Cheltenham Friday reports, reaction and free video replays

Mullins family show the Way again

Blaze The Way ran out a ready winner of the Turners Handicap Chase for Mags and Danny Mullins,

The mother-and-son team would have been confident jumping the second last as the 15/2 chance, a 12/1 selection for Matt Brocklebank in his Value Bet column, seized control.

And he ever looked like relinquishing it, running on strongly up the hill to win by five lengths.

L'Homme Presse looked to be struggling at halfway but made good late headway into second.

Mags Mullins said: “He jumped super the whole way. He put up a serious performance and we will talk to the lads and see where we go from here.

“It was lovely to get today done. We had this plan to come from two months back and it is great that it worked out. Danny is a great help to me.

“His runs up to now were really good and I was delighted with him. It was great to have Danny on board as the last time we were here with Martello Tower, Adrian Heskin rode him. He was brilliant on him, but Danny was second on one of Willie’s, but Danny was a big part of Martello Tower. Today though was very special and the horse was charming himself afterwards with everyone looking at him.

“I’d love to have a runner in the Thyestes Chase as it is a race in our home village. It is lovely to have a winner here though.”

Venetia Williams said of L'Homme Presse: “He has not been the easiest to train and I had a dodgy moment yesterday morning and there was a possibility of him not running today. We brought him here and he has run an absolute blinder. The race wasn’t really run to suit as coming past the stands with a circuit to go they were all tightly packed.

“We have already seen the times of the early races and there is not a lot of soft going on in the ground.

“With them not going at a particularly strong pace he is stuck in behind horses and he has got nowhere to go.

“One of his owners was beside me with a circuit to go and he dropped to the back he thought he might possibly pull up, but I said no Charlie will pull him out now and he dropped him back to pull him out wide.

“He is a big long striding horse and he can’t be stuck in behind those horses and, because of the pace, he had to go forward. He pulled him out and he started motoring. It does bode well going forward.”

Williams makes the right Call

Can You Call hit the target in what trainer Evan Williams described as his ‘cup final’ after securing victory in the latest round of the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase.

Despite being three pounds out of the handicap, the evergreen 10-year-old made the most of the weight he received all around from his rivals to take out the £40,000 contest.

Having taken a step in the right direction when filling third behind Eldorado Allen in the previous series qualifier at the track last month the Passing Glance gelding reversed that form under a well-timed ride by Ben Jones.

Taking matters up between the final two fences, the well-backed 7/2 chance soon put matters to bed before striking gold by seven and a half lengths from Torn And Frayed.

Williams said: “It is great for the old horse and it is great these old boys get a chance at this stage. It is fantastic and I’m delighted.

“If we were running against young horses, being out of the handicap would be a major concern, but you are running against the old boys. Of course it would be a concern if you got beat, but it wasn’t our intention to get beat today.

“The reality is he was too consistent and he had problems with his physical being. He has got the right owners (Mr & Mrs Rucker). A horse like this would have been ruined with the wrong owners. The final is in the spring and this was our cup final.”

All roads lead to the County for Fortune

Fortune De Mer moved a step closer to an outing at the Cheltenham Festival after benefiting from an ice-cool ride by Harry Skelton in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle.

The Dan Skelton-trained five-year-old was given a supremely confident ride before adding to his Grade Two success at the track in the Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle in October.

Sent off a 16/5 chance to bounce back to winning ways following his defeat at Ascot last time out, the Stephen Bough-owned gelding did not let his supporters down.

As the field bounded down towards the final flight it was Continuance that led the way, but the eye was always drawn to Skelton, who was still sitting motionless aboard Fortune De Mer, with all those around him coming under some kind of ride.

Once given a shake of the reins Fortune De Mer soon put his head in front, however he had to be kept up to his work before defeating Continuance by half-a-length.

The winning trainer said: “That is exactly what you have to do and he loved that track. These types of scenario suit him and he is thriving off his racing.

“What a horse to own. He loves Cheltenham and he has to be ridden like that. He is a well talked about horse. He doesn’t do a lot when he gets to the front, but I think this track really suits him more than the Old course as there are more distance between the jumps. I was delighted with what we saw today.

“There are not many you can say that about (being good at Cheltenham) as they are usually better elsewhere. Some days this will work, some days it will not, but we it is great fun doing it.”

And all roads for Fortune De Mer now lead to the County Handicap Hurdle at the Festival in March, which he was trimmed into 12/1 by Sky Bet and Paddy Power.

He said: “I told everyone at the start of the year what we want to do. It will be hard to do it, but it will give everyone a lot of satisfaction if we do it and if we don’t we have tried our hardest. We set our stall out from the start of the year and there are no secrets here.

“He needs one more run before the County Hurdle but I don’t know where that will be. He will have his flu vaccination tonight so he will then have an easy week and we will build him for the spring

O'Brien plans ahead with Sixmilebridge

Fergal O’Brien will step Sixmilebridge up to Grade One company on his next start after maintaining his unbeaten record over fences with bloodless display in the Santa - “The Visit”- “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase.

After disposing of the talented Derryhasen Paddy on his chasing debut at Ayr last month, the gelded son of Affinsea successfully took care of his two rivals to follow up that win in the extended two-and-a-half mile test.

For much of the race there was little to choose between the three runners, however it became clear as the trio headed towards the penultimate fence that it was going to be a straight shoot-out between the eventual winner and favourite Califet En Vol.

However, any chances of a blockbuster finish were soon dashed when Califet En Vol went down on his nose at the second last paving the way for Sixmilebridge to saunter home by 13 lengths.

O’Brien said: “I thought Kielan (Woods) was very good on him there as he kept the inside. I’m delighted with that. It was a good race and, as Kielan said, they didn’t make it easy for him. It was a good honest true run race and I’m glad to come out on top, especially with a penalty as well.

“Sometimes his feet and brain don’t connect, and he can be a bit of a bull in the china shop, and he needs the right person on him and Max Kendrick has done a fantastic job on him. I think Kielan was very good in being aware to use that jumping experience he had. He was good and brave. Although he is hard work at home once he is in the zone he is in the zone.

“I think Ayr was a bit messy. The third horse went on a mile out that day and he had to drop back so I think he learnt a lot today.”

And following the race O’Brien said he'll aim Sixmilebridge at the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park on January 31st.

He added: “I think the Scilly Isles will be his next target. He won his bumper there and that was always sort of the plan. It was either come here, or to Ascot, after Ayr and then go for the Scilly Isles if it went well.”

Henderson unearths another potential Star

Nicky Henderson looks to have another talented type on his hands in Old Park Star who blitzed his rivals in the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Having carved out a solid impression on his hurdles debut at Kempton Park 18 days ago the gelded son of Well Chosen had little problems following up that success under a penalty.

Always to the fore throughout the extended two miles and one furlong prize the 5/2 chance put the afterburners rounding the home turn on the run to the last to open up a healthy lead.

And after meeting the final flight on a good stride the Gordon and Sue Hall-owned five-year-old continued to bound away up the run-in under Nico de Boinville before going on to score by 12 lengths and earn a quote of 16/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with the sponsors and Paddy Power.

Henderson said: “He was impressive. I thought it looked like quite a strong race on paper, but it didn’t seem to bother him. As you know Kempton Park and this place are two different things, but I loved the way he came up the hill.

“He is the most likeable and straightforward horse. You couldn’t have an easier person to deal with. I wouldn’t be in a rush to step him up in trip as he looked very happy at that trip, and he quickened up well. Nico said they didn’t go very quick, but that he had a lot of pace. He will be a lovely chaser one day.”

Sky Bet Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It was a very taking performance from Old Park Star. It will be fascinating to see where he goes next and what direction connections take but the Supreme is bubbling away nicely at the moment."

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