Paul Webber is no stranger to sending out top winners on the Flat or over jumps and he is planning an assault on Royal Ascot with his star hurdler Indefatigable.
The nine-year-old daughter of Schiaparelli has won five times over hurdles, include the G2 West Yorkshire Hurdle last season and the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival of 2020. In addition to her bumper win, however, she has also won on the Flat proper when landing a Pontefract maiden last October over a mile and a half.
Now the versatile mare, who was bred by John O’Connor and races in the colours of Philip Rocher, could be set to take in the Ascot Stakes, for which she would need to qualify. With that in mind, her trainer is considering a run in the G3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown, where she finished runner-up in the G2 Select Hurdle on 23 April.
“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, or an easy mile and a half,” said Webber, who has previously saddled two Royal Ascot winners.
“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.”
