Sandown Saturday

Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

STAR of the show at Sandown on Saturday was the exciting Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliott/Jordan Gainford), who emerged as a warm favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham next month with a thoroughly likeable performance to take the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase despite giving the impression that neither trip nor ground showed him off to best effect.

Sent off a shade of odds-on at 10/11, Gerri Colombe swapped the lead with Balco Coastal (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) on the final circuit of the extended two-and-a-hal-mile event, and briefly looked in trouble when his main rival jumped that last of the Railway Fences better and then quickened from the Pond Fence to look the likeliest winner.

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The picture changed when Gainford was able to angle Gerri Colombe to the outside of the runner-up in the straight, and it was clear between the last two fences that he would find enough to overhaul the leader. At the line, he had a length and three quarters to spare over Balco Coastal.

A winner of the Grade 1 Faugheen Novices’ Chase on his penultimate start, Gerri Colombe gives the strong impression that he’s winning good races at the wrong trip, and the step up to three miles in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham is expected to bring out another chunk of improvement in the gelding.

The Faugheen form received a boost the following day when runner-up Adamantly Chosen belied an SP of 40/1 to finish second in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown, for all the formlines suggest that Mighty Potter may be the stable’s best novice at the intermediate trip.

Owner Brian Acheson has not confirmed that Gerri Colombe will take part at Cheltenham, although the Brown Advisory is his only real target there, for all the National Hunt Chase – for which he’s not qualified - had been mooted.

Ground conditions will determine whether he runs at Prestbury Park, but he coped well enough with ground close to good here to think it will have to be quick for him to swerve Cheltenham.

Wetherby Saturday

THE Grade 2 Towton Novices Chase ended up a rather weak affair for the grade, not because there were only four runners given last year’s race saw Ahoy Senor beat Noble Years in a similar field, but because the odds-on favourite Ballygrifincottage failed to give his running on the quick ground and was reported to have bled.

That left the way open for Hereford handicap winner City Chief (Nicky Henderson/James Bowen) to score, and press for a place in his trainer’s squad for Cheltenham.

City Chief, a six-year-old son of Soldier Of Fortune, has been slow to get the hang of jumping fences, but he largely cut out the errors here to beat fellow 7/2 chance O’Toole (Stuart Crawford/Sam Ewing) by five lengths. He is one of three that his owners, Joe and Marie Donnelly have in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, and that would appeal as his only realistic option outside of handicaps at the Festival.

The runner-up lacks an entry in the National Hunt Chase, but already appeals as a chaser in need of a marathon chase, and will be seen to best effect granted a more severe test having been first off the bridle.

Huntingdon Thursday

THERE was a potentially significant contest at Huntingdon on Thursday with the running of the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle, in which Rare Edition was expected to press home his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle claims, but Charlie Longsdon’s charge had to give best to Marble Sands (Fergal O’Brien/Kielan Woods).

This defeat seemed to put paid to any Supreme ambitions, but connections can take comfort in the fact that the likes of Browne’s Gazette, Travado and Relkeel all tasted defeat in the Sidney Banks before becoming going on to become household names.

Stayers addition

Recent Cleeve Hurdle winner Gold Tweet is set to be supplemented for the Stayers’ Hurdle according to trainer Gabriel Leenders. Leenders said: “We have no problem supplementing him for the Stayers’ Hurdle. I’m very excited and it is a dream for me and all my team. It’s a better level race and the Irish horses are a different quality I think.

“We will come like last time. If he has a good chance then we are happy, but we are relaxed. We won last time but now the race is better.”