Raceday LIVE – Cave Article
Hereford,
Thu 10 Apr 2025 16:53
Related horse(s):
Cave Article
Cave Article is making his first trip to Hereford this afternoon, as he goes in search of his second victory for the Coral Racing Club in the Class 5 Handicap Chase over 3m1f at 16:53.
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track with the team and Cave Article's 10 lucky owners for the day across our social channels on X (@CRCOfficial) and Instagram (@coralofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Cave Article visits another new venue today, Hereford, as he looks to land his second win in the Coral Racing Club silks on his sixth start of the 24/25 campaign. It's been a very consistent season for our six-year-old, finishing third on three separate occasions and winning once in his five appearances on the track this season.
He started his season making his handicap debut over hurdles in October off a mark of 78, but unfortunately he wasn't able to make an impression that day, finishing a distant fifth of ten, but the thought was that the tight track at Fakenham didn't suit our then five-year-old son of Court Cave.
The plan with Cave Article was always to send him chasing sooner rather than later, and a month after his handicap hurdle debut, trainer Christian Williams decided to send him over fences with a view to start him early, so more success could potentially follow afterwards. Under the guidance of last season's Champion Jockey, Harry Cobden, Cave Article put in a great performance, finishing third on his first start over fences.
He was then stepped up in trip to 3m2f, and that distance appeared to really suit our gelding, as he travelled with promise throughout under another former Champion Jockey, Brian Hughes, before staying on strongly to clinch his first victory by three quarters of a length.
WATCH: Cave Article gets off the mark at Sedgefield
Two back-to-back third place finishes were to follow his win at Sedgefield, including a close finish at Catterick, where he was just edged out by two more experienced rivals.
However, following his most recent run, Christian had Cave Article gastroscoped, along with a number of his other horses, to make sure he didn't have any major ulcers which might've helped explain his struggles to really finish out his races. Thankfully, those checks came back with positive results, and although there were some small stomach ulcers found, they wouldn't have affected his performance in any major way. Regardless, over the course of the last month they have been treated, and he's ready to run again today with no concerns over his fitness or readiness.
The turf is set to be Good at Hereford this afternoon, a ground type that Christian believes he's best suited to, and he also drops back down in trip slightly by 1½f today to 3m1f.
Cave Article enjoying himself in the field at Ogmore Castle
Raceday message from trainer Christian Williams
'We've got two runners in the race at Hereford today, and we thought we'd try something a bit different with Cave Article this afternoon and put Charlie Maggs in the saddle, to take 5lbs off of him. He's a very good rider over a fence so we just thought we'd take a different angle into the race.
We put some cheekpieces on him at home, and he schooled really nicely wearing them. Brian Hughes got off him last time out and said that he hit the front a little bit too soon last time out and just sort of seemed to wait for the other horses to come back to him to give him a little bit of company, so we thought we'd try him wearing them to see if it helps him see out the race a bit better.
Good luck all!'
Chris Dixon, Racing TV Analyst, runs through today's 16:53 at Hereford and previews Cave Article's chances in the contest
Cave Article looked like a horse who would go on to win more races when stepped up in trip to get off the mark at Sedgefield in December and though that hasn’t been the case in two subsequent starts, he hasn’t been disgraced on either occasion. In form terms he’s probably managed to run to a similar standard each time in defeat and the form of each of those races has had a subsequent boost, so heading into this race I expect him to have a strong chance. Ground conditions are quicker than for his win but look unlikely to be a problem and this track should suit his prominent racing style. With cheek pieces on for the first time there could be some improvement unlocked while the booking of Charlie Maggs who takes off 5lbs with his claim looking a positive.
The race lacks any real depth, though King Of Brazil does have a chance from a handicapping perspective having dropped to a mark 5lbs below his last win. However, he ideally wants testing ground and regularly races lazily while his jumping can be less than fluent so I think this test might prove unsuitable for him.
With that in mind alongside the overall lack of depth to the race, I think Cave Article will be hard to beat.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Christian Williams has been in electric form recently, winning with four of the last five horses that he's sent out, including Deep Cave in the opener on Aintree's Grand National card, and Unspeakable at Taunton yesterday. Overall this season, Christian has a modest strike-rate of 10%, which is mirrored at today's venue, Hereford, where he's had one winner from ten runners.
Charlie Maggs rides for the Coral Racing Club for the first time this afternoon and the talented young jockey will be taking a valuable 5lbs off Cave Article's back. He was most recently in the saddle at Kelso on Monday where he rode one winner. Maggs has won an impressive 23 races in his fledgling career, of which 19 have come so far this season. At Hereford, he's only taken the reigns on two occasions, finishing second on one of those rides.
Cave Article's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Cave Article's run at Hereford this afternoon.
Each winner, along with a guest of their choosing, will receive free entry to Hereford Racecourse, including exclusive access to Owners & Trainers areas. They'll have the opportunity to meet Cave Article and the Christian Williams team, plus get to head into the parade ring before the race begins to be amongst all the other owners, trainers and jockeys. And last but by no means least, each winner will get to take home an equal 10% split of any prize money won by Cave Article.
Prize Money
Today's Class 4 Handicap Chase is worth £6,150 in total, with the winner set to scoop £3,247 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £1,494 | 3rd: £747 | 4th: £373 | 5th: £186
HEREFORD 16:53 – LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 16:53 to watch Cave Article's next run for the Club live on the Coral Sports app.
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track with the team and Cave Article's 10 lucky owners for the day across our social channels on X (@CRCOfficial) and Instagram (@coralofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Cave Article visits another new venue today, Hereford, as he looks to land his second win in the Coral Racing Club silks on his sixth start of the 24/25 campaign. It's been a very consistent season for our six-year-old, finishing third on three separate occasions and winning once in his five appearances on the track this season.
He started his season making his handicap debut over hurdles in October off a mark of 78, but unfortunately he wasn't able to make an impression that day, finishing a distant fifth of ten, but the thought was that the tight track at Fakenham didn't suit our then five-year-old son of Court Cave.
The plan with Cave Article was always to send him chasing sooner rather than later, and a month after his handicap hurdle debut, trainer Christian Williams decided to send him over fences with a view to start him early, so more success could potentially follow afterwards. Under the guidance of last season's Champion Jockey, Harry Cobden, Cave Article put in a great performance, finishing third on his first start over fences.
He was then stepped up in trip to 3m2f, and that distance appeared to really suit our gelding, as he travelled with promise throughout under another former Champion Jockey, Brian Hughes, before staying on strongly to clinch his first victory by three quarters of a length.
WATCH: Cave Article gets off the mark at Sedgefield
Two back-to-back third place finishes were to follow his win at Sedgefield, including a close finish at Catterick, where he was just edged out by two more experienced rivals.
However, following his most recent run, Christian had Cave Article gastroscoped, along with a number of his other horses, to make sure he didn't have any major ulcers which might've helped explain his struggles to really finish out his races. Thankfully, those checks came back with positive results, and although there were some small stomach ulcers found, they wouldn't have affected his performance in any major way. Regardless, over the course of the last month they have been treated, and he's ready to run again today with no concerns over his fitness or readiness.
The turf is set to be Good at Hereford this afternoon, a ground type that Christian believes he's best suited to, and he also drops back down in trip slightly by 1½f today to 3m1f.
Cave Article enjoying himself in the field at Ogmore Castle
Raceday message from trainer Christian Williams
'We've got two runners in the race at Hereford today, and we thought we'd try something a bit different with Cave Article this afternoon and put Charlie Maggs in the saddle, to take 5lbs off of him. He's a very good rider over a fence so we just thought we'd take a different angle into the race.
We put some cheekpieces on him at home, and he schooled really nicely wearing them. Brian Hughes got off him last time out and said that he hit the front a little bit too soon last time out and just sort of seemed to wait for the other horses to come back to him to give him a little bit of company, so we thought we'd try him wearing them to see if it helps him see out the race a bit better.
Good luck all!'
Chris Dixon, Racing TV Analyst, runs through today's 16:53 at Hereford and previews Cave Article's chances in the contest
Cave Article looked like a horse who would go on to win more races when stepped up in trip to get off the mark at Sedgefield in December and though that hasn’t been the case in two subsequent starts, he hasn’t been disgraced on either occasion. In form terms he’s probably managed to run to a similar standard each time in defeat and the form of each of those races has had a subsequent boost, so heading into this race I expect him to have a strong chance. Ground conditions are quicker than for his win but look unlikely to be a problem and this track should suit his prominent racing style. With cheek pieces on for the first time there could be some improvement unlocked while the booking of Charlie Maggs who takes off 5lbs with his claim looking a positive.
The race lacks any real depth, though King Of Brazil does have a chance from a handicapping perspective having dropped to a mark 5lbs below his last win. However, he ideally wants testing ground and regularly races lazily while his jumping can be less than fluent so I think this test might prove unsuitable for him.
With that in mind alongside the overall lack of depth to the race, I think Cave Article will be hard to beat.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Christian Williams has been in electric form recently, winning with four of the last five horses that he's sent out, including Deep Cave in the opener on Aintree's Grand National card, and Unspeakable at Taunton yesterday. Overall this season, Christian has a modest strike-rate of 10%, which is mirrored at today's venue, Hereford, where he's had one winner from ten runners.
Charlie Maggs rides for the Coral Racing Club for the first time this afternoon and the talented young jockey will be taking a valuable 5lbs off Cave Article's back. He was most recently in the saddle at Kelso on Monday where he rode one winner. Maggs has won an impressive 23 races in his fledgling career, of which 19 have come so far this season. At Hereford, he's only taken the reigns on two occasions, finishing second on one of those rides.
Cave Article's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Cave Article's run at Hereford this afternoon.
Each winner, along with a guest of their choosing, will receive free entry to Hereford Racecourse, including exclusive access to Owners & Trainers areas. They'll have the opportunity to meet Cave Article and the Christian Williams team, plus get to head into the parade ring before the race begins to be amongst all the other owners, trainers and jockeys. And last but by no means least, each winner will get to take home an equal 10% split of any prize money won by Cave Article.
Prize Money
Today's Class 4 Handicap Chase is worth £6,150 in total, with the winner set to scoop £3,247 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £1,494 | 3rd: £747 | 4th: £373 | 5th: £186
HEREFORD 16:53 – LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 16:53 to watch Cave Article's next run for the Club live on the Coral Sports app.
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