The John Ferguson Stable thread

[Valerie]

I think he deserves one...

It's a big weekend for bloodstock agent-cum-trainer John Ferguson.

The man who has been a huge part of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation for many a year has a pivotal few days to oversee for his side project - as Damon Albarn would call it - as a National Hunt trainer.

Cotton Mill goes in the valuable Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday and is the most high-profile example of where Ferguson's side-project benefits from his day job. By Tiger Hill out of a Mill Reef mare, Cotton Mill wasn't bred to run two miles with eight bits of timber in the way. Yet, in his short career to date, he's thrived in the jumping game, only once showing an aversion to the sport when veering violently to his left and unseating Denis O'Regan when going well out in front in the Neptune won by Simonsig.

While the dashing grey won't be in action on this Super Saturday at Newbury, Cotton Mill is and his homework suggests he's a huge player off a mark of 145. The drop in trip isn't expected to inconvenience the six-year-old who was a 10-furlong maiden winner at Flat HQ.

Ferguson also has Buthelezi and fortunate Finale winner Ruacana in action on the high-class card at Leopardstown, but it's Cotton Mill who is fancied to give the fledgling trainer his first really high-profile success.

The main danger looks to be Nicky Henderson's My Tent Or Yours whose work at Seven Barrows is of a truly high order. 149 isn't expected to be the ceiling of his ability by a long way - he works like a Champion Hurdle horse at home - but he will need luck-in-running though Henderson, JP McManus and AP McCoy surely deserve their slice after a harrowing week.

[mayo]

Wonder if Denis has gone for better one ...

[Sefton]

Wonder if Denis has gone for better one ...

Tom Lee thinks so...

That said, for all the quality on show there might be one to show them all a clean pair of heels, with Suffolk bloodstock agent turned trainer John Ferguson sending over Flat recruit Buthelezi.

Also rated 105 on the level, this five year old son of Dynaformer made a pleasing start to his hurdling career at Aintree just before Christmas, bagging his maiden hurdle by a comfy seven lengths.

The fact that on just his second start over obstacles his talented trainer pitches him in here, and avoids easier targets at home is eye catching, and he surely isn’t here just to make up the numbers!

None of the Irish trained contingent are able to beat Jezki, and at a standout 7/1 with Betfred they might be about to encounter another irresistible force here.

Regular pilot Denis O’Regan is riding like a man possessed, and he’ll relish the opportunity to return to Ireland and showcase his talents on one of the biggest days of the lot.

[mayo]

Cotton Mill is in great form. He's in the Coral Cup, he's in the County Hurdle, he's in the Champion Hurdle," said Newmarket-based Ferguson.

"It sounds silly, but we will decide when we have to. We will have to see how everything goes.

"I was thrilled with him at Newbury and he's a smashing, lovely, kind horse to have round the place."

[Valerie]

John Ferguson delays picking Festival thread for Cotton

His first Festival as a jumps trainer could hardly have left John Ferguson better versed in the extremes of his new calling. He arrived at Cheltenham with a strike rate that reflected the high standards – both in the quality of horses, and their preparation – he had introduced from his continued service as bloodstock manager to Sheikh Mohammed. But he came away only with bittersweet satisfaction: in one of the novice hurdles, Cotton Mill had still been going great guns when running out at the second last; while New Year's Eve ran a blinder in the bumper, only to bump into a Willie Mullins special.

At least both had reiterated Ferguson's astute sense of where his horses properly belong. And his judgement will duly command utmost respect, when he finally settles on a target for Cotton Mill this time round. Having kept his powder dry until the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month, Ferguson was delighted to see Cotton Mill beat all bar the scintillating novice My Tent Or Yours. Now he must choose between another handicap, either the Coral Cup or the County Hurdle, or the Stan James Champion Hurdle itself.

"I suspect that he will end up a weight-for-age horse," Ferguson said. "In which case, this might be his last chance [to run in a handicap]. Obviously, that makes it very tempting. On the other hand, so is the Champion – because he's a good horse, and things happen in horse racing. The great thing is that we don't have to decide yet. So we won't, until the middle of next week at least."

If running in such a competitive race first time out looked fairly audacious, it was no mere stunt. "Although he's a Tiger Hill, and they tend to love soft ground, I just felt running him on heavy wouldn't do him any good," Ferguson explained. "Remember, he's a brother to an Irish Oaks winner, a relatively fragile horse with bags of enthusiasm. So while we had him ready to run at various times, we refused to pull the trigger. We did end up doing quite a lot of hanging around, but it nearly paid off at Newbury."

There was talk afterwards that My Tent Or Yours might himself be fast-tracked to the Champion, but he will instead start hot favourite for the big novice race that opens the meeting on Tuesday week. "If My Tent Or Yours didn't exist, and we had won the Betfair, you'd very much be thinking of the Champion," Ferguson admitted. "And, of course, My Tent Or Yours is not running there, so maybe you should continue thinking that way. Equally, if you can be placed in a Champion, you should be able to win a County."

The gruelling midwinter conditions also prevented Ferguson giving some of his next crop of novices the education he feels imperative for the Festival. As a result, he expects to end up with a pretty small team. "I would think Whispering Gallery, for instance, will miss Cheltenham," he said. "We'll run Darley Sun [the 2009 Cesarewitch winner] at Huntingdon on Sunday, and then see what might still slot in and where. I do think you have to build these young horses, and because of the bad weather we haven't been able to do that. Bordoni and Ruacana have had their grounding, and they'd be ready for the Fred Winter and Triumph. But I don't want to overface those that have had just one or two runs."

The Weatherbys Champion Bumper is a different ball game, of course, and Purple Bay is expected to build on a narrow debut success at Doncaster. "He had a wall of horses to get round as the second went clear," Ferguson said. "It was nine lengths back to the rest and he has come out of it very well."