Cheltenham G2 win for Golan Way
14th November 2008
Golan Way (4g Golan-Silk Daisy, by Barathea) made it four wins from as many runs over hurdles at Cheltenham on Friday when running out a deeply impressive winner of the G2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle.
Sheena West’s stable star was quoted at 16/1 by Ladbrokes for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle back at the Cheltenham Festival in March and the son of Golan looks to have an exciting season ahead of him. The four-year-old - who was bred in Wales by Lewis Caterers - was having his first start since June as he finished a length and a quarter clear of Over Sixty in the G2 contest under jockey Jamie Goldstein. "I'm very, very lucky to have him," said West. "Jamie said he blew up coming down the hill and he actually needed the race. If he needed the race, bring on March and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle! "We knew that, as long as he was fit enough, he didn't want to let anything past him. He doesn't like other horses coming past him at home and nothing has ever been good enough to get that close to him before. We knew he would keep battling if they came at him, his attitude is so good. "He's totally got the right attitude for Cheltenham. The plan was to run him here, see what he thought of Cheltenham and the trip, and then we would decide whether we aim for March or take a different route with him. We found something out today anyway! "I'd like to train more horses, but no one sends them to me. We've had a second and a third at Cheltenham and this is our first winner at the track. You can't buy the feeling - it's our biggest winner to date. "I've made no plans, because it seemed a bit presumptuous to think about having a Cheltenham winner, but obviously we've got to be looking at the Supreme Novices' now. "He cost 13,000gns at the Doncaster Sales. What attracted me to him was that he was by Golan out of a Barathea mare, and they were two of my favourite horses. That was the first attraction, his form was good enough to go hurdling, and when I saw him I fell in love. Two days after we got him home we knew he was very good. We gave him a couple of canters and that said it all, but you can tell a Rolls Royce from a Mini." Goldstein added: "Flat racing didn't suit him, but just like his dad Golan, he tries so hard. I thought the ground might find him out, but he rallied off the bend. They were kind to me today and left me alone in front, which enabled me to get a couple of breathers into him. That said, he is improving."