Cheltenham Trials Day review: Apple's Shakira confirms promise in Triumph Trial
A round-up of the action from Cheltenham Trials Day as Bryony Frost claimed another big Saturday success on the Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon.
Frost stars as Frodon slams field
Bryony Frost notched yet another big Saturday winner as Frodon skipped clear in the home straight to win the Crest Nicholson Handicap Chase.
Carrying top weight after a string of consistent efforts, the 5lb Frost took off the Paul Nicholls-trained 13-2 chance was a massive help.
After scooting up the rail on the home bend, Frodon cleared away from O O Seven impressively, with Shantou Flyer staying on for second 17 lengths away. King's Odyssey was third.
Frost said: "My only worry today was that he'd be too keen but he settled and jumped, it was the perfect training performance. He relishes the ground and the step down in trip was perfect. He never stops, when you ask he gives it to you.
"What a beutiful feeling it is coming up this hill on a horse like this. He's only at the start of his career, he's just left primary school and now he's playing with the big boys."
Sky Bet reacted by slashing Frodon's price from 20/1 to 12/1 for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival in March.
Nicholls was absent, but his assistant Harry Derham said: "He was awesome. Bryony said it was fresh ground down the inside and that was where she wanted to go.
"We were a bit worried about his weight today. He's a remarkable horse, he's so honest and jumps fantastically. The Ryanair might have to be his race now, he could for the Ascot Chase before then."
Shakira maintains perfect record
Apple's Shakira took her Cheltenham record to a perfect 3-3 when landing the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle under Barry Geraghty.
Nicky Henderson's French import, sent off the 1/7 favourite, was made to work a lot harder than she had been in her two previous course victories earlier this season, but ultimately came home eight lengths to the good over plucky runner-up Look My Way.
Sky Bet kept her unchanged as their 11/4 favourite for the big one back at Cheltenham in March.
Henderson said: "Barry said at the last meeting she'd like better ground. She had to work there, but she's very lazy at home. She had to come out and race but she won't run again.
"We've had to wait for better ground for a lot of these horses and it will be the same next weekend, but they've got to run. Barry said ideally something like the Adonis would have been a great race to get the better ground, but we were always coming here.
"It's job done and away we go. She'll have multiple entries but I'm thinking the Triumph."
Geraghty said: "It's tough work out there, she settled better today and travelled great. I was always trying to switch her off and then had to switch her back on. She had loads in the tank and there's a lot to like. It's workmanlike conditions and better ground will only help her."
Whitaker winner for team Channon
Mister Whitaker allied pre-race fears over the soft ground to run out a ready winner of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase for trainer Mick Channon.
The six-year-old was second to Hell's Kitchen at Kempton on Boxing Day and, despite being raised 4lb in the weights, went one better from a mark of 129, beating mare Theatre Territory by a length and three-quarters despite idling on the run-in under jockey Adrian Heskin.
Channon said of his 6/1 winner: "He travelled great on the ground, we just didn't want to be in front too long, he pulls up in front. Adrian got him in a good rhythm and I can't say a lot more.
"Tim (Radford, owner) wants to go for the novice handicap (at the Festival) and if he goes up enough (in the weights) that's where he'll go."
Channon joked: "It's easy this jumping game! I thought he'd win last time at Kempton but they let the other one (Hell's Kitchen) have a soft lead.
"He's going the right way, we're pleased with him, we always thought he was nice and he's come good. If he goes up four or five pounds he'll have a fighting chance of getting in at the Festival. Henrietta (Knight) bought him as a three-year-old from Tom Costello, whom she bought Best Mate from."
McGrath leaves it late on lightly-raced improver
Santini wore down Black Op to win the Ballymore Classic Novices' Hurdle for Nicky Henderson.
Jerry McGrath was the lucky recipient of the riding with Nico de Boinville preferring Pacific De Baune, who was well beaten.
Tom George's Black Op appeared to have the race in safe-keeping running to the last but he met it all wrong. That gave Santini a chance and he was able to maintain his unbeaten record, scoring by three-quarters of a length at 4/1.
McGrath said: "I wasn't seeing a stride at the last, but for a big horse he's very agile and popped it nicely. He's tall, he's a horse for the future. We didn't think he'd cope with the ground today, thankfully he coped with it. He'd bred to be a three-miler and he'll improve for that."
Henderson said: "He's a lovely, big horse but he's only a baby still. He's going to be a lovely chaser.
"He'll get an entry in the Albert Bartlett, and if you're not in you can't run, but unless we change our minds I think we are all leaning against it at the moment. I think he wants another year and come back as a chaser."