooling at home."

Ralph, sporting a pink and blue tie to match the silks of Coeur Serein, was also in playful mood.

He said: "We'll do whatever the boss wants to do and I live in Portugal, so it was an exciting race to fly in for. I've two in training with Jonjo and have been an owner with him since 2018. 

"Why Jonjo? He'd hit me otherwise!"

Rising star Houlihan

Niall Houlihan continued his flying form when delivering the Gary Moore-trained Love Is Golden – an 84-rated Flat horse formerly trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston – to a debut success in the 2m½f novice hurdle.

"He's had a good time of things at the minute," trainer's son Josh Moore said of the winning rider. "I said to him the other day, 'you'd fall out a window and you'd go up at the minute, wouldn't you!' He's in good form."

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