Haydock Saturday

Betfair Chase (Grade 1)

NO sooner had Cyrname supplanted Altior as favourite for the King George, than he was joined at the head of the market by Lostintranslation, following the seven-year-old’s defeat of the other 5/4 joint-favourite, Bristol De Mai, in the Betfair Chase.

Last season’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase winner was having just his second start at a trip of three miles and beyond, and improved again with an almost flawless display, a minor error at the second last his only blemish, and he stayed on well to beat Bristol De Mai (Nigel Twiston-Davies/Daryl Jacob), the winner of this event in 2017 and 2018, and hitherto unbeaten in four chase starts at Haydock, by a length and a half.

The pair had a lacklustre Frodon 25 lengths back in third, with Charlie Hall hero Ballyoptic distanced by the winner.

Lostintranslation was a really likeable novice who improved throughout last season. He started off as a forward-going sort who was inclined to take his fences on (he hit the third-last at Newbury so hard a year ago that the fence had to be rebuilt), but his jumping quickly became a big asset, for all he was still inclined to be bold.

Colin Tizzard’s decision to keep him to shorter trips until his final start has been a shrewd move, as he has learned to hone his jumping at speed, and three battles with Defi Du Seuil have done neither horse any harm. Quite the opposite, it seems.

In two starts this season, his fencing has been exemplary, and the only sign that he and Robbie Power weren’t in perfect harmony was when the pair approached the last on a long stride, and the rider insisted on taking no chances, with the result that his mount had to pop the fence and concede momentum.

He was running all over the runner-up at the time, and while he would almost certainly have winged it if asked for a big leap, his rider is still teaching him that discretion is sometimes the better part of valour, and with the race in the bag, showing off was unnecessary.

Of course, slick jumping will be essential for those taking on Cyrname at Kempton, and the clash is one to savour. Long term, the world looks his oyster, as unlike Cyrname and Altior, the longer trip at left-handed Cheltenham holds no terrors for him.