Newcastle Saturday

Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1)

THE feature contest at Newcastle last Saturday – and the talking point of the entire weekend – was the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Debate as to whether Constitution Hill (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) could return to form raged before the race, with support for last season’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner The New Lion making it hard to name the favourite, let alone the winner, before the race started.

In the end, both horses crashed out in sensational circumstances, leaving the unfancied Golden Ace (Jeremy Scott/Lorcan Williams) sprung a 22/1 surprise as she once again capitalised on the jumping frailties of her main rivals, just as she had at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle.

Once again, Constitution Hill’s jumping fell apart for no obvious reason, this time as early as the second hurdle, which he stepped at, and took a heavy fall.

As at Cheltenham in March, his departure left his main rival in front and this time it was The New Lion (Dan/Harry Skelton) who played the role of State Man, albeit only just ahead when taking a similar fall to the favourite’s at the penultimate flight.

Changed the race

Those incidents changed the race immeasurably, with the three surviving runners all going to the final hurdle with a chance, but Golden Ace found more than Anzadam (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) by a length and a half, with Nemean Lion (Kerry Lee/Richard Patrick) keeping on gamely for third, a neck behind the runner-up.

Unsurprisingly, the result caused a big shake-up in the Champion Hurdle market, with Constitution Hill drifting to 10/1 from 4/1 and Anzadam taking a walk in the market to the same price.

Golden Ace had drifted for the Champion after running poorly at Wetherby last month but showed the topsy-turvy nature of such markets and was cut again to around 14/1 to retain her crown.

Lossiemouth is now a general 2/1 market leader ahead of Sir Gino, stablemate of Constitution Hill and in the same ownership as Anzadam, who is the other positive mover in the market.

Rehearsal Chase

Sue Smith has enjoyed plenty of success as a trainer and now shares her licence with Joel Parkinson, husband Harvey’s grandson from his first marriage.

The pair have been in excellent form in recent weeks and added a big win to their seasonal tally when 3/1 chance Konfusion (Callum Bewley) landed the BetMGM Rehearsal Chase on Saturday.

The seven-year-old jumped best from the front and stayed on strongly up the home straight to beat Deafening Silence (Dan/Harry Skelton) by a commanding 15 lengths. A winner on his return at Wetherby, he’s now likely to go back there on St Stephen’s Day for the prestigious Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, a race Smith won in 2023 with Cloudy Too.

Newbury Saturday

Coral Gold Cup

HIGHLIGHT of Newbury’s pre-Christmas fixture last Saturday was the £250,000 Coral Gold Cup, which saw a strong field assembled on yielding ground which conferred no advantage, although a standing start put several on the back foot, not least The Doyen Chief, who took virtually no part after being left standing.

There were no such problems for Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Panic Attack (Dan Skelton/Tristan Durrell), who worked her way into a prominent position on the first circuit and when favourite Myretown crashed out when leading at the ninth fence, she was left sharing second place with The Changing Man as Three Card Brag took over front-running duties.

That trio would end up dominating the finish, with 16/1 chance Panic Attack jumping superbly in the straight to secure a six and a half-length win over a rallying Three Card Brag (Gordon Elliott/Jordan Gainford) with The Changing Man (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell) dropping to third on the run-in, a length and a quarter away.

Panic Attack was completing a cherished if rarely achieved double by adding the Coral Gold Cup to her Paddy Power success.

Since those races were established (as the Mackeson Gold Cup and Hennessy Gold Cup, respectively), the double has only been completed before by Bachelor’s Hall (1977), Bright Highway (1980) and Celestial Gold (2004), and she is the first mare to achieve the feat.

“Panic Attack is brilliant,” beamed Dan Skelton when interviewed on ITV after the race. “She’s a credit to herself to do that 14 days later. When they’re getting on, you have to race them when they’re in form, and she’s clearly in the form of her life.

“Harry said to run her and it’s worked out. Tristan gave her a phenomenal ride - he’s the most improved rider I’ve ever had anything to do with in a short space of time.”

Coral Hurdle

The Gerry Feilden Hurdle has often been a pointer to better things with the intermediate hurdle throwing up nine subsequent Champion Hurdle winners since inaugurated in the 1950’s and the latest renewal fell to the promising Tutti Quanti (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden), who justified support which saw him sent off at 85/40 favourite.

Tutti Quanti led from an early stage and his only moment of weakness was when clattering through the penultimate flight having jumped well to that point.

He responded well to that solitary error and winged the last before repelling the late challenge of Indeevar Bleu (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen) by a comfortable three lengths, with strong-travelling Indemnity (Emma Lavelle/Gavin Sheehan) fading late to finish third having looked a big threat between the final two hurdles.

The winner had finished sixth behind Celtic Dino and Alexei in the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his return and was the latest to boost the form of that contest. He is now likely to go novice chasing.

TONY Martin has enjoyed his share of success at Newcastle and was on target with Zanndabad in the French Furze Novices’ Hurdle there on Saturday, with the 10/3 shot scoring by six and a half lengths under Daniel King.

The gelding had also scored for Martin and owner Pete Davies at Sedgefield in October. There were hopes for a double for owner, trainer, and jockey with Hamsiyann, but the five-year-old could only finish second to Serious Operator in the BetMGM Handicap Hurdle.

Elliott Ayr treble

Gordon Elliott sent four horses to Ayr on Monday and returned to Cullentra with three winners, courtesy of Truckers Cruising, King Gris, and Broadway Ted, who landed a handicap chase, handicap hurdle, and the bumper respectively, giving Elliott and rider Sean Bowen a 13.4/1 treble.

Donoghue strikes at Haydock

There was some intriguing action at Haydock on Wednesday, with racegoers getting another chance to see Supreme Novices’ favourite Mydaddypaddy (Dan/Harry Skelton) in the opening novice hurdle. The son of Walk In The Park didn’t disappoint in landing odds of 1/5, but followers of the upwardly mobile Ian Donoghue stable got a bit more value as the Co Meath handler landed a double on the card.

Donoghue sent three to Haydock with stable star Dunboyne expected to win the veterans’ chase under Donoghue’s brother Keith, but it was the other pair, Hitthehayson and Small Town Hero who gave the stable a 23.5/1 double under Conor Stone-Walsh, with 6/4 favourite Dunboyne finishing second to the classy Does He Know.