Sandown Saturday
IN a low-key week of racing, the performance of Fiddlerontheroof to win the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle stands out, and Colin Tizzard’s nascent star booked a ticket to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with a dominant display.
The Stowaway gelding gave Robbie Power no anxious moments, and while the field was fairly closely packed turning into the home straight, Fiddlerontheroof had no trouble pulling away for a six-length win over Jeremys Flame (Gavin Cromwell/Jonathan Moore), with Nicky Henderson’s Son Of Camas (Nico de Boinville) a further 15 lengths behind in third.
The winner has gained both wins at Sandown on testing ground, but ran well on a variety of ground in bumpers for John Joe Walsh, and while he stays two miles thoroughly, he does not look to lack gears at all.
He was trained with the future in mind by Walsh, and is reaping the rewards of the experienced gained now, improving with each run for his new yard, and with Envoi Allen seen as likely to go elsewhere, he is now second favourite with a number of firms for the Supreme, although conditions are likely to determine whether he stays at two miles or steps up in trip for the Ballymore.
Robbie Power was full of praise for the six-year-old, saying afterwards: “Fiddlerontheroof has got plenty of options because there is no doubt he will stay further. I think he’s got stronger since I first rode him at Chepstow and, physically, he’s developing into a fine horse. He’s very good.”
The runner-up is also worth mentioning in a bit more depth, as it was a fine performance from her to come so far clear of a decent field, and she was backing up the good impression she’d made when splitting Floressa and Silver Forever in a mares’ listed event at Newbury’s Winter Carnival.
Prior to that she had finished second to Daylight Katie in a Grade 3 at Down Royal, and while she has amassed a lot of experience in her career to date, she continues to show gradual improvement, and needs to be considered as a contender for the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March, for which she is priced at 16/1.
Silver shines for listed success
JEREMYS Flame paid a handsome compliment to the listed mares’ race won by Floressa at Newbury last month, and so did the third in that contest, Silver Forever (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) who won the Unibet Mares’ Hurdle in comfortable style from Copper Gone West (Tim Vaughan/Aidan Coleman) and the disappointing favourite Indefatigable.
The race was devalued a little by the last-named failing by quite a long way to repeat her previous Cheltenham effort, but the 6/5 second favourite still appeared to show improved form, and while she can’t beat Floressa based on the Newbury form, she did beat Nicky Henderson’s mare at the same track in October, and there is not much between them on balance.
While Floressa and Jeremys Flame may well go to the Dawn Run over two miles at Cheltenham, Silver Forever has a different race as her main target, and Paul Nicholls’s assistant Harry Derham nominated the Jane Seymour Mares’ Hurdle at Sandown next month as the primary goal for the daughter of the much-missed Jeremy. Derham feels that sound jumping and stamina are Silver Forever’s biggest assets compared to her contemporaries, and that seems a fair assessment.
Copper Gone West ran a solid race in second, but she has something to find to win a blacktype event, and needs to improve her jumping, which was again a little ragged here.
Jepeck is a worthy winner of thrilling Veterans’ Final
JEPECK (Anthony Honeyball/Rex Dingle) was a worthy winner of the hugely popular veterans’ series final, worth £100,000, and the well-backed 3/1 favourite survived a late scare to hold off the 13-year-olds Regal Flow (Bob Buckler/Sean Houlihan) and Theatre Guide (Colin Tizzard/Robbie Power) by a short-head and a neck.
He had to survive a scare however, having been crossed by the riderless Horatio Hornblower coming to the last, where it looked like he might be forced off the track by his wayward rival, but he recovered to win all out.
Given the nature of these races, it was a little disappointing to see that the winner got an 8lb rise for his narrow win, but on the other hand, it increases his chances of making the cut for the Grand National should Anthony Honeyball choose to go that route.
That said, it was refreshing to hear the trainer state beforehand that this contest was his sole ambition for Jepeck, and pleasing to be able to greet the winner of a valuable contest without the race being cast as a stepping stone to Cheltenham in March.
In that regard, this series for veteran chasers has delivered great value, as well as tremendous excitement for fans at the track and watching on television. The old warriors who contest such events tend to take high order in the affections of the public, and the concept has been hugely successful.
File it under “What has the BHA ever done for us?”
Around The Tracks
Christmas comes early at Plumpton
A PLUMPTON meeting tends to go by without fanfare, but the Sussex National took on slightly greater significance last weekend with the dearth of top-quality racing, and it produced an impressive winner in the shape of Colin Tizzard’s 9/2 shot Christmas In April (Harry Cobden) who travelled well and jumped soundly before idling a little on the run-in. He eventually had just under two lengths to spare over Uallrightharry (Linda Jewell/Brendan Powell), with the dual Royal Artillery Gold Cup winner Rathlin Rose bouncing back to form in third, the same distance behind the runner-up.
Christmas In April has got his act together this season since persisting with staying trips over fences, the only horse to beat him in three outings this term being the Robert Waley-Cohen-owned La Cavstra Nostra, himself a progressive stayer to keep on side. The margin of victory was not huge, but the manner of success for this son of Crillon was very taking, and he could stay ahead of the handicapper for a while.
The runner-up stayed on dourly, but carried his head at an odd angle when asked for his effort. That tempers confidence on his building on this, but he’s won two of his four chase starts at staying trips, and would have made that three but for a late fall on his penultimate start, so he may yet do better.
GORDON Elliott started the week on a winning note when his Miss Aloud landed a mares’ novice hurdle under Richard Johnson in the colours of Oghill House Stud. The winner was paying a compliment to Yukon Lil, who beat the daughter of Azamour by 12 lengths at Naas last month.
Skeltons win appeal
DAN and Harry Skelton were successful in their appeal against the demotion of their Protektorat, who lost out in a stewards’ inquiry following interference with Fergal O’Brien’s Imperial Alcazar in a listed novice hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
On Thursday, a BHA disclipinary panel found the interence suffered by the original runner-up was not significant enough.