Thomas plans to launch a simultaneous attack on the Coral Gold Cup
Sam Thomas Aims to Join Elite Club in Coral Gold Cup
Sam Thomas is on a mission to achieve a remarkable feat in horse racing as he bids to become just the third man ever to both ride and train the winner of the prestigious Coral Gold Cup. This Saturday, he will saddle two contenders, Stolen Silver and Our Power, in the feature race at Newbury.
The exclusive club currently consists of only Andy Turnell and Paul Nicholls who have accomplished this double success. However, Thomas is halfway towards completing this notable achievement. In 2007, he rode Denman to victory under trainer Paul Nicholls during their Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning season.
This year, Thomas has high hopes for Stolen Silver. The eight-year-old gelding recently made an impressive comeback at Chepstow after a successful three-mile debut run. With only Ahoy Senor above him in the handicap ratings, Stolen Silver carries a manageable burden into the race.
Thomas believes there is potential for further improvement over staying distances: “The style in which he won at Chepstow was really pleasing. He jumped brilliantly and saw out the trip well,” explained Thomas enthusiastically. “I think there’s more to come from him over longer distances.”
While acknowledging that it can be difficult to predict how horses will perform over extreme trips until they actually compete, Thomas remains optimistic about Stolen Silver’s stamina: “He seems much more relaxed this season at home which indicates his desire for an extended distance challenge.”
Newbury Racecourse offers ideal conditions for testing Stolen Silver’s endurance with its flat track and fast pace: “You need to stay very well there,” said Thomas confidently about his chances of success.
In addition to Stolen Silver, Sam Thomas also trains Our Power who shares the same ownership with Walters Plant Hire and Potter Group. Our Power achieved back-to-back victories in staying handicaps at Ascot and Kempton last season but struggled in the Grand National to finish well behind the leaders.
Prior to the Coral Gold Cup, Our Power had a warm-up run over hurdles at Newbury. Although Thomas would have preferred a chase race as preparation, he did not want to risk winning again and potentially affecting his handicap weight for this important event: “Hopefully he is still off a workable mark,” Thomas expressed cautiously.
Our Power is known for being laid-back and reserved, making it difficult to gauge his form during training sessions. However, after his recent hurdle race outing, Thomas believes that Our Power has shaken off any cobwebs: “He’s come out of the race nicely and we’ve had time to give him some more work,” said Thomas optimistically.
In conclusion, Sam Thomas is hoping that both Stolen Silver and Our Power will deliver strong performances in their quest for victory at the Coral Gold Cup. With intriguing prospects for success over longer distances and careful preparations leading up to this prestigious race, Thomas aims to join an elite club of accomplished jockeys-turned-trainers who have tasted triumph on multiple fronts.