Carlisle staged its biggest Jump raceday of the season on Sunday 2 November with the seven-race card headlined by the £40,000 Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase.
Run over two and a half miles and carrying Listed status, the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase commemorates the late Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Colin Parker, who was based at Lockerbie in Scotland. The race is restricted to first and second season chasers with its impressive roll of honour featuring the likes of future Grade One winners Tidal Bay, Lostintranslation, Waiting Patiently, Cyrname and Monet’s Garden, plus Grand National hero Many Clouds.
In the 2025 renewal, it was Resplendent Grey (9-2) who landed the honours for trainer Olly Murphy and champion jockey Sean Bowen, who previously took the contest in 2023 with Thunder Rock.
It was Grade One winner Handstands (4-5 Favourite) who took the field along under Ben Jones and by the last fence, all four runners seemingly held a chance. Resplendent Grey, who is not short of stamina having won last season’s bet365 Gold Cup over an extended three and a half miles at Sandown Park, found the most on the run-in to come home the three-quarter length winner from Handstands with Hollygrove Cha Cha (4-1) another two lengths back in third.
Following today’s success, the sponsor now make the Carol Skan-owned seven-year-old the 7-1 Favourite for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury later this month.
Sean Bowen said: “He feels like he has matured a bit. I was wary that Ben’s horse (Handstands) was having a good look, and I didn’t want to challenge too early.
“He picked him up well from the back of the last. It just turned into a sprint and for a horse that has won over three and a half miles, he sprinted pretty well from the back of the last.
“Ben’s horse is a stayer as well, and I was conscious that I would catch him on the hop and when Gavin (Sheehan, rider of the third Hollygrove Cha Cha) came round my outside I said make sure you don’t challenge him too early as he was having a good look. My lad managed to pick him up because he was looking round.
“Hopefully the Coral Gold Cup is where he’ll go next and that was a lovely prep run.
“I said at the start of the season that I hope he will end up as my Grand National horse. Hopefully he will get there and turn up in that form.”
