Sandown Saturday
Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
FEATURE race in Britain on a fairly quiet weekend was the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles, and Willie Mullins sent over the race favourite in the shape of Kauto Star Chase winner Kitzbuhel, who jumped with dash at Kempton on good ground. Next best in the market was Kala Conti, winner of both her previous starts over fences including a defeat of Kargese in a Grade 2 at Cork.
But Irish dominance stopped on the betting boards, as Kitzbuhel dived right and unseated Paul Townend at the sixth fence, leaving another unbeaten chaser in 6/1 chance Sixmilebridge (Fergal O’Brien/Kielan Woods) with control of the race.
The seven-year-old jumped better than Kala Conti (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy) as he maintained his advantage to the line, winning by five lengths. Miami Magic was third for Stuart Edmunds and Charlie Hammond.
Sixmilebridge seemed to relish this test but connections face the prospect of dropping in trip for the Arkle or stepping up for the Brown Advisory in March, with Fergal O’Brien confirming that Cheltenham is the plan despite a couple of heavy defeats at previous Festivals.
Jack Kennedy reported that Kala Conti struggled to jump in the tacky conditions and would prefer nicer ground.
“All credit to Max Kendrick who rides Sixmilebridge every day,” said the winning trainer. “He’s not easy and gets a bit worked up but we’ve sort of figured him out now. We’ve used hoods and ear plugs but we leave all that off him now. You have to dance to his tune - he’s got his own pen at home and goes out in the field - but he’s a pretty cool horse who has always had a huge engine. Everything came right for him today and at the end of his novice hurdling we said this was the race to aim him at over fences.
“He loves soft ground and I’m delighted for Kielan Woods, who is a quality rider. I think we’ve seen a very nice horse here today and we’ll turn up at Cheltenham next. We’ll get him home before we decide on the race, but I think it will be either the Arkle or the Brown Advisory.”
Sandown hat-trick for Henri
The Heroes Handicap Hurdle has a roll of honour which includes outstanding hurdler Baracouda and tends to be a very strong contest as befits its premier handicap status. The latest renewal last weekend saw Henri The Second (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) enhance a good course record, scoring by nine lengths and a neck from Santos Blue (Olly Murphy/Ben Sutton) and Hartington (Joe Tizzard/Jack Tudor).
The nine-year-old, sent off the 9/4 favourite, travelled strongly up with the pace, and had his rivals floundering before the last to record his third win over hurdles, all of them at this track on soft/heavy ground. He may not be easy to place from his revised mark but has done connections proud when getting his required conditions.
Musselburgh Saturday/Sunday
MUSSELBURGH staged its two-day Cheltenham Trials Meeting on Saturday and Sunday, and while it clearly lacks the impact of the DRF that it shadows, there were several notable performances over the weekend.
Scottish Triumph Hurdle
Jimmy Fyffe is a growing force in National Hunt racing, particularly in Scotland and the Dundee-based drinks magnate landed the Bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle with Made U Blush (Dan Skelton/Tristan Durrell). The daughter of Masar ran on strongly from off the pace to score from favourite Lord (Donald McCain/Danny McMenamin) to the delight of those whose support saw her sent off at 11/2.
Fyffe said: “Made U Blush ran a cracker. It was a faster race than when she won at Doncaster last time and she jumped brilliantly, so I’m hoping Dan decides to go to Cheltenham with her.”
Scottish Champion Chase
Top-weight JPR One (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell) made light of the burden of 12st as he beat the gallant Tommy’s Oscar (Ann Hamilton/Sean Quinlan) in the Scottish Champion Chase, a Class 2 handicap over an extended two and a half miles. The winner has been keeping good company for most of his career and relished the opportunity to concede weight to lesser rivals for a change, travelling well and in control from early in the home straight, passing the post with two and three-quarter lengths to spare.
Campaigned mainly around two miles, JPR One had no trouble with the longer trip, and if he goes to Cheltenham next month, it’s likely to be for the Ryanair, as Joe Tizzard explained.
“We came up here for the ground and JPR One loved stepping up in trip,” said the trainer. “It was a classy performance. Even though he’s the best horse in the race, he still had to give all that weight away and I’m chuffed to bits with him. He’s going to get hiked up the ratings again, and he’s not going to win a Champion Chase, but we’ll probably have a look at the Ryanair.”
Edinburgh Grand National
The focus of Sunday’s card at Musselburgh was on the valuable Edinburgh National Handicap Chase, a 0-150 contest in which the visored Transmission (Neil Mulholland/Conor O’Farrell) jumped best to win by 12 lengths and two lengths from Rock My Way (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell) and Bodhisattva (John McConnell/Alex Harvey), with the latter making the frame for the second successive year despite typically making one bad mistake, this time three from home.
Transmission was a winner at Cheltenham last season when also a creditable fifth in the National Hunt Chase there at the Festival.
He’s found it hard in Class 1 contests recently, but appreciated the slight ease in grade here, while the visor he wore was replacing his usual cheekpieces, and may have been instrumental in this revival.
Of the winner, a fifth from his last 20 runners, Mulholland said: “He didn’t run too badly last time and the horse who finished behind him, Pic Roc, won at Sandown yesterday. The visor has probably just sharpened him up as he took to it well at home; he’s just getting a bit older and wiser, and a bit of nice ground certainly helped too.
“He can jump a bit right but has form around Cheltenham. We’ll be looking at races like the Midlands Grand National, Scottish Grand National and bet365 Gold Cup, which we won with The Young Master.”
Around the tracks
THE Listed Kachy Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday saw a clash between the last two winners, Marshman and Diligent Harry. The former blew his chance at the start but 7/1 shot Diligent Harry (Clive Cox/Rossa Ryan) showed all his old dash to dispute the lead before going clear at halfway and was only joined on the line by favourite Completely Random (Harry Charlton/Ryan Moore), the pair sharing the spoils.
Willie Mullins was out of luck at Sandown on Saturday but he and Patrick teamed up to score with Diamond Du Berlais at Ludlow on Wednesday, the daughter of Zarak scoring on her first start for the yard having failed to win in 13 starts in France.