Harry Derham sets sights on Dublin Racing Festival with Queens Gamble

Harry Derham is planning another raid on Ireland, this time with smart mare Queens Gamble.

The Berkshire handler landed a valuable handicap at Fairyhouse with Washington at the start of this month and has his eye on more Emerald Isle riches.

Queens Gamble returned from a lengthy absence with an encouraging second behind Navajo Indy in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury, when doing her best work late on over two miles.

Derham told OLBG: “It took a little while to get over it, she was quite quiet for a fortnight. She’s fine again now, back cantering.

“We’re going to go to the Dublin Racing Festival, there’s a mares’ 0-140 handicap hurdle, two and a quarter miles – we think this will suit her very well. So that is where we’re going, she’ll go straight there.”

Looking further ahead to the Cheltenham Festival, he added: “That will tell us if she’s a Mares’ Hurdle horse or a Coral Cup/County type of horse. We haven’t seen the best of her yet.”

As for Washington, his next target is set to be the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on February 8.

Reflecting on the Fairyhouse success, Derham said: “It’s just one of those magic days. He got a great run round – like the guys behind him just left him alone.

“He had a hare in front of him going a real good gallop, like it was set up. It was the perfect storm for Washington to put in a career-best and he did.

“We’re going to run him in the Betfair Hurdle now. Mr Syder and Mr Burke (owners) are very involved with Newbury, obviously it’s one of their biggest races of the season and he’ll deserve his place.

“He’s up 10lb and that will make life considerably tougher. No illusions that the Betfair Hurdle will be a very difficult race, but he deserves his chance. It’s nice to have an improving eight-year-old in the yard.”

Givemefive, who has golf stars Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka among his owners, was unfortunate to come up against a couple of smart rivals in Anzadam and Kala Conti at Fairyhouse and all roads now lead to the County Hurdle for him.

“He’s fairly treated where he is off his mark at the moment; he didn’t get a great run round at Fairyhouse but he’s better than that, in my opinion,” said Derham.

“I’d like to get him to the County in really good shape. Whether he has a spin on the Flat or runs in a Scottish County Hurdle or a Betfair Hurdle, we need to think about that – but the County is our main objective for this spring.”