Jonjo O’Neill back in the big time after Cloth Cap’s runaway win in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury

AFTER years of cutting his Cloth, Jonjo O’Neill is back in the big time. The legendary trainer had spent the last few seasons in the wilderness – but Cloth Cap brought back the glory days in the Ladbrokes Trophy.  Under a ballsy front-running ride from Tom Scudamore, the bottom-weight jumped around Newbury like he was […]

AFTER years of cutting his Cloth, Jonjo O’Neill is back in the big time.

The legendary trainer had spent the last few seasons in the wilderness – but Cloth Cap brought back the glory days in the Ladbrokes Trophy. 

PA:Press Association

Under a ballsy front-running ride from Tom Scudamore, the bottom-weight jumped around Newbury like he was on springs.

One by one the opposition fell by the wayside, with the favourite Vinndication crashing out five from home when still in the mix.

Aye Right (12-1) and The Conditional (14-1) were able to get within a length of the well-backed 9-1 shot Cloth Cap.

But they had no answers as the winner went through the gears and sealed the race with a great jump at the last.

The empty grandstands echoed with Scudamore’s roar of delight as he crossed the line 10 lengths clear – and O’Neill is now dreaming of a trip to Aintree.

O’Neill, who embraced his jockey son Jonjo Jr after the race, said: “He has been in tremendous form this year and he jumped like a buck.

“All I said to Tom was that the horse gets four miles, I left the rest up to him. 

“He gave him a great spin, the horse loved the good ground and he never put a foot wrong. 

“Hopefully now he’ll get up to a mark where we can get him into the Grand National.”

Harriet Graham, who’d made the six-hour journey to Newbury with a fractured pelvis, was over the moon with runner-up Aye Right.

“We are absolutely chuffed. He’s come here and run so well against these top southern horses. We have a lovely horse on our hands,” she said.

Earlier on the card, Next Destination made a big impression when landing the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase on his first start over fences.

He was fast and accurate under jockey Harry Cobden, which is more than could be said for his chief market rival Kalooki whose jumping fell to pieces late on.

Paddy Power slashed Next Destination’s odds for the RSA to 12-1 from 20s.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “It is credit to the team and everyone at home to get him to the course really, as he has had two and half years off.

“He had severed a front tendon, broken a pelvis and Malcolm (Denmark, owner) sent him to us in June and said ‘if you can get him on the course, it will be a fantastic effort’.

“He went to Wetherby and ran a lot better than we thought to be honest with you. We schooled him over fences and he jumped great and he did that really well. Slower ground will suit him a lot more than today, but it was just about OK today.

“He has got talent and if we can keep him sound, he is a very good horse.”