Cheltenham Sunday review: Reports, reaction and free video replays

Midnight River (6/1) landed the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase, the feature handicap on the Cheltenham card, from Stolen Silver, Nassalam and Il Ridoto.

Once again the form of November's Paddy Power Gold Cup proved key but this time Midnight River came out on top - appreciating the slower ground - having finished third to Ga Law and French Dynamite, to provide Dan and Harry Skelton with another big pot.

Midnight River had to be game to see off successive challenges after hitting the front but kept producing for his jockey.

The well backed Shakem Up'Arry was there with every chance and seemingly travelling well but a slight mistake two out put paid to his chances. Il Ridoto then made ground on the outside but his run flattened out, just as it had in November, and it was left to the gallant Stolen Silver, who had been front rank throughout, to have one last crack at the leader but Midnight River kept galloping to win by two and a quarter lengths.

The winning rider said: "Brilliant. Means a lot to me that horse. You shouldn't have favourites but he's definitely up there on my list. We had him from day one as a three-year-old, broken him in, brought him the whole way through his career.

"It hasn't been plain sailing as everyone's seen, he's had a couple of falls, but he's learning his trade well, real good stayer, much better on that ground today - felt like I was doing a canter the whole way - and I was just keen then, once I hit that rising ground, to get him rolling as he does stay well.

"The owners have been patient. Dan has done a great job with his career, just nursed him in the right direction and he's a horse, I'd say, with a lot of progression in him.

"Bit sharp on the other course (for Midnight River).

"People say you got so far back with him but you have to ride your own race. The last day on the Paddy Power I couldn't go any quicker. If you want to force them for the first mile, grand, force them but you won't finish. You've got to let them just warm to it and get rolling."

It was a welcome winner for brother Dan who said: "We can't grumble with the Christmas we've had, we've had seven winners over the Christmas period, but there's a lot of them that have underperformed; ours are just not at their best and there's no point pretending they're not.

"To be fair to all the owners, they have all understood and bared with us. It's not a bug. It was the cold snap, there was a morning at home when it went from -8 to +10 or 12 in the afternoon and the horses didn't know if they should be shivering or sweating and didn't cope very well with that. That depresses the herd and the individual. It doesn't mean that they are super sick but a few of them are just not at their best.

"I wouldn't say every horse is better suited by the New Course but there's definitely more than 50% that prefer the New Course. There's just that bit more time and space. The Old Course is a real tight track and in the Paddy Power it was decent ground but on that ground he would have learnt more than he ever did in his life, he was thrown in at the deep end that day. They have to go in these races to learn how to win them sometimes. It's a big ask to go from small runner fields to go and pop up in your first big handicap and expect it all to happen.

"The Plate more than the Ultima but I will give him an entry in the Ultima just in case. See how he comes out of the race. Could come back here on Trials' Day. He's having his flu vaccination tomorrow night so it will depend how he comes out of that.

"I want to be a little cautious with him, perhaps, and make him into a three miler next year, he could be a Ladbrokes Trophy horse."

Weveallbeen dreaming

Weveallbeencaught paid a compliment to Hermes Allen when making most in the Ballymore Maiden Hurdle.

Weveallbeencaught had to be game as he was pushed all the way to the line by 66/1 chance Rock My Way, winning by a length and a quarter, with another 23 lengths back to Militaire in third.

Sam Twiston-Davies jumped his charge off in a share of the lead and there he stayed throughout the two and a half mile contest to gain a first win over hurdles.

The 5/4 favourite was a little easy to back despite having finished third on his hurdling debut in a Grade Two won by Saturday's impressive Challow Novices' Hurdle winner but duly made the most of the drop in grade.

The winning jockey told Racing TV: "To pull as far clear of the third is a fair effort.

"He's an intelligent horse, he's kind of waiting on one and there's a lot to take in, especially very early days, so he was almost waiting on one but once he did get half upsides he actually did fight on really well.

"He's lovely, a very straightforward ride, jumps well and we can see him obviously going up to three now and hopefully that will bring out more improvement again and long-term the dream is obviously jumping fences and big ones.

"It's pretty dead (ground), soft, good to soft combination, what it is is just quite dead, holding kind of stuff but very fair and consistent."

The going was changed after the race to soft, good to soft in places.

Sky Bet make Weveallbeencaught 33/1 (from 66s) for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.

The winning trainer said: “That was superb. He just does enough which is great. That trip is short enough for him but he pulls out what he has to. I think so (that he was going to hold the runner-up over the last) as his ears were pricked halfway up it. He is idle.

“That is the boring things us trainers say but he is one for the future. He is a chaser, look at the size of him. Don’t let him tread on you! You only have to see the way he jumps and he is a big powerful animal. Surely hurdles aren’t really the things he is made for as he has won a point-to-point. It is very exciting.

“It was (a warm enough race he ran in first time) but again it is finding the right races for him. With a horse like this you need softer ground and trying to find it has been difficult.”

Looking ahead to future targets Twiston-Davies insisted that he would be working back from the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival on March 14th.

He added: “There is the race at Doncaster (River Don) and the Prestige at Haydock Park. He doesn’t have to have three (miles) but he will be better over three we think.

“I would think so (that he would come back for The Cheltenham Festival). I’m sure it would be the three mile race as we don’t want to take on Hermes Allen. We are not stupid."

Your Daly winner!

Rapper continued Henry Daly's excellent form with a ready success in the AIS Handicap Chase under Richard Patrick.

Settled on the inside behind the pace set by the greys Farinet and Minella Bobu, the nine-year-old was always travelling quite well in the first time cheekpieces and was switched to challenge before the second last.

Rapper was in front jumping that fence and had the race in safekeeping approaching the last; he didn't touch a twig and galloped clear of Java Point to win by eight and a half lengths. Secret Reprieve stayed on from the rear to finish third with Poppa Poutine fourth.

"(The cheekpieces helped) one hundred per cent," Patrick said.

"Last day I finished third at Haydock but I got stopped down the back straight and all he did was stay galloping. I just said to Henry maybe chuck something on not because he's ungenuine but just to help him because he's not the quickest, just to help him travel. He schooled well in them the other day and they've really brought him back to life and helped him travel and that's the difference. Early doors I was flat out but when he started winging his fences and going forwards the better he felt.

"Delighted for the yard, they are absolutely flying this year. All he has done is stay, it's tacky old ground and hard work. We didn't go overly quick and I was keen to press on because after Haydock I knew all that he does is gallop so he wasn't going to sprint away. When the yard is flying like that, you can ride with so much confidence."

Daly added: "He ran at Haydock and he was always on the backfoot, today, obviously quite different; sat third, fourth all the way quite happily, travelled, jumped and won nicely. I think soft ground is fine, I don't think he wants heavy ground. He's not very big, he jumped well today but I'd be surprised if he was (a Grand National horse).

" I’m not grumbling about how things are going. It is nice when it is going like this but it won’t last!"

Lilly's star on the rise

Lilly Pinchin has received plaudits from the likes of Ruby Walsh and followed up a notable success at Newbury on Saturday with another high profile winner.

Riding Hector Javilex (8/1) for Charlie Longsdon, the duo had Jet Of Magic for company between the last two as the race quickly changed complexion.

He was a little big at the final flight but hit the ground running and ran on strongly to win his first handicap, relishing the step up from two miles five furlongs.

"Very impressed, we knew he was a smart novice early doors. They're (the stable's horses) in absolutely tip-top shape, we've got such a fantastic team back at the yard," Pinchin told ITV Racing.

"I've got some amazing people behind me, Charlie is a massive supporter and so easy to ride for."

Speaking to Racing TV she added: "I'm so lucky. The firepower we have got this year is brilliant.

"He was a little bit keen early on but he really filled his lungs up turning into the home straight and just ran on, he's so gutsy and so brave. He was a nice horse coming into the race and now handicapping, he'll be really good fun. Today will have taught him the world and it's just great to get a winner at Cheltenham, especially for the man who supports me massively."

Longsdon is enjoying a good run of form and revealed that he was hopeful of a big run: "Delighted," he said.

"The first time stepping up to three miles. He ran really well here in the November meeting and ran a cracker that day, came fourth over two five. Stepping up in trip, he looked like he joined the race halfway down the hill, it was great.

"I knew he'd stay the trip, he's always wanted the trip. I thought he'd love the ground but the combination of ground and the trip, I was hopeful not confident.

"He's got to get qualified for the Pertemps Final. I think we've got to try and put that plan into action. He could get into the bottom of the Pertemps, he likes it round here and the owner is from Cheltenham. He's still unexposed, it's only his second time in a handicap. He's beaten the right horses, they are good old seasoned handicappers."

Paying tribute to Pinchin, he added: "She looks very strong and horses jump and travel for her and that has always been the case."

Proud day

Tim Radford dug deep to purchase Fiercely Proud (17/2) for £125,000 following his winning debut for Don Cantillon at Market Rasen and gained an immediate reward in the Listed JCB "Junior" National Hunt Flat Race.

Switched to Ben Pauling's yard, the Iffraaj gelding had to work hard to see off Meatloaf, who had the rail to help, and Dancing In Brazil as the form horses dominated the finish.

Luca Morgan drove Fiercely Proud out to win by half a length from Meatloaf while there was a further two and three quarter lengths back to the third.

Pauling said: “He wasn’t cheap but to be fair to Don he said he was a nice horse. The form of the race at Market Rasen was nothing and most people have picked up on that.

“We liked him at home but we are delighted to see him here. We had to drop him in as he was a bit keen at Market Rasen. They didn’t go a gallop and I thought he had it all to do but he turned in picked them off nicely and ultimately won a bit cute I think.

“To be honest we just wanted to get to him settle and if he did that we knew he had half a chance on his home work. It is always nice to have a bumper winner at Cheltenham and he did it in the style of a good horse from last to first which makes it even sweeter.

“Tim Radford, who is a big name of old, has just bought a few horses in his own name again and he has kindly sent a couple to us. It is great to see those colours back in the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham as it means so much to him.

Although a discussion with Radford, who has tasted top level glory with Somersby, remains to be had Pauling was not ruling out a return to Cheltenham on March 15.

He added: "To be honest today was the aim. When he was bought, if he could get here it was to be here. We didn’t know if he would handle soft ground and it is tacky old ground and he handled that.

"I imagine we would just keep him in bumpers and look towards one of the better bumpers. We all know the Irish are pretty deadly at those but whatever happens he is a lovely horse for next year.

“We will go back and have a chat and see where to go. They have run horses in a Champion Bumper before, I haven’t, although I’m not the biggest fan of the race but he is probably the type of horse that could run in it. He is a flat-bred three-year-old that looks like he is improving, so it’s a maybe.”

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