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Chasing now for Elite hero Rubaud

Paul Nicholls has earmarked a Christmas date over fences at Kempton Park for ‘class horse’ Rubaud after he signed off his career over smaller obstacles with second successive win in the Bet MGM Elite Hurdle.

Arriving on the back of a Listed success at Kempton Park last month, just as he did 12 months ago, the six year old successfully gave weight, and a beating to his two rivals, to secure the fourth Grade Two success of his career.

Racing front rank throughout the one mile seven furlong test with outsider of the three Aspire Tower for much of the race the 11/10 favourite soon had command of matters as the trio swung for home to face the final two hurdles.

With Aspire Tower out of the equation Brentford Hope quickly moved through to lay down a serious challenge to Rubaud as the pair settled to scrap it out on the run down to the last.

However, as Rubaud produced arguably his best jump at the last it saw the initiative firmly swing his way with the market leader finding plenty up the run-in to score by a length and a quarter to give Nicholls his fourth winner on the card, and Cobden his third.

Nicholls said: “He is a fantastic horse and he will go chasing now. He will not beat the likes of Constitution Hill, and we proved that last season. He is a great Grade Two horse and he will be a fantastic chaser as he is a brilliant jumper and he is a big scopey horse. That is his future now.

“I think he beat two good horses there that are rated higher than him and he has given them six pounds. But he is just a class horse. He just keeps galloping and that is the great thing about him.”

And according to Nicholls the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on December 27th will now be the next major target for Rubaud.

Nicholls said: “He will go to Kempton Park for the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase over Christmas. That might be his first port of call as I don’t want to over do it.

“If we find a beginners' chase first we could do that, but it wouldn’t worry me if we went straight to Kempton Park. You might dream of an Arkle, but it is not all about Cheltenham as he didn’t like it before.

“He will be a great Aintree horse, and horse for the future. I can see him run in races like the Tingle Creek as he is a proper horse.”

Fighting Fifth plan for runner-up

As for the runner-up his trainer Harry Derham will pitch the seven year old into Grade One company before bringing him back to the Somerset track for a tilt at the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle.

Derham said: “He has run an absolute screamer. He was just not good enough on the day. He jumped well, and settled good, and the race went to plan, but he wasn’t good enough. He was fit enough to do himself justice, but he was just second best. We are not going to look stupid if we run in some conditions races and pick up some prize money.

“To me a massive target for this horse is the Kingwell Hurdle as the ground should be deeper by then.
I’ll probably pop him in the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle as he won’t look silly in those races.”

Boombawn claims valuable prize

Dan Skelton has yet to take the wraps off plenty of his big guns, but Boombawn gave his team an early season boost with a last-gasp success in the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase.

With a wealth of chasing experience already in the locker the seven year old put that to good use when reeling in long time leader Soul Icon to give Alcester handler Skelton, and his brother Harry, their first success in the Grade Two test.

As 7/4 favourite Handstands crashed out at the third last, stopping chief market rival Insurrection in his tracks, it was left to Boombawn to try and peg back the Keiran Burke-trained seven year old, who had cut out much of the running.

It looked as though Soul Icon had done enough with a good jump at the last, however with the shadows of the post looming Boombawn stuck his head down where it mattered most to score by a neck.

Skelton said: “We are not getting the winter horses out yet as these two have been out over the summer, and I’m stopping short of calling it top class form, but for horses that like that ground it has got to be a good race.

“Fair play to the second as he has worn his heart on his sleeve, and jumped brilliantly, and he didn’t really deserve to get caught. If I’m in second I’d feel gutted, but some days you win and some days you don’t and Boombawn just had a little bit left at the end. Going to the last I thought we had him. Harry just saved a bit as he got that inner rail.

“A weird thing happened at Market Rasen. He got all unbalanced going into the straight and he never got going when we fancied him for the Summer Plate, but today he was a lot more like it. I’m just chuffed to bits for him.

“He wants a good gap between his races and if the ground starts softening up I’m not sure you will see him for a while. The Pendil (Novices' Chase at Kempton Park) would be an obvious starting point and we could get him back at the end of February if the ground is acceptable. He can’t have a bad season full stop as he has just won a £75,000 race. “

Sorceleur scores again

Earlier Nicholls saw his decision to roll the dice with Sorceleur less than 24 hours after his victory at Exeter rewarded in the BetMGM EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle at Wincanton.

After opening his account for the season at the Devon track on Friday the Saint Des Saints gelding, who finished fifth in the Grade Two bumper at Aintree in April, made light work of his opposition to double his tally of victory over hurdles in the one mile seven furlong contest.

Sent straight into the lead the 2/9 chance only had to be shaken up by Harry Cobden to score by two and a quarter lengths to give both the winning trainer, and jockey, successive wins in the race having landed last year with Meatloaf.

Nicholls said: “He is a hardy horse that eats well. He came out this morning like he hadn’t been anywhere yesterday. He ate all his grub last night and drank plenty of water. It was never in doubt. I think I’ve done it five or six times in my career (run a horse on consecutive days) and they have all won. You have just got to have the right horse.

“Yesterday he basically had a canter around and he couldn’t pull him up. He has won two nice pots and we won’t run him for a while. He thrives on his work. We will find a good race over Christmas for him. He is only four, and he will improve, it will be interesting to see what mark he gets.”

Bromley earns praise

Ben Bromley came in for plenty of praise after playing the waiting game to perfection aboard Beau Balko in the BetMGM Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

The six year old took a significant step forward from his third on his return at Kempton 20 days ago to register career win number two over fences to give 14-time champion trainer Nicholls his second winner on the card.

Anchored at the rear of the field during the early stages the 9/2 chance moved on between the final two fences before drawing away after the last to score by two and three quarters lengths.

Nicholls, who won the race 12 months ago with Huelgoat, said: “Ben is a good lad and he works hard. I said to him take your time and he was on the heels of the leaders turning in. It was a great ride and I’m delighted for Ben.

“He ran very well at Kempton, but he was always going to improve for the run. He will only get fitter as the season goes on.

“Last season you couldn’t drop him in as he was always too keen, but over two and a half miles today dropping him in he was good. He is a horse that you want to keep to better ground and smaller field races.”

Lass brings up Nicholls treble

Larchmont Lass could be in for a profitable season after demonstrating her talents on ground that was quicker than ideal in the BetMGM Richard Barber Memorial Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

Having failed to hit the heights in six starts last season the Listed bumper winner showed she was back to her best when scooping her biggest win to date over hurdles in the extended two miles five furlongs contest.

Given a patient ride by Cobden the 11/4 favourite showed that stamina is her forte when staying on best of them all to score by a length and a half.

Nicholls said: “I did wonder if the ground was a bit quick for her and going down the back it did look a bit quick for her, but she stayed on nicely. She is a good strong mare. I was a bit worried turning in, but I knew she would stay as with her stamina she was always going to be there.

“You wouldn’t want to run her on ground any faster. She is a better mare on soft ground and she won her bumper at Sandown on heavy ground. She has got loads of stamina and that was the right race for her.

“She lost her way a bit last season and she had a wind operation in the summer as that wasn’t helping her. At Ayr we were too far out of her ground as she was too keen, but now you can ride her handier. It was a fantastic pot to win. It was great for her owner Michael Geoghegan as he is a great supporter of ours.”

Safari completes five-timer

And Swingin Safari completed a good day at the office for Nicholls when providing the Ditcheat master with his fifth winner on the card, and Cobden’s fourth, in the concluding Bet MGM Open National Hunt Flat Race.

The trainer said, following the 11/8 favourite’s neck success: “He is a nice horse that is very green, but I wanted to get him on track today. I said to the owners he needs lots of time and he will be better on slower ground.

“You would be better off playing in a couple of bumpers then going in a good one in the spring and going novice hurdling next season. It is nice to have five winners, and we have done it before on this day. We are flying along now.”

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