Sandown review: Belargus bowls along and could go for Topham

Nick Gifford is considering giving Belargus a spin over the famous Grand National fences after hinting the Randox Topham Handicap Chase could be a potential target following his first victory over fences at Sandown Park this afternoon.

The 2m5f Grade Three prize at Aintree on April 9th is one of a number of options the Findon handler is weighing up for the JP McManus-owned six year old who made it eighth time lucky over larger obstacles in the Elmbridge Handicap Chase under conditional Niall Houlihan.

Taking matters up late on in the two-mile contest, the 5-1 shot quickly put distance between himself and his rivals after the last before defeating Grey Diamond by nine lengths.

Gifford said: “We’ve always loved this horse and he has been frustrating a few times. I think today was probably the first time he has got his jumping together.

“I think two miles is fine on this ground but I think on better ground you will be going up in trip. If he didn’t quite get in (at the Cheltenham Festival) it wouldn’t be the be all and end all. There are plenty of other nice races further down the line for this horse if he keeps improving.

“He will have entries at Cheltenham and if he didn’t get in there is also the Silver Bowl at Kempton (the consolation race for horse’s that fail to get a run in a handicap chase at The Festival due to being balloted out) - that’s an option. To run in the Topham, he would have to go up again but if he missed Cheltenham it’s an option and that might just be a lovely race for him. He is going to need to be high 130s to get in that.

“The race I’d love to win with him is back here last day of the season (Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase). I’ve been second in it and it’s a valuable race. The options are limitless.”

Fergus Gillard made his 100th ride this season a winning one aboard the David Pipe trained Eamon An Cnoic, who ended his near two year spell in the doldrums when claiming the Greenwich Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle by 20 lengths.

Gillard, celebrating a first winner at the track, said: “My horse travelled really well similar to Chepstow last time out. At the end he got a bit tired but at the same time he won nicely.

“It’s great to get his head in front today for all the connections as it has been a while since he has been in the winner’s enclosure.”

Fuller would do Anythingforlove - and she did do that!

Page Fuller screamed for joy after celebrating the biggest win of her career aboard Anythingforlove in the Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Having come unstuck in her hat-trick bid upped to Grade Two company in the Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle Haydock Park last month, the Jamie Snowden-trained six year old bounced back to form at the same level.

Victory on her first try over two and a half miles could now prompt an appearance at The Festival™ supporting WellChild at Cheltenham next month.

Despite being faced with a host of challengers on the approach to the last Anythingforlove, an 18/1 chance who is a half-sister to 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John, battled on in tenacious fashion to hold off the hat-trick seeking Sandymount Rose by two and three quarter lengths.

Fuller, who rode out her claim back in October, said: “It meant a lot. It was my first winner at this level. She is a lovely mare and it’s great for a syndicate like Foxtrot Racing to have a horse like her.

“She is a half-sister to Sizing John so we knew she would stay all day and we knew she had every chance here. I was delighted when Gavin (Sheehan) had to go to Fontwell. He asked me at home schooling this morning ‘I bet you are glad Fontwell is on’, and I was like ‘yeah you’re right I am!’, so everything has worked in our favour. She is a lovely mare.

“It was really hard work and I just had to assume today that we were going to stay. I’ve hit the front coming in to two out and I knew I’d hit the front a bit sooner than I had liked, but at the same time in all her races she has won she has looked like she will get swallowed up, two, three furlongs from home but and then just kept motoring, and she heard the other horses coming and just kept picking up all the way to the line.”

Although Anythingforlove had to prove her stamina for the trip, winning handler Snowden was confident that the extra distance would not be an issue for the progressive mare.

He said: “She won a couple of bumpers last season and won twice this season but the step up in trip was going to suit.

“She found two miles in the Rossington Main too sharp for her and we rode her to get some black type that day and we probably rode her wrong over the trip.

“We came here to nick a bit of third and it is always nice to come away with the win. She is hardy, gusty, but she is not very quick but she has got a huge amount of stamina.”

Anythingforlove holds entries in both the Grade One Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle and Grade Two Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival, but the Lambourn trainer will let the dust settle before firming up future plans.

He added: “She certainly won’t be in the two mile novice but Cheltenham is a completely different kettle of fish. We will enjoy today and work out where we go after this. This was always the plan and we will enjoy it and see where we go from there.”

Surf's up for Lavelle

Emma Lavelle predicts bright futures for both Red Rookie and Eclair Surf after securing the Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer and jockey Tom Bellamy a Sandown Park double.

Red Rookie (5/2) got the ball rolling for the pair when taking a big step forward to open his account for the season in Telegraph Hill “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

Having claimed a brace of bumper wins on heavy ground last season the six year old made light work of testing conditions to better his debut fifth over hurdles at Lingfield when prevailing by a length and three quarters in the two mile contest.

She said: “We love this horse and we loved him from winning two bumpers. I took the rugs off him at Lingfield and he looked fat. I was so mortified, as I hate seeing horses get beaten because I’ve messed it up by not having them straight enough.

“He came there at two out that day and then he slightly ballooned it and it was game over. He was really poorly afterwards. We just took a long time to get him back. I’d say he is a fair horse.

“I’ve got no fancy targets for him this time around. He is a next season horse jumping fences. It’s about getting a bit more experience and seeing where we go and then next season will be the real start of things for him.”

Targets like the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow will come into consideration for Eclair Surf (5/2 Fav) next season, who completed Lavelle and Bellamy’s double with a game three-length success on his first start over three miles under rules in the Littleworth Handicap Chase.

Lavelle said: “He is still just learning but it was lovely to see him finish the race out over three miles. He is big and raw and still a bit novice with his fences but he was very good at some of them. He (Tom Bellamy) gave him some ride. “He put his head down really well as he had struggled to finish his races last season. That (Welsh National) is the sort of races we will be looking at. Today was about seeing whether he could stay and he certainly done that. We have just a bit of work to do with his jumping.

“I have to thank the husband (Barry Fenton) as he rides them both out every day. They are like his boys and he loves them both.”