kempton

AN eventful afternoon at Kempton on Saturday saw Alan King’s Master Blueyes confirm his place in the line-up for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

He took the Grade 2 Betbright Genius Adonis Hurdle most impressively but hot favourite Charli Parcs fell heavily at the penultimate flight, leaving Barry Geraghty with serious injuries that will keep him out of the Cheltenham Festival.

Templier made much of the early running and was still in front running to three out. At that point the filly Evening Hush took over but Tom Bellamy, deputising for Wayne Hutchinson, was clearly going best on Master Blueyes and soon swept past, going on to win by 11 lengths with his own stable-companion Fidux back in third.

Given that Charli Parcs had beaten Master Blueyes by eight lengths here last time, it was hardly surprising that he was sent off at 8/15, with the winner returned at 13/2. However, he was struggling to get to grips on the home turn before responding to pressure in the straight. Hard driven, he was challenging when coming to grief, thereby handing the race to his rival.

Most observers were of the opinion that Master Blueyes was going the better anyway and King was delighted.

“I wasn’t sure we had one good enough for the Triumph this year but Master Blueyes has come on enormously these last couple of weeks, so much so that we decided to find out just where we stood,” he said. “It was annoying that Wayne was not allowed to ride after his fall at Exeter on Friday but Tom Bellamy seized his chance and rode a super race.”

CONFIDENcE

“That Ludlow victory gave Master Blueyes so much confidence so it looks like the Triumph for him with Coeur de Lion heading for the Fred Winter.”

Nicky Henderson has had a lot of winners recently and goes into the festival with a very strong team, which may yet include Charli Parcs.

“He’s okay but we need to talk to Barry to learn a bit more about what was happening,” the trainer explained after the race.

“When he came off the bend he was five or six lengths down but by the time he came to the second last he’d joined them and was coming through like a bullet. We can’t say what we’ll do just yet.”

Some bookmakers doubled Charli Parcs’ odds to 14/1 for the Triumph but no doubt he will contract again if reports from Seven Barrows are upbeat.

Master Blueyes is on offer at 8/1 with another of J.P. McManus’ juveniles, Defi Du Seuil, as short as 7/4 in places.

Philip Hobbs will now be looking for a jockey for the favourite, the simple answer being Richard Johnson, though Mark Walsh must also be in contention. Geraghty will be out for several weeks.

“I have a collapsed lung and six broken ribs on my right side,” he said. “I’m obviously devastated to miss the festival. There were so many good horses to look forward to as J.P’s team all look in particularly good shape this year. I hope to be back in tme for Aintree.”

Geraghty had won the opening handicap hurdle for McManus on 5/1 favourite River Frost, but King has no Cheltenham plans for that one.