Indefatigable shows no signs of tiring and looks set for Royal Ascot
Indefatigable
Paul Webber's Indefatigable is a talented national hunt horse but the Oxfordshire trainer is targeting the flat and a tilt at Royal Ascot this Summer.
Paul Webber's Indefatigable shows no signs of slowing down as the jumps season turns to the flat and the nine-year-old could be set for Royal Ascot.
The Cheltenham Festival winning hurdler has won on the flat before, taking a one mile, four furlong maiden at Pontefract last October.
A daughter of Schiaparelli, Indefatigable has been a loyal servant to Webber, racking up nearly £200,00 in prize money and still with plenty of miles in the tank.
A 2020 victory at the Cheltenham Festival in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at odds of 25/1 remains a career highlight for Indefatigable but Webber clearly thinks that there is more to come.
Now Webber is keen to keep his mare ticking over on a more level surface over the summer while the ground remains in good order.
A run at Sandown in the Group Three Henry II Stakes later this month is on the cards and then possibly a tilt at a race at Royal Ascot, capping a brilliant 12 months for the versatile female.
"She's come out of Sandown very well indeed and I've had a good hard look at the Flat programme. The problem is there isn't a little novice race that's not going to be a little sharp for her over say a mile and three (furlongs) or an easy mile and a half," explained Webber.
"So, I think we might take a bit of a punt and stick her in the Henry II at Sandown, because that track suits her very well. Often that race will only have six or seven runners and we'll know exactly where we are for the next step."
The Cropredy Lawn handler already has a couple of Royal Ascot winners under his belt, scoring in the 2002 Wolferton Stakes with Ulundi and also in 2007 via Full House in the Ascot Stakes. The Ascot Stakes remains a tempting test for Webber and Indefatigable with the Oxfordshire trainer resisting the urge to supplement for the Gold Cup.
He continued: "Royal Ascot is certainly on the radar, but she would need another run to qualify for the Ascot Stakes. But obviously there is the Queen Alexandra if, for whatever reason, she didn't get a mark or she got a mark that was too high for the Ascot Stakes. I don't think we will be supplementing her at 37 grand for the Gold Cup though!"
The Royal Ascot meeting runs from Tuesday, June 14 to Saturday, June 18 at Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, England. The meeting is described as a "spellbinding explosion of the senses, featuring an all-star cast and world-class racing."
