Newbury - Betway Challow Hurdle (Grade 1)

WITH the Mandarin Chase now reduced to a mere Class 3 event, the only black-type event on Newbury’s interesting Saturday card was the Grade 1 Betway Challow Hurdle, in which Thyme Hill (Philip Hobbs/Richard Jonhson) maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles. He failed to impress all who saw him dispatch The Cashel Man (Nicky Henderson/Jerry McGrath) in workmanlike fashion by a length and a half, although the pair did pull well clear despite a modest pace, and the form may be better than it first appears.

There is no doubting the ability of Thyme Hill, with this Grade 1 on his mantlepiece alongside a pair of Grade 2 events already, and the fact that he switched himself off in the race is probably not something to be concerned about given the tasks ahead. Indeed Hobbs reported that his charge was “just dossing” when racing in behind the pace, but snapped back on the bridle the second he was pulled out to challenge.

A couple of scrappy jumps also took a bit of the gloss off this performance, but the winner got down to work when he needed to, and it seems churlish to knock him. His relaxed demeanour, previous Cheltenham Festival experience, and no-nonsense attitude will give him a huge advantage over less experienced rivals in the Albert Bartlett.

Johnson 100

The other headline on the day was that Richard Johnson was bringing up his inevitable century of winners in the opener, and ended the day with a treble.

This was incredibly, the 24th consecutive season in which he’s ridden 100 or more winners, and despite living most of his professional life in the shadows of A.P. McCoy, he ought to be recognised as one of the most remarkable sportsmen in recent British history. (See tribute below).