Mark Howard reflects on a big weekend of action at Cheltenham
Check out the thoughts of Racing TV analyst Mark Howard on a big weekend at Cheltenham and some notable novice hurdle performances elsewhere.
Due to the torrential rainfall which reduced Cheltenham’s November meeting to a couple of days, it was difficult to get too enthusiastic about the action at Prestbury Park on Saturday and Sunday in terms of pointers for next March’s Festival.
Run on a surface which resembled a ploughed field, arguably one of the best performances was provided by Thyme Hill in the rescheduled Grade 2 Hyde Novices’ Hurdle which kicked off proceedings on day one. Philip Hobbs’ five year old, who finished third and fared best of the home contingent in last season’s Cheltenham Festival bumper, had won the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow last month.
The Kayf Tara gelding produced an even better effort here under a penalty to win decisively by three lengths. Leading two out, he stayed on powerfully after the last to beat previous course winner and 137 rated Champagne Well with something in hand. The Minehead handler immediately nominated the Challow Hurdle at Newbury in late December as his next target, a race Hobbs has won twice with Bonanza Boy (1987) and Fingal Bay (2011).
Stamina looks Thyme Hill’s strong suit and, while he is already a dual Grade 2 winner over the intermediate trip, it wouldn’t be a shock if he lined up in the Albert Bartlett rather than the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in the spring. Granted better ground, I am not sure he possesses the gears of a horse such as Andy Dufresne or even stablemate Sporting John, who looked a terrific prospect at Exeter recently.
It proved to be an excellent weekend all round at the home of jumps racing for Hobbs with Jatiluwih making it five out of five since arriving from France on Saturday. The Linda’s Lad gelding was a ready winner on his handicap debut off an opening mark of 137 under owner/rider David Maxwell in the two miles five intermediate hurdle. The five year old looks well worth a go in Graded company, although he also has the option of going back over fences at some stage.
Stable star Defi Du Seuil provided the icing on the cake for the Somerset trainer when taking the Grade 2 Shloer Chase on his reappearance twenty four hours later. Seven years after Wishfull Thinking landed the two miles prize, the former Triumph Hurdle winner reeled in the front running Politilogue on the run-in to win going away by a length and a quarter under a typically strong Barry Geraghty drive.
In receipt of three pounds, it is difficult to believe the five times Grade 1 winner is still only six. The Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown early next month will be his next port of call and, having won the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at the same venue in February, the Esher track won’t hold any terrors for the Voix Du Nord gelding. However, despite this encouraging start to the campaign, I am still not convinced Defi Du Seuil is a future Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, unless the ground is riding similarly. One can imagine his jumping being tested to the full in a strongly run two miles on a drying surface.
Henry De Bromhead enhanced his already impressive record in the Grade 2 Craddockstown Novices’ Chase at Punchestown when Notebook beat stablemate Moon Over Germany by a handful of lengths on Saturday. The same trainer captured a similar prize at Cheltenham on Sunday when the mare Put The Kettle On claimed some notable scalps in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial.
The five-year-old had won three times over fences beforehand, albeit over longer trips, and her proven stamina came into play as she made all under Aidan Coleman. A two and a half lengths winner, it is difficult what to make of those performances in behind. Connections of Al Dancer discarded the hood which the six year old had sported on his chasing debut over the same course and distance last month. Tapped for speed rounding the home turn, he kept on after the last but doesn’t look quick enough to win an Arkle in March.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding looks ready for a step up in trip, while Getaway Trump lost all momentum when getting in too close to the penultimate fence. For the second consecutive time though, he found little for pressure on the climb up the Cheltenham hill. Perhaps he wants a flatter track or is he crying out for better ground? Time will tell. At the moment, it must be odds on the Arkle Trophy will be heading across the Irish Sea for the fifth time in the last six years come next March.
Emma Lavelle is set to take the wraps off her Stayers’ Hurdle winner Paisley Park at Newbury later this month. The Wiltshire trainer was responsible for two smart looking novice hurdlers this week. Hang In There made it two wins from three starts since arriving from Ireland when making all in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday under Adam Wedge. Bought out of Mags Mullins yard for £60,000 last May, he handles better ground, stays further and is a superb jumper. Perhaps the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown will enter calculations at the start of the New Year.
Four days earlier, stablemate Éclair Surf looked an above average recruit as he beat ten rivals by upwards of three and a half lengths on his Rules debut at Exeter. A five year old by Califet, he had won an Irish point for Cormac Doyle before changing hands for £140,000 at the Cheltenham Festival sale. Similar to Hang In There, he made all the running under Wedge and wasn’t hard pressed to see off Kozier.
He looks a relentless galloper who revels in testing ground. With that in mind, perhaps something like the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown next month may be an option. Lavelle won the two and a half miles event with her smart mare Labelthou in 2006. The Grade 2 Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick in January, which is invariably run on bottomless ground, could be another possible target later on.
Away from Cheltenham on Sunday, Gary Moore unleashed the progressive Flat racer Goshen over obstacles at Fontwell and the Authorized gelding didn’t disappoint. A half-brother to Willie Mullins’ Listed hurdles winner Elimay, he won three out of three on the level during the summer and autumn by an aggregate of twenty eight lengths with his official rating rising from 64 to 88.
Heavily supported for his jumping bow over the weekend, Jamie Moore’s mount made all the running and galloped his four opponents into submission to win by twenty three lengths. Despite showing a tendency to jump to his right, especially over the final couple of flights, he was in a different league to the opposition and there is no doubt he possesses a huge amount of talent. Still raw, he can only improve for the experience and it will be interesting to see if his tendency to jump to the right continues in the future.
Given the fact Goshen revels in testing conditions, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his connections fast track him into loftier company and consider the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow over the Festive period. Moore sent out Sussex Ranger to finish second in the Grade 1 event a couple of years ago. Either way, he is an exciting recruit to the jumping game.
Finally, last season’s outstanding bumper performer Envoi Allen made a sparkling start to his hurdles career at Down Royal at the beginning of the month. Since being purchased for £400,000 having won his only point-to-point for Colin Bowe, the Muhtathir gelding is unbeaten in five races under Rules, including that win over timber in Northern Ireland. The following horses have all chased home Gordon Elliott’s latest superstar and subsequently won over hurdles: Abacadabras, Beacon Edge, Blue Sari, Diol Ker, Embittered, Front View, Midnight Run and Thyme Hill. When viewing that list, the five year old fully deserves to be a short price favourite for the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse on the 1st December.