A One-Two Carlisle Celebration in the Betway Silver Bowl Handicap

Saturday (30th May) marked an unforgettable day for the team at Beechdown as we celebrated a fantastic one-two finish in the Betway Silver Bowl Handicap, with Carlisle hosting the prestigious mile contest after an abandoned card at Haydock, and proved it to be a day to remember. 

Represented by Blue Courvoisier and Langstone, we arrived with two progressive three-year-olds whose recent form suggested they could be competitive. Even so, we could hardly have hoped for a better outcome than the one that we watched unfold. 

With Saffie Osbourne at the helm, Blue Courvoisier broke smartly and was quickly able to take advantage of the strong early pace. Settling into a prominent position, the high-cruising colt soon established himself at the head of affairs and set about dictating the race from the front. 

Meanwhile, closely tracking behind on the outside sat Rob Hornby on Langstone. Having already won together twice this season on this gelding’s last consecutive runs, the pair are well acquainted and this was nicely showcased throughout Langstone’s toughest assignment to date on his Handicap debut. 

Turning for home, it looked undecided who might step up to take on Blue Courvoisier who continued to travel strongly at the front, but Langstone was beginning to close the gap. Thundering for home inside the final furlong, it was a nail biting finish as Jack Channon’s Crest Of Fire emerged as a principal challenger, but Blue Courvoisier showed admirable determination to fend off rivals in this polished, start to finish victory. Langstone also stayed on gamely to secure a commendable second place, finishing a length and a half behind his stablemate and completing a memorable one-two for the yard.

This result marks the third time we have now taken home this title, which is a fantastic achievement in itself, but to have secured second place as well is a testament to the excellent form the horses have been showing at home and to the hard work of the entire team behind the scenes. Attention now turns to Royal Ascot, with considered entries for both of these horses in the Britannia Stakes. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing what they can achieve on racing's biggest stage.

Congratulations to Alan Spence and Ify Madueke on Blue Courvoisier's first handicap success, and to all connections of Teme Valley for Langstone's highly commendable runner-up effort.