Newbury Saturday

THE Ladbrokes Trophy is the main event on the Saturday of Newbury’s Winter Carnival, and a maximum field made for a thrilling contest despite the absence of a marquee name at the top of the weights.

In the end the horses who had dominated the ante-post market disappointed, but there was late support in the days leading up to the race for Emma Lavelle’s De Rasher Counter. He produced a smart performance to win off an admittedly rather lenient weight when taking account of the claims of the excellent Ben Jones, who has been riding out of his skin this season.

De Rasher Counter won the same race, and under the same weight, that the much-lauded American did at Uttoxeter in March, but while American was the talk of the village ahead of his attempt to win the 2017 Hennessy, Lavelle’s improving chaser went largely under the radar.

He was always well placed, which tends to be a prerequisite in the Newbury contest, and found plenty at the business end to repel Cheltenham winner The Conditional (David Bridgwater/Brendan Powell) and top-weight Elegant Escape (Colin Tizzard/Tom O’Brien), returning the 12/1 winner in a field of 24.

One postscript to the race is that Andrew Gemmell, crowned Owner of The Year at the HWPA awards on Monday as a result of the exploits of Paisley Park, was having his third winner of the meeting, as he owns a quarter share in De Rasher Counter as well as half of Friday’s novice hurdle winner Sevarano.

Grand National

The winner has been raised another 11lbs, and while she mentioned the Grand National as a longtime dream, Emma Lavelle was not committing her big-race winner to any short-term target.

The runner-up is clearly progressing all the time, and is still at the right end of the weights, so ought to be fairly easy to place, but the third is worthy of praise having got into a poor position with some typically sketchy jumping in the early stages. He looked well held at the top of the straight but stayed on remorselessly, and will always be a player in the better chases when stamina is at a premium.

Henderson, Nicholls dominate the day

WHILE things went awry for the Seven Barrows stable at Newcastle, Nicky Henderson was in fine form at Newbury, where the exciting Floressa justified odds of 10/11 under Nico de Boinville in the listed mares’ novice hurdle which opened the card.

They went on to complete a treble through The Cashel Man, who won easily on his handicap debut, and Epatante who led home a stable one-two-three in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle.

Prospect

Floressa was reversing recent course form with third-placed Silver Forever (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) on 3lb better terms, but she might have won both races with a bit more luck, and appears a slightly better prospect that Paul Nicholls’s mare at this early stage. Henderson now intends giving her a break before preparing her for the Dawn Run (mares’ novice) Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Splitting Floressa and Silver Forever on Saturday was Gavin Cromwell’s Jeremys Flame (Robbie Power), and the Jeremy mare was confirming her improved effort in chasing home Daylight Katie at Down Royal, while also showing that she doesn’t need heavy ground.

Epatante came home six lengths ahead of French Crusader with a further four lengths back to Elusive Belle, although the trainer admitted that he was keener on the chances of the third than the others.

Both Epatante and Elusive Belle were down the field in the Dawn Run Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, and the ability to produce future winners is something which Cheltenham’s newest festival contest has to recommend it.

Nicholls double

Not to be outdone by his great rival, Paul Nicholls managed a double on the day, with the Grade 2 John Francome (Berkshire) Novices’ Chase going to fencing newcomer Danny Whizzbang (Harry Cobden) who sprung a surprise to win at 9/2 in a three-runner contest. Warm favourite Reserve Tank did not jump with much fluency under Robbie Power, but the winner was expected to need the experience, so deserves full credit, and he was always thought of as the type to flourish with time having been restricted to just two starts over hurdles, both of which he won.

Nicholls was clearly pleasantly surprised by the win, but now believes he may have a live RSA candidate on his hands. Trainer and jockey also hit the mark with Magic Saint in the finale, the gelding belatedly living up to the glowing reports sent out about him last spring and which saw him start favourite for the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.

Magic Saint is owned by bedding (human, not equine) supremo John Cotton, and the West Yorkshire-based businessman went close to a double when Sametegal finished second to Bennys King (Dan/Harry Skelton) in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase.

As You Like, sporting the colours bequeathed to J. P. McManus by the late commentator and journalist, finished an honourable third.