Alex Hammond ponders what happened with Jeriko Du Reponet at Sandown before looking ahead to Cheltenham's November Meeting highlights.
Give us one horse you’ve noted over the past seven days that simply must be followed next time out…
Well, it looks like question two might answer that. No stone will be left unturned with Jeriko Du Reponet ahead of his second run of the campaign, so he ought to get the job done next time out. Keep the faith guys.
One for your long-range tracker is Look Back Smiling. I’ve followed him closely the last twice and he’s bound to be back at the Lincoln meeting next March in a bid to repeat his win in the Spring Mile Handicap. He was dropped a 1lb for his run on the final day of the turf season and it would be wise not to forget about him in four months’ time.
Go on then, what did you make of Jeriko Du Reponet’s Sandown antics on Sunday and can Nicky Henderson really work his magic?
Of course, Nicky will work his magic on the horse.
Having been actively involved with horses on the ground I can fully appreciate that he may have acted uncharacteristically at Sandown. The problem here lies with the lack of communication to racegoers and punters, not the recalcitrant behaviour of 500kgs of thoroughbred.
Racing simply must get better at being more transparent. For observers not to be aware what was causing the delay is unacceptable. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find out what’s happening in the preliminaries, to relay that to the stewards and for that to be announced to the public. There’s no excuse in this day and age for an entertainment sport to lack communication.
I can also tell you that saddling an unruly horse is no fun and can be extremely dangerous. You know yourself that if something discombobulates you your mindset is knocked for the rest of the day and it’s possible that happened with Jeriko Du Reponet. He made a couple of howling errors at a track where jumping must be slick and that was that.
Why did he do it? We’ll never know. If only they could talk!
Onto Cheltenham... What’s your standout memory of the November Meeting and does it still give you the same thrill?
Gosh, there’s a question. The day Cheltenham doesn’t give you a thrill is the day to walk away.
I love my jump racing and Cheltenham captured my attention as a pony-mad teenager. The race now known as the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase has seen some brilliant winners over the years. The halcyon days of Martin Pipe and AP McCoy threw up some sensational winners of this including Lady Cricket back in 2000.
Cyfor Malta won the race twice for Pipe, once for McCoy and once for Barry Geraghty. Those David Johnson blue, green and white colours were iconic during that period and bring back memories of some great racehorses.
Before then the likes of Bradbury Star, Dublin Flyer and Senor El Betrutti enthralled me. Your earliest memories are usually those that live long.
What’s currently on the punting radar in the big one this weekend?
Well, there are some fascinating horses in both, none more so than Imagine in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Whether owners like it or not, a horse that costs a significant amount of money is always going to attract attention. This lad cost 320,000 euros at the Caldwell Construction dispersal sale thanks to a career that had seen him win a bumper, over hurdles and two of his three starts over fences for trainer Gordon Elliott.
He’s already had a sighter of Cheltenham when finishing fifth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the 2023 Festival and it looks like he has a bright future over fences. He makes his first start for Harry Derham on Saturday and will carry the colours of Barratt Racing.
Derham won the Martin Pipe in 2013 on Salubrious for uncle Paul Nicholls and is in the infancy of an exciting training career at a brand new set-up on the edge of Newbury in Berkshire.
Owner Ian Barratt has invested plenty of money into the industry and has given Derham the vote of confidence with a couple of expensive purchases. I’d expect Imagine will end the season on a higher rating than the 145 he currently sits on.
And what catches the eye in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle?
The Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle is Sunday’s feature and there’s a horse in here that most of us have been waiting for. Dysart Enos was one of my main fancies for the Festival in March but sadly had to miss the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle due to lameness.
Prior to that she was unbeaten in her three bumper starts and three runs over hurdles. Her trainer Fergal O’Brien took the gently gently approach with her and it looked like a shrewd move, so to be denied the opportunity to run her at the Festival was a blow.
She now moves into handicap company for the first time and a mark of 131 underestimates her. As we saw with Jeriko Du Reponet on Sunday nothing is a given in this game, but I’m happy to take the 11/4 with Sky Bet for her to win this hot handicap.
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