Tweenhills’ Thurtle celebrates Edwardstone Gr.1 win

When Edwardstone rolled back the years to win his forth Gr.1 in the Celebration Chase at Sandown last Saturday at the age of 12 it was a day to remember for Tweenhills’ Nominations and Marketing supremo Alice Thurtle. 

Alice’s family bred and race Edwardstone with the Abreys and he takes his name from a village near their home in Norfolk. He spends his holidays back home with them every summer and is clearly beloved by them. 

Edwardstone won the Gr.1 Arkle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival amongst a host of big-race wins but when he scored in the Gr.2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton in January, his supporters could have been forgiven for thinking it was his final day in the sun.

But that was not the case as the extremely popular veteran showed a fantastic attitude to claw back Jpr One in the Gr.1 Celebration Chase in the hands of regular jockey Tom Cannon. 

Trainer Alan King has had lots of crowd favourites down the years – including the ill-fated Trueshan – and Edwardstone clearly holds a dear place in his heart. 

He said: “Tom asked if he needed to rev him at the start but I told him there was no need. That was done at Plumpton. He was a bit long at one down the far side but that's just him.

“I said to Tom, 'if you're a couple of lengths off them at the Pond fence we've got a hell of a chance'. It was close in the end and it's a wonderful day, but I just feel for the horse [the ill-fated Thistle Ask] who's out there."

Edwardstone has now gone past £800,000 in prizemoney and won 12 of his 42 starts but retirement is not on the cards just yet. What a day for Alice and the Thurtle family and what a horse!