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“I thought he had a big chance of winning here the last day (when fourth in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) but he sort of ducked in left handed and fell through the last and that sort of cost him any chance really,” said Nicholls.
“I think few were doubting about whether he wanted a flat track and whether he truly stayed. I thought he was kidding us a little bit as he was coming out of his races so well and the cheekpieces have focused his mind today. He travelled and jumped brilliantly and had a great ride so it’s superb.
“I said if he didn’t win today we’d have to go for a flat track but I thought he’d gallop up the hill – he’s just been kidding us and today he did it nicely. I haven’t really got a plan for him to be honest, if he hadn’t have won I was going to go for a race at Newbury just before the Festival on a flat track but now he has I suppose we’ll come back here.
“I wouldn’t be afraid of possibly considering the Topham Chase for him, as I think two miles and five furlongs around Aintree would suit him nicely.”
Springheeled Star defies top weight
Stage Star produced a sparkling round of jumping to successfully defy top weight and land the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase.
Nicholls' charge outclassed his rivals, and was on the bridle as he led the only serious danger Datsalrightgino over the last.
Cobden's mount took another length out of his rival there and was merely pushed out to score by three-and-three-quarter lengths at 11/4.
Sky Bet cut the winner to 16/1 from 33s for the Turners (non-runner/no bet) and make him 20/1 in their ante-post market.
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“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls. “He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.
“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.
Stage Star leads over the last
“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.
“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.
“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”
Cheda provides icing on the cake
It was left to stable conditional Angus Cheleda and willing partner Hacker Des Places to put the finishing touches on a fantastic day for team Ditcheat when they combined to land the concluding SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle.
Nicholls said: “It was a long way from the second last to the line! He’s in the Betfair Hurdle in two weeks’ time, which has always been my aim.
“I just felt we needed to get a run into him. He has been in training for so long without a run. He should improve a little bit for today’s run, and will get a little penalty but Angus will take that off and we’ll go to Newbury.”
Cheleda added: “I thought I got there a bit too soon really and then the race fell apart at two out, so I thought I’d kick off the bend and he’s galloped all the way up the hill. It’s my first winner at Cheltenham for the boss so it’s a special moment.”
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Rock books Festival ticket
Syd Hosie’s Rock My Way stated his claims for the Festival when a taking winner of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Second to Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Weveallbeencaught on his rules debut over the track and trip on New Year’s Day, he built on that performance to record a length and a half success in the hands of Tom Scudamore.
The 13/2 winner was shortened to 16/1 from 50/1 for both the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett – but Rock My Way’s owner-trainer appears to be favouring a step up in trip which brings the latter of those two races into the equation.
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“How good is Nigel Twiston-Davies’ horse? We are going to find out as he is going to Ireland next week,” said Hosie. “I would be excited for that, actually. Tom (Scudamore) said maybe step him up in trip as he wanted a bit more of a lead and got to the front a bit early enough, actually and he had a look around.
“Last time, we didn’t have a clue as we bought him out of a point-to-point field. This time, I thought if we could get him in the top three, I wouldn’t look stupid making entries for the Ballymore and the Albert Bartlett, so I’m glad about that.
“We’ll get him home and if all is safe and sound, we’ll make a plan. We’ve had a Cheltenham Saturday hunter chase winner and to me that was the pinnacle, but today, this means a lot. It is nice to do it on a Saturday on Trials Day. I used to come to Trials Day with my mates and we’d be in the bottom bar, there.”
Rock My Way (left) strikes
Zone strikes for Ireland
Comfort Zone wore down Scriptwriter to win the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle Trial for JP McManus and Joseph O'Brien.
Jonjo O'Neill Junior was in the saddle aboard the Finale Hurdle winner who was travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders going to the final flight - by which time Jupiter Du Gite had weakened out of contention having pulled far too hard.
The eventual runner-up led over the obstacle but the 2/1 favourite had him in his sights and was in front where it mattered most, scoring by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 10/1 for the Triumph back here in March. Sky Bet are 8s from 12s, non-runner/no bet.
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O’Neill said: “Scriptwriter is probably the best gauge-stick in England anyway, so I was happy with the performance. Scriptwriter was a non-runner on the day at Chepstow, so I suppose that performance was a bit better – you’d never have known. But I think the track probably suited him and maybe riding him like that was a bit more sensible.”
Asked about plans, he replied: “Leave it to the trainer and connections, they know more than me and what else they have in the races and stuff. I think he definitely deserves his chance in whatever race. I wouldn’t mind riding him, anyway. His hurdling was grand, a couple he got in a little bit short but I had him right down the inside and wanted to settle him, so I couldn’t be looking for loads of light.
“The ground is quite dead and he might be better on better ground, but he handles soft at Chepstow, so I’d say he is pretty versatile.”
Of Scriptwriter, Milton Harris: “It is just frustrating. Look, they are good horses. We just didn’t get the rub of the green. It wasn’t the ground. He just got to the front miles too soon. He is a horse who has come from Ballydoyle, where he has been a lead horse for Derby horses and he has been taught to lead horses, get headed, and that’s him, so you have got to hit it late and he has just travelled too well into the race.
Scriptwriter leads Comfort Zone over the last
“I was not impressed with finishing second. He is a good horse and we’ll be back and take on the winner. He just got there too soon. Paddy is spitting feathers as he got there too soon and is blaming himself. We should have hit the front in the last 50 yards and he would have won – he knows that.”
He added: “We don’t want to be poor losers, but it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest taking on the winner again. We will come back to fight another day and take the winner on in March.”
Lash scores again
Back On The Lash repeated his victory of 2021 in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.
The 6/1 chance was in front turning for home and it was Deise Aba who was to emerge as the main danger.
It was a real battle up the hill with Martin Keighley's charge digging deep to fend off his rival and score by half-a-length.
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Keighley said: “He loves it here doesn’t he? If anything Sean (Bowen) got there too soon! It was a great ride. We were so gutted to lose the first two races around here this season, he ran a good solid race here at the November Meeting (when third in the Jewson Handicap Chase) and we’ve just kept him for this race since. It’s worked out well and we’ll keep him nice and fresh now and come back for The Festival. It will be level weights there but he seems to be improving for every run around here and hopefully he can still be in the mix.
“He just loves his jumping and he’s such a strong stayer, as he showed today. He’s tiny and you saw a couple of times today he lands quite steep as he’s so small, but he’s got loads of scope and he’s hard as nails. Coming into these Cross Country races just seems to have improved him, similar to Any Currency. He rocketed just because he took to the course so well and this horse has done the same.
Back On The Lash battles to victory
"Delta Work ran a good race in third and we were getting just over a stone today, so he’s going to have to improve again in March. Today the ground was probably a bit too good for him so hopefully we’ll get faster ground and we’ll see how it goes.
“We love having winners here, all the locals love a local winner so it makes for a really good atmosphere. Harry (Redknapp, joint owner) is down in London today opening something, so he’s gutted he can’t be here!”
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