Newbury Sunday
NORMALLY run a week earlier, Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle fixture was postponed this year due to frost, and the biggest ramification of that postponement was the switch of Champ from the Betfair Denman Chase to the Game Spirit.
That move appeared to give Clan Des Obeaux (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) a gilt-edged opportunity of getting back to winning ways after his King George third, but once again he was thwarted by a stablemate ridden by Bryony Frost.
Jumping soundly
Just as Frodo did on St Stephen’s Day, so did Secret Investor set a pace which suited him, jumping soundly on ground which had come in his favour.
At the last the leader made a slight error, but while Clan Des Obeaux got upsides on the long run-in, Frost had again kept a bit up her sleeve, and Secret Investor rallied to win by a neck, to the delight of those who backed the 2020 runner-up at 14/1.
Kalashnikov (Amy Murphy/Jack Quinlan) jumped less than fluently, but kept on well for third, five lengths behind the winner.
Lostintranslation travelled well into the home straight, but was beaten immediately he was asked for an effort, and a recent breathing operation seems not to have been successful.
Sadly, The Conditional suffered a fracture of his near hind as the field headed out onto the second circuit and could not be saved. He had looked on good terms with himself to that point, and is loss is a big blow to his connections.
Secret Investor is best when able to dominate, and will not run at Cheltenham, although the Betway Bowl at Aintree could provide a suitable spring target.
Paul Nicholls reported that he had discussed putting cheekpieces on Clan Des Obeaux here, but decided to give the horse the benefit of the doubt.
He’s likely to wear the headgear next time, with the same Aintree contest on his agenda, a race in which he finished second to Kemboy in 2019.
THE presence of Champ (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) added plenty of spice to the Grade 2 Betfair Game Spirit Chase, and he did not let viewers down, making much of the running and jumping enthusiastically until declining a long stride at the last when challenged by 3/1 market leader Sceau Royal (Alan King/Daryl Jacob), who quickly took advantage and crossed the line two lengths ahead of the rallying Champ, with Greaneteen a further 10 lengths back in third.
The winner was improving on his second to Altior in this contest last year. This was his fifth Grade 2 victory, and while his only win in 11 starts at Grade 1 level came in a three-finisher novice chase, he is usually competitive at the top level, especially when the ground is not testing.
On good ground, he appeals as a value bet to hit the frame in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with last year’s flop very much out of character. Experience is often an asset in the Champion Chase, where youth is less of an advantage than it is in the Gold Cup.
Champ impressive
Champ impressed in defeat, his jumping largely an asset, and he was clever when his rider asked for an optimistic stride at the last, in contrast to his fall in the Dipper at Cheltenham last season. He was keen enough, and the conundrum for connections is that he doesn’t seem to jump as well when given cover as he does when allowed his head. Connections would be better utilising his jumping and risk his stamina giving out than encourage errors by holding him up among rivals.
That worked ultimately in the RSA last year, but he had to get himself out of jail to do so, and such tactics could easily backfire in a Gold Cup scenario.
That won’t be lost on Nicky Henderson, and I expect Champ to track the early leaders rather than be switched off at Cheltenham.
THE Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle has tended to favour the less-exposed runners as a rule, and novices in particular in recent years.That was again the case at Newbury with the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Soaring Glory (Jonjo Jr) beating fellow novices Fifty Ball (Gary/Josh Moore) and Annual Invictus (Chris Gordon/Richard Johnson), with the latter pair split by Edwardstone (Alan King/Tom Cannon).
The winner, a well-backed 17/2 shot, scored by three lengths, with a length and a half between second and third. Top-weight Buzz was beaten a nose for fourth, and emerged as the best horse at the weights, even before considering a bad mistake four out which coast him track position and momentum at a crucial stage.
Soaring Glory looked a potential star in bumpers, where he twice had Challow Hurdle winner Bravemansgame in his wake, and he beat that rival when making a winning hurdles debut at Chepstow.
Since then, he’s not quite gone on as expected, his jumping holding him back, but while he made a couple of errors here, he belatedly took the leap forward he’d promised, and the experience of jumping at speed in such a competitive environment will stand him in good stead.
Physically, he is an impressive specimen, and his jumping issues are borne of inexperience and a lack of confidence rather than any innate clumsiness.
He is not so highly rated as the likes of My Tent Or Yours or Kalashnikov who won this before narrow defeats in the Supreme, but he appeals as capable of improving markedly with the benefit of this experience, and wouldn’t be out of place in that event, for all he also holds a County Hurdle entry.
With this race run on a Sunday, we won’t know what mark he’ll have for the latter race until the handicap weights are formally released.