Trackside Live: Horses to Follow

Vanderflier (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)

February 7, Warwick - Oddschecker Free Bets Maiden Hurdle

A good-looking lot in the main and there were a few you could have taken from this, and that included the pulled-up Mr Finch, who is your typical Ben Pauling chasing recruit that might be worth another chance on better ground.

Winner Just Golden clearly isn’t totally straightforward, two handlers in the paddock and he got a bit warm but he was good enough here and should continue to progress. But the one I want more long term is Vanderflier, a giant of a gelding that was clueless in the pre-parade, having a good look at everything and taking it all in, and after a year away from the track, having won a point-to-point at Belharbour, was badly in need of it physically too.

The fact he was able to throw down some sort of challenge three out before unsurprisingly fading out of it suggests he has ability; put him in your My Stable and revisit him once going into handicaps over more of a trip, either in the summer or early autumn.

Fingle Bridge (Olly Murphy)

February 7, Warwick - Best Cheltenham Odds With Oddschecker Handicap Hurdle

Fingle Bridge, when he finally arrived in the paddock, looked head and shoulders above the opposition; strong, well-built, a fine, strapping chasing type if ever there was one.

Which, up to this point this season, he’d been doing, but reverting to hurdles here he still found this 2m5f trip on the short side, looking to be travelling best turning in but lacking the necessary pace to draw the winner, Phantomfthepoints, back in.

He looks ready for further again now, and a crack at three miles, be that over hurdles or fences, might unlock a bit more improvement yet.

Wellington Arch (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)

February 7, Newbury - William Hill Handicap Hurdle

Wellington Arch has felt like a work-in-progress for the O’Neill team and he finally looks to be putting it all together, with a big-field valuable handicap success surely on the horizon.

During the gelding’s novice hurdling career, he always had a tendency to veer on the tense side, difficult to handle at Market Rasen before sweating heavily when winning at Aintree in April. He’s not a reformed character yet, but Wellington Arch took the William Hill Hurdle preliminaries in improved style – only getting himself into a light sweat and generally easily managed with two handlers at the helm.

It was an excellent performance on the unknown heavy ground to finish second behind Tutti Quanti and a return to a sounder surface should see an improved effort – his career wins have come on good-to-soft or soft ground. The O’Neill yard have endured a well-documented difficult season, but Wellington Arch should be firmly in the mix for a big handicap prize at either Cheltenham or Aintree.

Governors Rock (Warren Greatrex)

February 7, Newbury - William Hill Racing Bet Builder Beacons (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) (Listed)

A 123-length defeat may be a damning piece of form for Governors Rock on his stable debut, but it’s difficult to believe that last of ten in the Listed bumper is a true reflection of the gelding’s ability – both from previous efforts and physical appearance.

By Joshua Tree, Governors Rock presented as a neat, racy individual in the preliminaries. He started off well in the pre-parade with two handlers but soon became increasingly nervy in the paddock, although never particularly overwrought. It was probably the first time the five-year-old had seen crowds of that magnitude, having achieved two previous victories at Wexford and Ballinrobe in the care of former trainers Peter Flood and Mark Fahey.

Having raced prominently during his two wins, Governors Rock never appeared to travelling at the back of the field at Newbury and weakened quickly before the two-furlong marker, never making any impact on the field.

This is a better horse than the bare Newbury form would suggest and there is potential for a real upturn in performance when next seen.

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