SKY BET SUPREME

NOVICES’ HURDLE

(GRADE 1)

WHAT must have seemed an almost interminable wait between festival winners for trainer Tom George finally came to an end as a tremendously game Summerville Boy bagged the hugely anticipated curtain-raiser to the four days.

All the way back in 2002 George got off the mark at the meeting with Galileo but he had to wait until this race to add to his tally and he did so with a horse whose career got off to a striking start in a Killarney bumper last May.

On that occasion the former Sam Curling inmate landed a huge gamble to record a stylish debut triumph and he was subsequently picked up by leading owner Roger Brookhouse for £130,000.

That six-figure sum looked many well spent when Summerville Boy defeated Kalashnikov in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle in early January and it was this pair that once again dominated the finish.

Getabird was the shortest priced of the Irish runners but the free-going front-runner was beaten before the second last and he faded to finish 11th and it was Mengli Khan who did best of the raiders to be beaten two lengths into third.

UNTIDY

The outcome of this race provided further evidence of Summerville Boy’s emergence as one of the brightest young talents around but the result scarcely does justice to his effort as he overcame some decidedly untidy jumping. A bad error at the second last looked as though it might cost him dearly and he lost a number of places at a crucial stage.

However, Noel Fehily conjured another surge from his mount which enabled the pair to close in on Kalashnikov and Mengli Khan at the final flight.

Again the winner was none too fluent there but he found further reserves on the climb to the line to outlast Kalashnikov by a neck.

“Things didn’t go his way during the race and he made three mistakes at the wrong time.

“It shows what he could have done if he hadn’t made those mistakes,” commented George.

“He beat Kalashnikov fair and square in the Tolworth and the mistakes he made today made it a bit closer but he’s done it which is the most important thing.”

SWITCHING OFF

George added: “Noel got beaten on him around here early in the season but he said none of them that beat him that day would do so again in a true run race. This horse has taken a lot of switching off at home and he’s ridden by one of my best riders, Singh, and he’s been the making of the horse.”

“It was a great comeback by the horse after that mistake at the second last,” commented Fehily.

“He’s been settling better lately and growing up all the time. Over the last few weeks Tom (George) has been very happy with him and he’s produced a terrific performance today.”

Indications afterwards were that Summerville Boy might well be finished for the season.