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Nick Bradley Racing triple-handed in Woodcote

3 minute read

The Nick Bradley Racing ownership are triple-handed in Friday's Woodcote Stakes at Epsom with Land Lover heading the charge. He will be joined by Amy Murphy's Fifty Grand Slater and Kevin Philippart De Foy's Maymay.

Racecourse Epsom Downs in Great Britain Picture: Racing and Sports

A son of Land Force, Land Lover represents Yorkshire-based trainer Craig Lidster and was not disgraced on debut when fourth in a York novice event over five furlongs. The winner, Mon Na Slieve is expected to head to Royal Ascot and the second Mashadi has since placed in another hot novice stakes at Bath.

First-season sire Land Force is proving a bargain at his current fee of £5000 with two winners from thirteen runners, including Natural Force who holds an entry for the Group 2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh.

Lidster said: "He ran a good race at York in what looked a nice novice. Take nothing away from him, but he wasn't as fit as I would have liked that day and he has come on from that run. We're pretty sweet on him.

"It's giving the owners a nice day out and what will be will be, but I think six furlongs will suit. He was never a five-furlong horse in our eyes, but York is just down the road, and he needed the run. So we put him in that nice race to see what would happen and to be fair to him, he came up trumps and finished a nice fourth.

"That paved the way for thinking this horse could be above average and Nick Bradley thought while everyone is thinking of Ascot why don't we think Woodcote."

French-based jockey Cristian Demuro has been booked for Land Lover. Demuro is travelling to Epsom for the ride on Heartache Tonight in the Oaks.

Lidster explained the booking of Demuro over regular rider Sam James: "Nick said he rides a lot for him in France and was coming over for the meeting and asked if he could book him. Sam James has had to reroute up to Carlisle otherwise it would have been his ride."