11 January 2024 , 18:05
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David Maxwell has suffered a devastating setback in his bid to fulfil a lifetime ambition at the Cheltenham Festival.
The jockey, who races as a hobby, has dreamed of winning the coveted St James's Place Festival Hunter Chase trophy. Known as the 'Gold Cup for amateur riders', it is run over an identical distance and timed for immediately after the feature prize at National Hunt racing's big event.
Every season, property developer Maxwell tries to find a horse good enough to run in the extremely competitive contest. And this time, for March 2024, he had the wheels in motion early on with course regular Simply The Betts.
The veteran chaser raced at the track on ten of his last 12 appearances, a record which included a handicap win at the 2020 Festival for ex-trainer Harry Whittington. But sadly last week, while being prepared for his hunter chase debut, the 11-year-old fell ill and could not be saved by vets.
He had been priced up at 25-1 with bookmakers Paddy Power for the prestigious race Nicholls has won with Earthmover (2004), Sleeping Night (2005) and Pacha Du Polder (2017-18) in the last 20 years.
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Describing what happened, Maxwell told PA: "I laid out a plan for the last 18 months that Simply The Betts was going to win the Foxhunters this year A Cheltenham specialist, he’s a two-and-a-half-miler but with his age he’ll get the trip, he’s eligible for hunter chasing.
Simply The Betts (right) winning the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival (PA)“He was going to go to Kelso next week to open his account in a hunter chase and he died last week from colic, we did all we could for him. It’s a microcosm of life and sadly it happens. That’s why you can’t really plan, you’ve just got to enjoy it and keep smiling."
In 24 races, Simply The Betts earned almost £160,000, but the Festival highlight four years ago was the last time he entered the winners' enclosure.
Formerly owned by Kate and Andrew Brooks, the veteran was acquired by Maxwell in 2022 and sent to Paul Nicholls. The 14-time champion trainer also prepared the rider's Festival contender that year, Bob And Co – a leading fancy before his race ended prematurely.
Maxwell, who recently returned from injury, has an important ride on Saturday''s Lanzarote Hurdle card at Kempton. He will be looking to get back to winning ways on All For You in the Play Coral 'Racing-Super-Series' For Free Juvenile Hurdle.
Earlier in the week Maxwell was criticised by some punters for challenging too late in a Doncaster bumper, riding Off The Jury. No stewards enquiry was held into his effort on Alan King's trainee, purchased for almost £150,000 last April.