Newbury Monday
Coral Challow Hurdle (Grade 1)
NO Drama This End (Harry Cobden) has been compared to Denman by Paul Nicholls and he followed in that great horse’s footsteps to become the seventh Ditcheat-trained winner of the Grade 1 Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle on Monday at Newbury. Cobden was intent on dictating the pace in the two-and-a-half-mile contest, his mount jumping fluently at the head of affairs, shadowed closely by market rival Kalkbrenner.
As Kalkbrenner faded in the straight, Klimt Madrik loomed as the chief threat, but the 4/9 favourite had plenty in reserve approaching the last. Another slick jump sealed it, and Cobden kept him honest to the line, scoring by a length and a quarter, with Klimt Madrik (Toby Lawes/Kevin Brogan) just holding second from Tiptoptim (Jamie Snowden/Gavin Sheehan), with daylight back to the rest.
No Drama This End became the seventh Ditcheat-trained Challow winner, following in the footsteps of Cornish Rebel (2003), Denman (2006), Bravemansgame (2020), Stage Star (2021), Hermes Allen (2022), and Captain Teague (2023).
Nicholls told ITV Racing: “That’s very, very satisfying. We had to try something different today and Harry gave him a fantastic ride from the front. I love the way he jumps and gallops. Three runs in quick succession isn’t ideal, but now we can give him a break before Cheltenham and freshen him up. He’s a very smart horse - as good as any of our previous Challow winners…. it’s very exciting.”
Around the tracks
Outside of the big races, there was a smattering of Irish-trained runners in the UK over the festive period, with the most notable being the Spindleberry (Willie/Danny Mullins) in the Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase, a listed contest for which she started at 6/5 before beating Lucy Wadham’s Telepathique by six and a half lengths. Mullins also saddled fourth-placed Fun Fun Fun.
Cheltenham New Year’s Day
Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle (Grade 2)
DAN Skelton was quick to nominate the Stayers’ Hurdle as the main target for Kabral Du Mathan the gelding maintained his unbeaten record for his new stable in the Grade 2 Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. Formerly with Paul Nicholls, the son of Pastorius made a winning start for the Skelton team at Haydock in November and was sent off at 8/15 to beat last year’s Relkeel one-two Lucky Place and Gowel Road in a field of six.
Although backers had a scare when the favourite landed awkwardly at the fifth flight of hurdles, he was quickly back on an even keel under Harry Skelton, and was galloping over his rivals on the home turn.
Produced to challenge at the last, he skipped five and a half lengths clear of Jingko Blue (Nicky Henderson/James Bowen), with the runner-up’s stablemate Lucky Blue (Paul O’Brien) another two lengths behind in his bid for back-to-back wins.
“If we were going to step up the ladder Kabral du Mathan had to go and win today and he has,” said Dan Skelton. “We’ve got to remember how young he is and it’s never the wrong thing to take the patient approach. We’ll have to have a debate now about what we do.
“In my heart, I think I trust him to relax enough and get the three-mile trip, but the question is can he stay three miles hard as a six-year-old when you’re against those battle-hardened horses who have been doing it over many years. It’s not an easy call.
“If you come back in trip you make two bad decisions; one is that in the short term he’s not a two-miler and in the long term when he goes up to three we’ve been teaching him to race over two, so we won’t be doing that. It will be Cheltenham or Aintree.”
Matata (Nigel & Willy/Sam Twiston-Davies) is proving a real money-spinner in handicaps for connections (form figures in such races over jumps 1122121731), and a year after winning a valuable prize at Windsor, he captured the £100,000 Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase by nine and a half lengths from Il Ridoto (Paul Nicholls/Freddie Keighley).
Normally a free-going front-runner, Matata settled pretty well held up for a change, and that enabled him to produce his best efforts at a track where he has a slightly mixed record, and the way he stayed on up the hill will encourage connections to have a crack at the Ryanair Chase.
“He does love it around here,” said Nigel T-D. “He has never been at his best at Cheltenham because he has been so free he has had trouble getting up the hill, but he has learnt to settle for the first time ever today and he has got his two and a half miles well.
“We have been wanting to go this distance for a long time, but the fact he settled so beautifully was great. Sam has ridden him nearly every day at home this last week and he loves him, that all helps. We can think about the Ryanair again.”
Rest of the card
Warren Greatrex is dreaming of the Welsh Grand National for Herakles Westwood (James Bowen), after his stayer won the three-mile, one-furlong Betfair Handicap Chase.
In the frame here in November and December, the nine-year-old gained a deserved first win of the campaign when staying on best from the final fence to beat Katate Dori (Sam Thomas/Dylan Johnson) by half a length in a race which saw half the runners fail to complete.
Unlike others, the 11/2 chance jumped soundly throughout and stayed on powerfully from the home bend to run out a deserved winner.
Greatrex said: “He stays any trip you want and he is a solid horse. The horses have been brilliant all season and James gave him a great ride. We just wanted a free run as Sean, when he came in the last day, half kicked himself as he didn’t really know him.
“He said I should have kept on at him down the hill as he hit a bit of a flat spot and flew home after thinking I would be beaten quite a way.
“He is some jumper and he is very honest and stays forever. Once he jumped the last he was never going to be beat as he is so tough. I’m chuffed for the horse as he has been knocking at the door.
“He loves Cheltenham and he gives it everything he has got. I’m chuffed for the owners too and it is a great start to the year. I might give him a break and come straight back here as he has had three fairly quick runs.
“The Ultima is an option and the Kim Muir is another and I think next season he is a Welsh Grand National horse.”
A Magic moment
Miami Magic (Stuart Edmunds/Charlie Hammond) showed improved form over fences to win the Ellenborough Park Hotel ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase.
The son of Leading Light had been held back by his jumping in two previous outings over the larger obstacles but handled the tricky Cheltenham fences well to beat Regent’s Stroll (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) by a comfortable four lengths.
The SP of the winner was 13/2, having attracted support at bigger prices. Runner-up in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree a year ago, Miami Magic was belatedly showing himself to be as good over fences, although plans to run him in the Festival’s novice handicap rest on the handicapper taking a generous view of this form.
Edmunds said: “He hadn’t bent his back and jumped fences as he should, but today he has. I think the going really suits him as he loves to bounce off good ground.”