Cheltenham November Meeting Paddock Notes including Stage Star and Burdett Road

That was certainly the case last weekend when two of the novice stars of last season made their return to action. Both Stage Star and Jonbon produced performances that suggest they will be leading contenders for championship races back here in March, even when faced with the might of the Irish contingent.

Stage Star produced a notable handicap performance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, dominating his rivals and jumping with elan until almost coming down at the last. Jonbon's defeat of Edwardstone in a good renewal of the Shloer Chase showed progress from his novice campaign. He was beaten by El Fabiolo in the Arkle last March, but he may well be able to turn the tables should they meet again in the Champion Chase.

In terms of their appearance beforehand, both were on their toes, Stage Star clearly primed for the big day; Jonbon sweated up as the preliminaries progressed, though that isn't unusual for him and it doesn't seem to impact his performance.

The last fence, which nearly proved costly for Stage Star, was even more crucial to the outcome of the Arkle Trial on the first day of the fixture. JPR One had jumped boldly and looked set to score decisively, five lengths up and likely to go further clear, when he overjumped and became unbalanced, losing his rider in the process.

Big improvement to come from Petit

JPR One is very much a chaser on looks and, despite this reverse, has made a highly promising start after rather a lost season over hurdles last winter. Homme Public was the beneficiary of his departure, but the runner-up Petit Tonnerre is of more interest longer term. Another chaser on looks, Petit Tonnerre was in need of the experience on his first try over fences, but he travelled well and was being considerately handled when the leader's exit left him with a chance.

Another race billed as a trial, the Triumph Trial for juvenile hurdlers, probably has more more bearing so far as the real thing goes. The winner Burdett Road, a Royal Ascot winner on the Flat for Michael Bell, beat some promising rivals every bit as impressively as he had those he faced on his hurdling debut at Huntingdon.

Burdett Road has plenty to learn about jumping still, but he tanked along and found a fine turn of foot, given how testing the ground was.

The French-trained favourite Milan Tino is an athletic sort who isn't really bred to be a juvenile hurdler. He'd shown plenty in two runs in useful company over two and a quarter miles at Auteuil, but he looked short of pace in the latter stages here.

One of the better types in this field was the debutant Knight Of Allen. He has a decent pedigree to go with his physique and it was no fault of his that he got carried out by a loose horse shortly after the first. It was interesting that he was faced with this sort of task first time up and it's likely worth paying attention when he bids for compensation.

Penalised Captain still emerges with credit

There was a surprise in the Grade 2 novice hurdle on the opening day – surprising it's not called the Ballymore Trial – with 22/1-chance Minella Missile getting the better of the odds-on Captain Teague. Reportedly the latter's trainer Paul Nicholls was less than chuffed by the outcome, though I am not sure he had much cause for complaint with the ride his charge received. In hindsight, the route on the inside might have been better taken (his rider Harry Cobden went there on Burdett Road), but it wasn't until the last race on Sunday that all the field went to the inside.

In any case, Captain Teague was conceding 5 lb to the winner and emerges with plenty of credit in a race where the first three came a long way clear. He'd seemed a likely type for the Challow Hurdle beforehand and remains so.

Minella Missile is a lovely, scopey type, a chaser down the line, but he's got further wins over hurdles in him first.

The meeting's new race, a valuable maiden hurdle attracted a pair of promising bumper winners, Cannock Park proving a good deal more savvy than The Kemble Brewery. Cannock Chase, a tall, rangy sort, looked set to score convincingly approaching the last and tied up having gone plenty fast enough under the conditions. In a red hood and on his toes in the paddock (that generally a tautology), Cannock Park is an exuberant sort and may well be best kept to two miles for the time being.

The Kemble Brewery, a smart bumper winner at the Showcase meeting, did plenty wrong on his hurdling bow, including a bad mistake at the first, and he dropped away late on to take third. He should learn plenty from the experience.

House seemingly back in good shape

On the handicap front, the Nicky Henderson-J. P. McManus cohort had a fine meeting over hurdles, with wins for Impose Toi and, the Greatwood, Iberico Lord, and a pleasing third-place finish for Chantry House. Impose Toi tanked through his race before winning readily on handicap debut. He's an exciting chaser for the future, but looks one to keep on the right side over hurdles for this season.

Chantry House, aiming to get back on track after failing to complete in two chases in the first part of last winter, shaped with a lot of encouragement. He's rising 10, but a campaign in the staying hurdle division might be worthwhile, the top ranks there even thinner after news of the untimely demise of Thyme Hill.

Don't give up on Skelton's Calico

A couple of others to note from handicaps at the meeting – Doughmore Bay and Calico. The well-made Doughmore Bay did really well in the circumstances in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle on Friday, making one bad mistake and then meeting trouble in running when he attempted to make headway.

Calico was overhauled late on in the two-mile handicap chase, but he went like a horse ahead of his mark for a long way and a good race of this type ought to be his before long.

Finally, the bumpers that closed the cards on Saturday and Sunday had plenty of interesting runners in them. The mares event on Saturday looked to have a lot of depth to it and Baby Kate, the first foal of the smart Augusta Kate, produced one of the best performances in the race's history. It would be no surprise to see her part of the Willie Mullins' team back here in the Champion Bumper.

The winner of Sunday's listed race, Brechin Castle, was even more impressive, with the way he picked up in the straight faced with what was a proper test of stamina particularly taking. He's a five year old, an athletic sort and with a decent jumping pedigree, but a campaign in the best bumpers is on the agenda for this winter.

Runner-up Fire Flyer might well go over hurdles soon, though. He's a grand type and ought to do really well when he switches disciplines, particularly over further than two miles.

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