Alex Hammond: Ile Atlantique not all that impressive

By Alex Hammond

Horse Racing

Wed January 08, 2025 · 14h ago

Alex Hammond provides here views on some of last weekend's winners including The Yellow Clay and Ile Atlantique, before outlining some weekend predictions.

How do you rate The Yellow Clay following Sunday’s Grade 1 success at Naas?

The Yellow Clay is one of those horses that doesn’t excite you but keeps getting the job done, so no arguing with that.

He’s now four from four over hurdles but the win on Sunday was a slog on bad ground. Trainer Gordon Elliott said he’s most likely to head straight to Cheltenham now for the Turners (Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle last year) over the intermediate trip for which he’s Sky Bet’s 7/1 second-favourite.

If he goes there, rather than for the Albert Bartlett, he is likely to meet The New Lion (9/4 fav) and on what we’ve seen so far, Dan Skelton's horse will be a tough nut to crack.

Who would you say is Willie Mullins’ best novice hurdler at this stage?

I have no idea, and any educated guesses have been hampered by a quieter than usual Christmas period for the champion trainer.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Salvator Mundi fares in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday though (if the meeting beats the freezing weather).

He’s currently 7/1 favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme, in a year when nothing yet stands head and shoulders above the rest. He finished a close second to Sir Gino in France in April 2023 before finishing sixth in the Triumph on his debut for the stable.

He landed the odds on his last start back in May, beating inferior opposition by a distance, and this will be a more realistic test of his credentials for top novice honours. At this moment in time his future looks incredibly bright.

Could Ile Atlantique put it up to Majborough – or even Sir Gino – in the novice chasing division?

The commentator said Ile Atlantique was “IMPRESSIVE in capital letters” but I’m inclined to disagree.

He was impressive but not blow you away impressive. He thrived on the testing ground over the two-mile trip in the Racing Post Novice Chase on Sunday and I’d question if he could put it up to those two powerhouses on better ground over two miles in the spring.

Sir Gino is 8/11 favourite for the Arkle and Majborough 3/1 second in, with Ile Atlantique at 8s, and that looks a fair assessment of the pecking order at this stage.

What is Sporting Life Plus and why sign up?

What are you looking forward to most, providing the weather behaves, this week?

I hate to be a negative nelly, but I don’t think the weather will behave. There are inspections everywhere you look but no weather updates as amusing as the one issued from Wetherby clerk of the course, Jonjo Sanderson on Tuesday. This was his report on the BHA website:

"Course still covered in snow, but also extensively flooded and frozen! Internal Dykes have burst their banks, so the back straight is mostly under water, along with several other areas. PROSPECTS ARE SLIMMER THAN ME!"

Bravo to Sanderson for injecting some humour into a disappointing situation.

Let’s be optimistic though and if racing goes ahead anywhere, I hope that’s at Warwick where we could see an exciting head to head between Handstands and Cherie D’Am.

The former made an unfortunate start to his chasing career when falling at Wincanton but put that right with an impressive win at Sandown in Grade 2 company last month. The latter runs in the soon to be mothballed colours of Darren and Annaley Yates (if Yates stands by his comments made on a recent podcast that he’ll be out of the sport by the end of the season).

She looked superb at Warwick on her second start over fences against her own sex and would have the advantage of a 7lbs mares’ allowance should they meet on Saturday. Handstands is 2/1 favourite at the time of writing with Cherie D’Am a 5/2 shot.

Shanagh Bob has cut little ice in two starts over fences this season and could revert to hurdles in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle. A handicap mark of 129 on his debut in that sphere may not be harsh. This is clearly plan-B as chasing was supposed to be his bag this season but with things not going as expected over fences this could be some compensation.

It would be wonderful if the meeting goes ahead to enable Mr Vango to get his ideal racing conditions in the Classic Handicap Chase.

He bypassed the Welsh National as he was a touch flat after his win in the London National at Sandown at the beginning of December, but this out and out galloper could plough round Warwick to advertise the abilities of his trainer Sara Bradstock once again. He’s Sky Bet’s 11/4 favourite.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?