Ben Linfoot speaks to Harry Fry and Susannah Ricci’s racing manager Joe Chambers as Metier and Royale Pagaille come under discussion this week.
Metier off 149 brings Betfair Hurdle into play
Metier ⬆ 7lb to 149
The handicapper has given Harry Fry the most tempting of carrots by dangling a rating of 149 in front of the Dorset trainer for METIER ahead of the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on February 13.
Entries for the prestigious handicap closed today (Tuesday January 5) and Fry has thrown the impressive Tolworth winner’s hat into the ring after his unbeaten hurdler avoided a rating of 150-plus.
It’s eight years since My Tent Or Yours won the Betfair Hurdle by five lengths off an identical rating of 149 as a novice, a performance Fry referenced when I spoke to him on Tuesday morning.
“I spoke with the handicapper yesterday so I knew what was coming this morning,” said Fry.
“He’s won a Grade 1, we knew going into the race to be winning a race like the Tolworth you had to be running near 150 on previous years, so he’s gone up 7lb to 149. It’s no great surprise.
“We’ve given him an entry for the Betfair Hurdle and it makes his life a little bit harder – I’d have definitely fancied him off 142 – but it gives us an interesting choice.
“My Tent Or Yours won the Betfair off 149 as a novice, so it can be done, and we’ll make up our minds in the coming weeks whether we take up that engagement or go straight for the Supreme.
“We’ve got the option and we’ll see how the horse is in the next few weeks before having a look at the race and deciding if we take our chance. It’s a good dilemma to have.”
Reflecting on the Tolworth with the Betfair Hurdle in mind, Fry reasons that a harder gallop will unlock even further improvement in the Mastercraftsman gelding.
“It’s very rarely races go quite so smoothly, let alone at that level,” Fry added. “We were delighted and the fact we didn’t have to make our own running was a real plus.
“They could have gone faster again and it would’ve suited him, he travelled so well, he just thrives off a strong gallop and I don’t think he’s had that yet. Hopefully when he gets a really strongly-run race it will suit him even better.”
If Metier does run in the Betfair Hurdle, he might have to give 13lb to Ben Pauling’s Shakem Up’Arry, who he beat by 12 lengths off level weights at Sandown at the weekend, as that horse has gone up 6lb himself to 136.
But all eyes will be on the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 7/1 second favourite if he turns up at Newbury in five weeks’ time, as he bids to do a My Tent Or Yours ahead of his Cheltenham Festival assignment.
Boothill update
Metier isn't the only smart novice in Harry Fry's ranks and he gave a quick update on impressive Taunton winner, Boothill, who has met with a minor setback.
“Boothill has been held up by a splint," Fry said. "We’re not going to run him in January but we’d already earmarked the Sidney Banks and hopefully we’ll see him there.”
The Sidney Banks is run at Huntingdon over the extended 2m3f on February 11 and was won last year by Shishkin.
Right Royale conundrum for Ricci team
Royale Pagaille ⬆ 14lb to 154
What was the best three-mile chasing performance from a novice at Kempton over Christmas?
It’s usually an easy answer; the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase winner, unless a novice won the King George, but this season the horse in question ran in neither of those races.
While Shan Blue came out of Christmas still rated 152 after his three-and-three-quarter length win over The Big Breakaway in the Kauto Star, that’s 2lb shy of the mark awarded Venetia Williams' ROYALE PAGAILLE after his all-so-easy victory off 140 in the Ladbrokes Committed To Safer Gambling Handicap Chase.
He won by three-and-a-quarter lengths from improving staying chaser Cap Du Nord, the pair 19 lengths clear of the third, and it was the way he did it, on the bridle, despite a few minor errors early doors, that sees him rise 14lb to 154.
The fact is he comes out of the festive period the highest-rated staying novice chaser in England, but he’s owned by Susannah Ricci, owner of RSA Chase favourite Monkfish, which makes his potential spring target clouded with even more uncertainty than ordinarily would be the case. Maybe.
I asked Ricci’s racing manager Joe Chambers where he might go next.
“He’s a horse that seems to be improving and we were thrilled with him at Kempton,” Chambers said.
“Cap du Nord’s form seems to be strong and was franked in the Rowland Meyrick, although the handicapper has not missed him with a 14lb increase.
“I don’t know where we go next, but I’d say the Peter Marsh Chase [January 23] is an option as he has won around Haydock; the Sky Bet Chase and the Cotswold Chase are other possibilities, too.”
It’s interesting that a rating of 154 doesn’t appear to be putting off connections from chancing their arm in another handicap and with a win at Haydock under his belt already, the Peter Marsh looks a good fit.
But thinking further ahead, where could the highest-rated three-mile novice chaser in England end up at the Cheltenham Festival?
“He’ll have an entry in the RSA Chase, but he’ll have lots of entries at Cheltenham,” says Chambers. “There’s the Marsh Chase, the National Hunt Chase and he’s got a Gold Cup entry, as well.”
History suggests Ricci keeps two fancied horses apart at Cheltenham – from 88 Festival runners 67 ran as the sole representative in the pink and green – and of the 10 races where they had multiple runners only in three races did more than one of those horses go off at a single-figure price.
It’s not impossible, then, that Royale Pagaille runs against Monkfish in the RSA Chase (we won’t start debating the likelihood of no Irish runners at the Festival just yet), but with so many other options on the table, including, interestingly, the Gold Cup, the percentage call is that they’ll be kept apart.
It's not really a surprise that he’s 25/1 for the RSA Chase, 14/1 for the National Hunt Chase and not quoted for either the Marsh or the Gold Cup, considering he has so many potential targets.
But, there’s no doubt, he’s an exciting horse. And if he wins something like a Peter Marsh off 154 then his Cheltenham Festival odds will suddenly sharpen into focus.
Highest-rated novice chasers in the UK
- Shishkin 162
- Royal Pagaille 154
- Protektorat 154
- Allmankind 154
- Allart 152
- Shan Blue 152
- If The Cap Fits 152
- Fusil Raffles 152
- Hitman 151
- Ga Law 150
- Next Destination 149
This Week's BHA Major Amendments (January 5)
Altior ⬇ 3lb to 169
Amateur ⬆ 8lb to 117
Annie Mc ⬆ 5lb to 145
Bravemansgame ⬆ 7lb to 150
Cadzand ⬆ 9lb to 138
Calva d’Auge ⬆ 4lb to 140
Doitforthevillage ⬆ 2lb to 123
First Flow ⬆ 2lb to 156
Friend Or Foe ⬆ 5lb to 146
Good Ball new rating 126
Guard Your Dreams ⬆ 7lb to 135
Hudson De Grugy new rating 122
Hystery Bere new rating 125
Ibleo ⬆ 7lb to 147
Metier ⬆ 7lb to 149
Nube Negra ⬆ 13lb to 165
Paint The Dream ⬆ 10lb to 147
Panic Attack ⬆ 11lb to 124
Romain De Senam ⬆ 10lb to 148
Royale Pagaille ⬆ 14lb to 154
Seeyouatmidnight ⬆ 3lb to 142
Shakem Up’Arry ⬆ 6lb to 136
Shishkin ⬆ 3lb to 162
Whitehotchillifili ⬆ 6lb to 136
Last Week's BHA Major Amendments (December 29)
Canelo ⬆ 6lb to 148
Epatante ⬇ 1lb to 161
Frodon ⬆ 1lb to 169
Killer Clown ⬆ 13lb to 136
Silver Streak ⬆ 5lb to 163
Waiting Patiently ⬆ 4lb to 167
Previous Weights & Measures
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