Sandown Saturday

Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

THE action in the UK may have fallen in the shadow of the Dublin Racing Festival, but there was Grade 1 action at Sandown when Laurina travelled from Closutton to take on the British novice chasers in their back-yard, but the often brilliant mare was again a shadow of her old self, and was pulled up.

Victory went to Olly Murphy’s 7/1 shot Itchy Feet under a fine waiting ride by Gavin Sheehan. Third in the Supreme at Cheltenham last spring, the son of Cima De Triomphe had little more than a schooling session on his chase debut at Leicester, and was taking a big step up in class against more experienced rivals.

Allowed to find his rhythm in rear early on, Itchy Feet moved up at the Pond Fence, and despite stumbling at the second last, soon recovered and surged up the hill to score by three and a half lengths from Dipper winner Midnight Shadow (Sue Smith/Danny Cook). Champagne Platinum (Nicky Henderson/Barry Geraghty) plugged for third, another 15 lengths back.

The winner disappointed a little after Cheltenham last year, but he finished off to good effect there, and again showed that he is a better horse granted more of a test of stamina, with the Marsh Novices’ Chase (Golden Miller) his target in March, and on this evidence, he’s potentially the best there is on British soil, albeit lacking experience for such a race.

Midnight Shadow is also engaged in the Marsh Chase, which is his only Festival entry, and while he’s won at the track on a couple of occasions, it’s hard to see him being good enough to win having already had five chase starts, and his Dipper win owed everything to the late fall of Champ.

Destin denies Lord

The Sandown card also featured the Contenders Hurdle (formerly the Oteley Hurdle in days of yore, when won by See You Then among others), and Nicky Henderson was expected to win with the odds-on favourite Call Me Lord (Daryl Jacob), who has landed the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December.

His defeat here at the hands of last year’s Triumph fifth Quel Destin (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) didn’t cause many ripples in the Champion Hurdle market, but it does have implications.

It’s hard to believe, but until he was dropped for last weekend’s effort, Call Me Lord was the highest-rated British challenger for the Champion, and his defeat in this listed contest at the hands of a 146-rated rival shows just how weak the Champion is on paper, among the geldings at least.