city ready for champion test

Detroit City masters Straw Bear at Sandown.

By Richard Johnson

I was very pleased with Detroit City in the Agfa Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. He did everything he had to do - he won the race.

He had a real good gallop on ground that would be a little softer than ideal for him and all in all it was a good preparation for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Festival.

We didn't go too quickly over the first two or three hurdles so I decided to send my horse on down the back straight where it was basically good ground.

I was happy enough to allow him to bowl on as I knew it was very testing up the straight. I didn't want the race to develop into a sprint - you get funny results then.

He jumped well in front when we were still quite bunched up and then he kept pulling out more when he needed to after turning for home.

He made a mistake at the last - but that was just one of those things. It was very tacky ground and it didn't worry me. He picked himself up straight away and galloped all the way to the line. I always felt that if Straw Bear had come upsides me, Detroit City would have kept finding more.

I followed Straw Bear home in the Figthing Fifth on Noble Request, who I also think is a very good horse, and I really felt that day that the winner was a genuine Champion Hurdle contender. He didn't fire at Kempton next time but he is a very good horse and it was no mean feat to beat him at Sandown. Straw Bear thoroughly deserves his place in a Champion Hurdle line-up.

Detroit City is a pleasure to ride. He is very straightforward, we can make the running or take a lead. He's not free-running, he doesn't do too much, and the more you ask of him the more he gives.

The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle is shaping up into a very good race and all I can hope for is that my fellow gets there in one piece. If he is fit and well I can't be sure he'll win, but he will give a very good account of himself.

I was impressed by Mountain's win at Sandown on Saturday - and I repeat the ground was very soft up the straight and very hard work for any horse so he did very well to win as he did. To come up the hill in such determined style shows he is a horse with a good attitude. That is a good sign and something you need at Cheltenham.

That was his first run over hurdles and we know he has an awful lot of ability from the Flat. He would appreciate better ground too. AP was was very happy with him and Mountain must have a massive chance in the Triumph Hurdle which is again looking to be a very good race.

My ride in the race Sir Rique got tired and fell at the last. He wasn't really on our Triumph Hurdle shortlist beforehand but you never know until they run.

I like him though and he is a horse with a very big future. It was unfortunate he fell and he was down for a while afterwards but that was due to me. I got my foot stuck in a stirrup and had to keep hold of Sir Rique to stop him from getting up and galloping away with me.

Dempsey returned to winning ways on the same card and he loves Sandown. It is the sort of track where if a horse handles it they tend to run well there every time and can be better there than anywhere else. The fences come very quickly down the back straight and if a horse takes them in their stride, which Dempsey did on Saturday, it is a huge advantage. Tiimmy Murphy got a great tune out of him at the weekend and while personally I don't feel he is strong enough to win a Champion Chase, it was a great performance on Saturday.

I rode Chilling Place in that race but he was never really competitive.

He got knocked over by Racing Demon at Exeter first time when travelling very well and that dented his confidence before he took a nasty fall at the final fence at Ascot next time on ground that was probably softer than ideal for him. He cut his head quite badly there but thankfully suffered no lasting damage.

His confidence has been knocked though, he needs to get it back, and when he does he is a very good horse. It is frustrating but we just need to get everything going in the right direction again. When that happens he will win a good handicap, I am sure of that.

Nickname won in Ireland on Sunday and seems to have improved dramatically this season. He seems to be thriving and has got his act together. It often pays to side with a horse on the crest of a wave and he has emerged as a leading contender for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase. He is in top form and you can't knock him.

The British challenge for the race should be clearer after the Game Spirit at Newbury on Saturday.

A few months ago people felt the Seasons Holidays Champion Chase could be one of the easier feature races of the Festival to win - that's not the case now.

Well Chief could be back this weekend and even though he hasn't run for a long time, he is in very good hands with the Pipe team.

He would be very high on my shortlist for Cheltenham, if he comes back to his best the form is there for all to see.

Voy Por Ustedes is improving all the time and has done very little wrong while Ashley Brook was very impressive when winning a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last time.

The only worry for him is will Saturday's race come a little too soon? It was very testing ground and he went a very fast gallop throughout at Cheltenham so he may need a little longer to get over it.

One thing is for sure, the Champion Chase picutre should be a little clearer after Saturday's race.