Wincanton Saturday
THE graded action at Wincanton on Saturday was supplied by the John Romans Park Homes Rising Stars Novices’ Chase, and was won by Reserve Tank for Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power.
The five-year-old son of Jeremy goes down as one of the most exciting prospects in training, his first appearance of any sort having come only 13 months ago.
Reserve Tank measured his fences accurately on rain-softened ground, if never tending to be spectacular. When asked for his effort early in the straight, he came through smoothly to win by three and three-quarter lengths from If You Say Run, although the impression was that the margin could have been more.
The winner improved enormously in the spring, landing Grade 1 novice hurdles at Aintree and Punchestown. Colin Tizzard was pleased to see his star settle, and confirmed that he would have a similar campaign to Lostintranslation last season, keeping to two and a half miles, with the Grade 2 Berkshire Chase at Newbury next up.
Money
Paul Nicholls told all and sundry that Give Me A Copper was well handicapped ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, and although the clever money went astray there, the point was belatedly proven in the feature Badger Beer Silver Trophy.
The son of Presenting largely avoided mistakes and racing prominently throughout under Harry Cobden gained a hard-fought neck win over the strong-finishing Soupy Soups.
The nine-year-old is very lightly raced for his age, and Nicholls plans to give him a run in the Becher (or Grand Sefton) Chase in December before going fresh to Aintree in April. His prospects depend very much on whether he takes to those unique fences.
Juveniles
The Grade 2 Elite Hurdle went to favourite Fusil Raffles (Daryl Jacob), giving Suede, Munir and Henderson an across-the-card double, but he was made to work hard by Grand Sancy. The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old was conceding 3lbs to the winner, which highlights the gap last year’s juveniles need to bridge to be competitive in the Champion Hurdle.
Conversely, Fusil Raffles is not some ready-made flat graduate, but a jumps-bred gelding who first saw a racecourse in July 2018. That gives hope that his normal progression will take him a long way in the coming months when others his age are flattening out.
Aintree Saturday
A STAR performance at Aintree came from the former Tom Taaffe gelding Riders Onthe Storm, who made a winning debut for Nigel Twiston-Davies under son Sam in the two and a half-mile handicap chase, beating Cepage by one and three-quarter lengths with a big gap back to the others in a competitive race of its type.
The winner scored at Punchestown in February but fell in the Close Brothers Chase at Cheltenham in March. He was raised by 10lbs to 150 for this win, and has been pencilled in for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham next month.
Champagne Mystery (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) was forced off the track by loose horses on his hurdle debut here, but he banished those memories as he won the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ limited handicap chase in spectacular fashion.
The excitable five-year-old was allowed to do his own thing by Nico de Boinville, and he soon had his rivals in trouble with a display of attacking jumping, which enabled him to run out an 11-length winner over Present Value. This is very useful novice form, and the winner can make his mark in graded company on this showing. He was raised to 144 by the handicapper.
Bridle
The Last Day (Evan Williams/Adam Wedge) was barely off the bridle to beat Baby King by five lengths in the two-mile handicap chase. He’s gone up 11lb for that win, but is still likely to take his chance in the £125,000 Gerard Bertrand Hurst Park Handicap Chase at Ascot later in the month, where Williams will be hoping for very testing ground.
Top Notch (Nico de Boinville) has been a fine servant to Nicky Henderson, and gained his 13th win for his current connections in the conditions hurdle, beating Roksana and Vision Des Flos in a finish of necks.
This was the little gelding’s first hurdles win since the 2015/16 season, and he was receiving weight from both of his main rivals, but he “blew up about six times” according to his trainer, and he should win again for all he no longer appears to be a contender for Grade 1 glory.
Sandown Sunday
NICKY Henderson’s Santini (Nico de Boinville) was expected to make short work of his opponents in the intermediate chase, a race won easily by Might Bite in 2017.
However, the RSA runner-up and Gold Cup fancy made hard work of putting away 144-rated handicapper Now McGinty, racing indolently and having to withhold a renewed challenge from the runner-up after the last to score by a head, although the pair did pull 30 lengths clear of Bet365 Gold Cup winner Talkischeap.
Aside from the King George, which his trainer feels would be unsuitable, all options are open for the winner, and the runner-up, bred by Ronnie O’Neill, is a dour stayer who appeals as a likely sort for the Welsh National, assuming the assessor does not take this form literally.
A downbeat Henderson mused: “That was not what we were expecting and Santini has a long way to go. He’s quite slow at home, and I’ve not had him at a peak for quite a while.
“I don’t know where he will go – everything is under consideration.”
Houblon Des Obeaux booked his place in the final of the veterans’ series over course and distance with an easy win over Dark Flame, helped by an aggressive ride by Charlie Deutsch. He has no secrets from the handicapper, and was only 1lb lower here than when winning the United House Gold Cup at Ascot six years ago. It’s to be hoped he isn’t in line for a big rise after beating one who had been off the track for two years.
Luck’s in for Hell’s Kitchen
Carlisle Monday
AN intriguing graduation chase was somewhat spoiled by the independent falls of leader Midnight Shadow and his closest pursuer Djingle, leaving favourite Hell’s Kitchen clear. The winner is smart on his day, but was laboured here, and isn’t easy to place after this.
Midnight Shadow was novicey, but had wrested the advantage from Djingle at the time of his departure, and the Relkeel Hurdle winner could go far over fences.
John Queally had no luck with Djingle, but went home with a winner when Adrian Heskin partnered Arcadian Sunrise to an easy win in the bumper in the colours of Miriam Queally.