Kempton review: Sage Advice as juvenile wins on hurdling debut

Sage performance on debut

Sage Advice made a victorious jumps debut in the Watch Racing Free Online At Ladbrokes Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton.

The Dr Richard Newland-trained four-year-old added to his sole Flat win for former handler Joseph Murphy with a stylish success in the two-mile prize.

Travelling well throughout, the 7-4 favourite only needed shaking up by Sam Twiston-Davies on the run to the last before going on to score by six lengths.

Twiston-Davies said: “He took to it well, jumped well and relaxed well. He picked up the horse of Olly Murphy’s (Tinnahalla) quite nicely and jumped the last well and got the job done, which was the main thing.

“What I was impressed with was how he quickened up on quite holding stuff. We could have a look (at something like the Adonis).

“This is a new owner to the Newland team and he has plenty of juveniles and he compares quite similarly to a lot of the others, so hopefully he can progress.”

Barbados Buck’s will have his sights raised on his next start after completing a hat-trick for the season in the Play Ladbrokes 1-2 Free On Football Novices’ Hurdle.

Having registered back-to-back wins at Southwell, the Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old once again demonstrated stamina is his forte in the extended three-mile prize as he successfully shouldering a 10lb penalty to victory.

One of a handful of runners in with a chance turning for home, the 2-1 favourite responded well to pressure between the final two flights before drawing clear to defeat runner-up Fedelta by four lengths.

Nicholls said: “He is a three-mile chaser in time. It was a fair thing to keep galloping with a 10lb penalty like that. He is just a nice horse.

“He was fit and well and handled the soft. These sort of horses wouldn’t want it quick.

“There are plenty of good races for him, but he wouldn’t want to run for a month to six weeks.

“I hadn’t thought about it (Albert Bartlett), but Harry (Cobden, jockey) said we should probably give him an entry.”

Smarty has the answers

Smarty Wild survived one notable mistake to open his account over fences in game fashion for Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson.

Sent off the 5/2 favourite, the seven-year-old was strongly pressed by the strong-travelling Pistol Whipped in the straight but was quicker away from the last having jumped the better of the pair and kept on well to win by a length.

Smarty Wild was opening his account over fences at the fourth attempt and became trainer Hobbs’ first winner of 2021 in the process.

Johnson said: “He is a big horse, but he is maybe still a bit on the weak side. To be fair to him, he deserved to get his head in front.

“He jumped the last two really well. I didn’t want to be on my own too long as he is a babyish horse. It was almost ideal he had something to race with going down to the last.

“Two and a half on a flat track for the moment is probably ideal.”

Shuffle reveals winning hand

Jumping proved the name of the game in the following three mile handicap chase with Ami Desbois appearing to hold the upper hand over Double Shuffle after a sustained duel in the straight.

That was the post-race view of the latter's jockey James Bowen but the leader knuckled on landing after a mistake at the final obstacle allowing the 11-year-old another bite of the cherry and he didn't disappoint.

It was a first win in four years for Tom George's charge but the 4/1 shot had produced some of his best efforts at the Sunbury-on-Thames track, including a second-placed finish in the 2017 renewal of the King George VI Chase.

Bowen said: “He was off a good mark, but he has done it well. The jump at the last has won me the race.

“He is very game and he is such a good jumper – it has helped him out today. He travelled a lot better than the last day he was here. It is a good job by the team to get him here fresh.”

There was a delay to the concluding two mile handicap as both Nordican Bleue and Dream du Grand Val gave trouble. The latter was withdrawn by the starter after planting himself and then, when the field were led in for a second time, Nordican Bleue came to a halt after a few yards.

The progressive favourite Breffniboy seemed to catch the mood, racing adrift of the field in the early stages and appearing to lose interest at various stages. He eventually finished a never nearer, and unlikely, second as Millers Bank (7/1) took full advantage to collect for Harry Bannister and Alex Hales.