The progressive Ma Shantou took his form to a new level with a wide margin success in the Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.
15:35 Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle result
1st Ma Shantou 5/2
2nd Impose Toi Evens favourite
3rd Doddiethegreat 10/1
Report
Ma Shantou earned a tilt at the Stayers' Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March with an impressive victory in the Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle.
Ma Shantou has made every step a positive one this season bar a disappointing performance at Haydock in November. The seven-year-old bounced back from that blowout with victory on New Year's Day but was stepping out of handicap company for the first time this season.
He did, at least, receive weight from four of his five rivals in the three mile Grade 2 but Ma Shantou didn't need it. Always racing kindly under Ben Jones in behind the leader Gowel Road, he took over the running on the long run to the last with Jones angling his mount across to the favoured stands' side rail.
Impose Toi, who also travelled well, and the harder ridden Doddiethegreat were in pursuit with the former looking a threat approaching the last but Impose Toi soon cried enough on the rising ground whereas Ma Shantou kept pouring it on, extending his advantage to seven lengths at the line.
Jones told Racing TV: “That was a good performance, he jumped and travelled really nicely and I had loads of horse left turning for home so I just decided to kick on.
“He’s by Shantou, so he should always handle these conditions, but you never know. However, he skipped off it today. He just didn’t turn up at Haydock [two starts ago], I didn’t get a great feel off him that day, but I'm glad he turned up today.
“He needed to step up here and he did. Who knows, he might step up again.”
Trainer Emma Lavelle said: “He was so impressive. He jumped, travelled and did everything right. Clearly he doesn’t want to stay in handicaps!
“The one thing I’ve always said about him is that his way of racing fits a genuine stayer. He never does anymore than he has to and he has just gone and done that beautifully today. As soon as heard the horse coming to him he has just picked up and quickened away again.
“One of the things I love about this horse is that he loves Cheltenham more than anywhere else. If you are going to have a horse that loves a particular course then Cheltenham is not a bad course to pick.
“He has been in rude health at home. When I say rude heath, Libby, who lead him up today and looks after him, and rides him every day, knows that he can be quite rude with some of the shapes that he throws back from the gallops. He is a real bonny horse, but he has got stronger. I think he is maturing, and he is enjoying it and he loves Cheltenham.
“It is extraordinary to have had such a great stayer as Paisley Park, but to have another horse, who has got a bit of a way to go yet, but at least is heading in the right direction, I feel very spoiled. We are going to enjoy this journey as well.
“He has answered those questions way more emphatically than I thought. In all of his races so far Harry [Cobden] has said you don’t know quite what you have got left, but that you have always got something left. I think today was the most impressive he has been just on the way how well he travelled through the race.
“Ben has said he has given him a flick and away he has gone. As soon as he heard the other horse coming to him he was off again. In my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have expected him to be as impressive as he was today.
“I’m delighted he has handled that ground and that allays fears for me anyway as I was definitely concerned about the ground, but he couldn’t have been better on it. I feel that we go away from here thinking we can handle pretty much anything that gets thrown at us ground wise.
“There is going to be a lot of bubble wrap around him the next few weeks. If we can have him here in that shape you have got to feel we are not an imposter turning up for the Stayers’ Hurdle.”
Nicky Henderson felt the ground was to blame for the performance of Impose Toi, commenting: “He has run a great race. That is not his ground, but fair play to the winner.
"Doddiethegreat has also run great. It was always going to be tough with the penalty on his back, but we get rid of that next time. All roads are now to the Stayers’ Hurdle. He had to have a run as he is so lazy at home. There was no way he would go from the Long Walk until March without a run.
“Of all the horses today Nico said he was the one that won’t cope with the ground. Given the penalty, and the circumstances today, I think we can go home with full hope for March.”
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Latest Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle prices
Teahupoo remains the general 7/4 favourite but there are a few changes in behind the market leader.
Honesty Policy is second best with most firms at a best of 9/2 with Ma Shantou now alongside the current title holder Bob Olinger at 8/1.
Impose Toi was pushed out to 14/1 from as short as 5/1.
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