Ben Linfoot's Weights & Measures | DRF highlights 'exceptional' novices as Monkfish and Energumene star

Dublin Racing Festival round-up

Regular readers will know the focus of this feature is usually on the BHA ratings amendments, but when a beast like the Dublin Racing Festival comes along you can’t ignore it.

The Irish ratings have been updated for both Saturday and Sunday’s races at Leopardstown, too, so I caught up with Ireland’s senior National Hunt handicapper Sandy Shaw who talks us through the key horses and their new numbers...

Monkfish among ‘exceptional’ novice brigade

Monkfish ⬆ 5lb to 163

Monkfish put in a superb performance to land the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase over the extended 2m5f by 11 lengths on Sunday and he’s amongst a talented group of Irish-trained novice chasers…

“I think it’s an exceptional year for novice chasers. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I don’t ever remember the strength in depth being as high over here.

“We would normally have horses going to Cheltenham below 160 and here we are with several above that rating, it doesn’t happen too often.

“Monkfish looked really good, it was effortless. With every run he’s improving quickly, looking so impressive and against good horses, too, blowing them away.

“We try not to get carried away with the novices, saying they're as good as the top chasers and moving in on them, but I just find with our novice chasers in general this season that’s proving difficult.

“He’s on 163 with Envoi Allen considered the best at this stage on 164. Some people might question whether we have enough evidence for Envoi Allen to be that high, but I think he’s probably the best of ours.

“I’m not so sure after seeing Monkfish that I can definitively say that he is better than him, but Envoi Allen looks like a machine. I’d have loved to have seen him run at the Dublin Racing Festival to see where we are with him.

“He still has it to prove, I suppose, but I’m happy with him on 164, we can justify it.”

Energumene’s 163 ‘conservative’

Energumene ⬆ 4lb to 163

(Shishkin ⬆ 2lb to 164 FYI...)

Willie Mullins’ domination of the weekend had many highlights, including Energumene’s 10-length romp in the Grade 1 Patrick Ward & Company Solicitors Irish Arkle Novice Chase…

“He was very impressive, in a faster time than Chacun Pour Soi. We’ve got him on 163 which might even be a little bit conservative.

“We took the runner-up, Franco De Port, who won a Grade One beforehand, down 1lb to 155 and I would say he picked up the pieces a little bit at Leopardstown the time before.

“The early signs from the novices taking on the older horses are that they are an above-average bunch. Take Coko Beach, who won the Thyestes off 138, he’s now 150, that was the first sign to us of a novice taking on the older horses that these guys might not be too bad, and if Coko Beach is rated 150 the others need to be rated a lot higher.

“I’ve got him on 163, it’s interesting that Shishkin is now 164, I don’t think there is an awful lot between them and of course we don’t know until they take each other on.

“It’s a pity Captain Guinness fell at the second last, that would’ve been interesting, and Darver Star and Felix Desjy didn’t run any race at all which didn’t help the situation.”

With Energumene now rated 163, Shishkin has been raised another couple of pounds to 164.

Chris Nash, the BHA handicapper in charge of deciding the ratings for steeplechasers over two miles, explains why:

"The rating change for Shishkin was simply a reaction to the revised mark of Energumene. That mark of 163 is his published chase rating in Ireland but we keep our own figures for all Irish jump races and I had actually put 164 on him for Leopardstown before I knew what the Irish had done.

"I assumed that if I left Shishkin at 162 when Energumene was 163 in Ireland then the “headlines” would be that the handicapper thinks Energumene is the better horse and that was an argument I didn’t want to get into. For that reason, I went back to the Doncaster race that Shishkin won last time and decided that I could make him 164 quite comfortably.

"I had him running a bare figure of 158+ that day – beating the 149 rated Eldorado Allen by 8½ lengths at level weights. I could have added on almost anything for the ease of victory and I initially went 4lbs to get him to 162 – conscious of the fact that that had him high enough for a novice at that stage of the season. The figure subsequently given to Energumene encouraged me to go 164.

"Whilst I understand the interest, I am not a big fan of novices being judged on their current ratings as they are obviously formative and often have more to do with what they have run against than actually how good they might be. It is not difficult to argue that the form of Energumene has more substance than that of Shishkin at this stage. It is also not difficult to argue that the ease with which Shishkin has won his races makes him nigh on impossible to assess.

"My opinion on the race is that it should be an absolute cracker. I hope both get there and I hope both run their races if they do. They may well have identical ratings in the race card come the day and I strongly feel that the post-Cheltenham ratings are the ones that the bulk of the discussion should relate to."

Chacun pours it on ahead of Champion Chase

Chacun Pour Soi remains on 174

Half an hour before Energumene’s win stablemate Chacun Pour Soi won the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase over an identical course and distance…

“I couldn’t believe Energumene had run a faster time than Chacun Pour Soi. It didn’t look as though they were going slow in the other race.

“There was a temptation to go higher than 174 with Chacun Pour Soi. But with Fakir D’oudairies finishing second I didn’t think there was enough evidence to suggest he should be higher than he is. We’ll see at Cheltenham.

“In keeping him on 174 I’m assuming Notebook disappointed. Henry de Bromhead’s horse could be a very interesting horse over two and a half miles and I would love to see him go up in trip myself."

Honey monster sets up Epatante clash

Honeysuckle ⬆ 2lb to 161

Honeysuckle doesn’t usually win by far but she did on Saturday, powering to Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle glory by 10 lengths…

“It was a career-best performance and I must say, I thought she was beatable. She’d won her previous three races by half a length and in two of the three she seemed to be hanging on.

“In the Benie Des Dieux race, I think she was the best horse on the day at Cheltenham but there was a doubt there and this was the first time she really showed how good she is.

“We put her up 2lb to 161 and I was conscious of the fact that Epatante was 161 as well. We were looking at 162, but I just felt it’s not fair to Epatante if she’s the Champion Hurdle winner, she’s only had one run not up to scratch at Christmas, and Honeysuckle had everything in her favour at Leopardstown.

“She made it a test and Leopardstown is more of a test than it looks on the television, there is a hell of a climb from the third last to the finish and conditions suited her. Sharjah put in one of those runs that he puts in, he did the same last year, he just lacks that consistency and all these things stopped us going to 162 with Honeysuckle.

“Abracadabras, who scoped wrong the previous day, I had him running to around his 158 rating, so it worked out 10lb for 10 lengths.

“So they’re both on 161 [Honeysuckle and Epatante], we don’t know for sure, let’s hope we get to see which one is the best at Cheltenham, rather than presuming Honeysuckle’s performance was better.”

Appreciate It below his festive best

Appreciate It remains on 153

Appreciate It justified odds of 1/3 on Sunday as he beat Ballyadam by three and a quarter lengths in the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle…

“I didn’t think he was as impressive on Sunday as he was at Christmas and I wondered whether he’s a little bit high on 153.

“But Ballyadam’s rating of 145 tied in well with Blue Lord and Irascible, so we bumped up Hook Up a couple of pounds. I don’t think Appreciate It ran to his 153, probably more 150 or 151, but we’ll sit on it for the moment.

“He beat Irascible nine lengths both on Sunday and at Christmas, but it looked a more impressive nine lengths in December.”

Kemboy form open to doubt

Kemboy ⬆ 1lb to 169

Just five turned up for the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and with three of them disappointing, the race was rated around 20/1 chance The Storyteller in second…

“When you see The Storyteller at 10 years of age being able to finish within a couple of lengths of Kemboy you do naturally question the form.

“I don’t want to take anything away from The Storyteller, we actually put him up 3lb to 165 as we felt he deserved to be rated higher than Chris’s Dream, who he beat at Down Royal, as he’s confirmed that level of form now.

“So Kemboy’s win was probably just about up to scratch compared to previous Irish Gold Cup winners, but there have been a few disappointments in this division.

“I don’t think Kemboy likes Cheltenham’s fences and it was interesting to hear Willie Mullins contemplate the Stayers’ Hurdle for him, that could be a good call.

“Delta Work and Minella Indo were disappointing and all the trials are run now, so A Plus Tard has to be the big danger from our perspective as the one who can put it up to Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup.

“He sort of came out of the blue with a proper staying performance after being campaigned over shorter distances.

“The way he came up the hill in the novice handicap lives in the memory but he hardly suggested he’d be a top stayer back then, but he opened up all of our eyes at Leopardstown. It’s a proper staying track.

“I don’t look upon Al Boum Photo as a special horse. Last year’s race was like a Flat race turning in and there was only seven lengths between the first six or seven.

“With Monalee as close as he was I didn’t think it was a great Gold Cup. It’s there for somebody else to take and A Plus Tard, who we have on 170, looks the obvious one with so many not putting down a marker.”

Native looks as good as ever

Native River ⬆ 4lb to 172

Interesting stuff from Ireland, but if the Dublin Racing Festival did little to ignite the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup flames it was fantastic to see NATIVE RIVER let off more than a few sparks in the rearranged Grade 2 Virgin Bet Cotswold Chase at Sandown.

The slump of the Tizzard yard has been well documented, so it will have been a great relief for them to see their former Gold Cup winner beat the 169-rated Bristol De Mai and the now 167-rated Santini with the authority in which he did.

Yes, the heavy ground and the stiff finish played to his strengths and perhaps exaggerated his dominance, but as statements of intent go this looked pretty significant and, given this season’s events, he very much looks a player in the Gold Cup – especially if the ground is in his favour.

Back up 4lb to 172, still 4lb short of his career-high 176, it seems hard to believe, but that makes him the joint highest-rated staying chaser in England, along with Cyrname.

The last horse older than 10 to win the Gold Cup was What A Myth in 1969 and only Kauto Star has ever regained the trophy having lost it, but: it’s not a vintage year, Native River doesn’t have too many miles on the clock and… well, it would be fabulous, wouldn’t it?

Hobbs’ choice depends on the weather

Sporting John ⬆ 4lb to 153

Deise Aba ⬆ 5lb to 142

Richard Johnson had a great day in the saddle on Saturday and rode Native River to victory fresh from securing the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase aboard SPORTING JOHN.

With a 14/1 starting price and having traded at 70s in-running on Betfair, when detached early, this Grade 1 victory was somewhat of a surprise, including during the race, especially after an inconspicuous debut over fences at Exeter on November 11.

A tailed off third behind Fiddlerontheroof that day, trainer Philip Hobbs still can’t put his finger on what went wrong.

“He looked a very good horse over hurdles last season and for whatever reason he didn’t run to his best at Exeter as he did at Sandown,” said Hobbs.

“There’s no obvious reason why. We couldn’t put it down to it being his first run of the season at Exeter, he jumped very well until turning for home, so I just don’t know.

“He’s been really good since Saturday, he’s come out of the race absolutely fine.”

Hobbs has won Grade 1 novice chases at the Cheltenham Festival with Captain Chris and Defi Du Seuil in the last decade, and while he hopes Sporting John turns out as good as those two, he’s sitting on the fence when it comes to his spring target as things stand.

He said: “We’ll find out [if he’s in the same class as Captain Chris and Defi Du Seuil] when we take him to Cheltenham, I suppose. He could be in that league. It was a good performance.

“He looked after that like he wanted further so I’ll imagine we’ll aim him at Cheltenham and we’ll see what the ground is like nearer the time.

“It all depends on the ground. If it was very soft two and a half miles might be alright, but the Festival Novices’ Chase might be more likely.”

A choice between taking on Envoi Allen in the Marsh Novices’ Chase or Monkfish in the Festival Novices’ Chase awaits Hobbs when it comes to Sporting John and his other Saturday Sandown winner, DEISE ABA, has options too, at a slightly lower level.

Fifth in the Kim Muir last year, Deise Aba was winning the Virgin Bet Masters Handicap Chase in first-time cheekpieces after being pulled up on his previous two starts, his four and a quarter length win over Coo Star Sivola earning him a 5lb rise to 142.

“That was fair enough,” Hobbs said.

“We didn’t know what to do after two awful runs so we put the cheekpieces on and they’ll be on again next time.

“The Kim Muir could be on his agenda again but he’ll have options, we don’t have any definite plan at this stage.”

This Week's BHA Major Amendments (February 9)

Alnadam ⬆ 8lb to 145
And The New ⬆ 9lb to 140
Annie Mc ⬆ 4lb to 149
Cadzand ⬆ 2lb to 140
Christopher Wood ⬆ 7lb to 150
Deise Aba ⬆ 5lb to 142
Dolos ⬆ 1lb to 159
Dubai Angel ⬆ 10lb to 130
Getaway Trump ⬇ 3lb to 140
Happy Diva ⬇ 4lb to 145
High Up In The Air ⬆ 6lb to 126
Lake View Lad ⬇ 5lb to 157
Le Breuil ⬇ 1lb to 139
Lieutenant Rocco ⬆ 7lb to 147
Lucky One ⬆ 11lb to 143
Messire Des Obeaux ⬇ 2lb to 150
Moonlighter ⬆ 3lb to 143
Native River ⬆ 4lb to 172
Paddy’s Poem ⬆ 6lb to 133
Quick Wave ⬆ 7lb to 137
Ruinous ⬆ 7lb to 128
Santini ⬇ 3lb to 167
Shishkin ⬆ 2lb to 164
Sky Pirate ⬆ 7lb to 147 (hurdles)
Sporting John ⬆ 4lb to 153
Time To Get Up ⬆ 8lb to 138
Voix du Reve ⬆ 3lb to 149

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Previous Weights & Measures

• Bailey keen to go with the Flow (January 26)
• Can Imperial rule in the Pertemps? (January 19)
• Grand options for weekend heroes (January 12)
• Metier's mark tempts Betfair run (January 5)
• Allart an Arkle super sub (December 22)
• Quality Street up a stone (December 15)
• Brave could break Nicholls' duck (December 1)
• Long Walk glory for Main attraction? (November 24)
• Coole Cody up 6lb for Paddy Power win (November 17)

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