North Hill Harvey jumping his way to victory
North Hill Harvey jumping his way to victory

Ben Linfoot reviews Cheltenham's Sunday card including Fox Norton and North Hill Harvey


Ben Linfoot was on hand at Cheltenham on Sunday to witness North Hill Harvey's impeccable jumping and a jockey/trainer partnership that appears to be blossoming.

By Ben Linfoot, Cheltenham

The Life of Bryan

Cheltenham has been kind to Bryan Cooper in his still fledgling career. He made his name at the home of jumps racing when riding Our Conor, Benefficient and Ted Veale to victory at the 2013 Festival and then last year he won the biggest prize of all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, aboard Don Cossack.

This year things haven’t been so rosy. Losing the Gigginstown gig was a major blow. But when the late Alan Potts signed him up to ride his horses when they ran in England he was given a chance to shine at the home of jumps racing once again.

And Cooper has taken that chance brilliantly this weekend. He didn't panic when headed by Movewiththetimes when riding Finian’s Oscar on Friday. Instead, he gathered him up, pinged the last and in the end coasted to a cosier-than-ever-seemed-likely victory.

On Sunday afternoon he gave Fox Norton a perfect ride, measuring every fence superbly as the pair ran out impressive eight-length winners despite a 3lb penalty.

The significance of the high-profile double wasn’t lost on Colin Tizzard, who couldn’t have been happier for Cooper. He’s now happy to call him 'his' jockey.

"I’m chuffed for Bryan," Tizzard said following Fox Norton’s Shloer Chase romp. "He's been under pressure there's no two ways about it. Alan decided he was going to ride all the horses in England and I went along with it but if I'd had my choice it might not have been.

"But he came out on Friday and gave Finian's Oscar a brilliant ride and then today, no-one could’ve rode him any better. I hope we can fill him up with confidence because he is a good jockey and we can put that out of our minds now, there's no reason why he can't ride everything."

Things can change quickly in racing. Just look at Paddy Brennan and Cue Card. But, if this weekend is anything to go by, this could be the beginning of a burgeoning and unlikely working relationship between a trainer and his jockey.

A versatile Fox

Fox Norton looked an out-and-out two miler here today, but Colin Tizzard wouldn't be the trainer he is without thinking outside the box and making contingency plans.

"You mustn’t pigeonhole horses," he says. "If Sizing John got beat and we won the Tingle Creek, he is entered in the King George so you're thinking just in case. We've seen Kauto Star in the past go from a two-miler to a Gold Cup horse.

"We’ve one or two other ones going there (the King George) however. It was always Alan Potts' wish to keep this one away from Sizing John and he's still got a chance of winning the million pounds.

"But he's a bigger, heavier horse this year. There's no need to change him from two miles at the moment, but you ask me tomorrow morning and that might change."

Duly noted, Colin. And duly noted by the bookies, too, with Sky Bet, among others, cutting him to 12/1 from 16s for the Boxing Day showpiece at Kempton Park.

Fox Norton wins well under Bryan Cooper
Fox Norton wins well under Bryan Cooper

Skelton’s jumping for joy

North Hill Harvey might have only beaten two rivals in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial and one of those, River Wylde, wasn't really at the races, but the manner of his victory was impressive.

It was his jumping that stood out, and what looked a potentially weak division at the very start of the season is hotting up after Footpad, Finian's Oscar and now Dan Skelton's November Meeting winner.

And that jumping? It could be down to his father, legendary showjumper and Olympic gold medal winner Nick Skelton.

"This horse jumped two hurdles and two fences this morning," Dan said. "One of my very first good novice chasers was Value At Risk, who we ran at Newbury and he fell. Dad said, 'Right, that's it, all the novices are schooling on the morning of their run.'

"I'm not arguing with him when it comes to jumping!"

North Hill Harvey jumps to a wide-margin success
North Hill Harvey jumps to a wide-margin success

Festival dreams for House buyers

When you shell out £260,000 on a horse in the Cheltenham parade ring you have to think big and those dreams are still very much on for the owners of Slate House, the winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle.

John Romans and Eric Jones own the horse along with Geoff Nicholas, who wasn't present here today, and they were understandably grinning from ear to ear after their expensive purchase landed his Grade 2 on just his second start under Rules.

Four flights were omitted due to the low sun, which you might not think would be ideal for a three-mile point-to-point winner running over two miles, but the lack of obstacles didn’t bother this son of Presenting at all, even if he was hanging on a bit in the closing stages.

Romans said: "We purchased him at the Cheltenham Festival sale, right here in the parade ring. Joe Tizzard thought he looked good and we sorted it all out and here we are.

"He’s got real character. He'll be a good chaser, it's hard to see today with the hurdles missing but he jumps so well. Harry Cobden said even that didn’t bother him and he’ll go on anything."

"He'll stay further because he's won a three-mile point, but a fast-run two might be ideal," Jones added.

"But he needed more experience which is why we came here.

"We’d love to come back for the Festival and we like Aintree and Punchestown too, which race we’ll see. We’ll discuss it with Colin and see where the season takes us."

Slate House digs deep to repel Summerville Boy
Slate House digs deep to repel Summerville Boy

And in the coming weeks…

The front two in the Greatwood Hurdle, Elgin and Misterton, could well meet again in what used to be the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot in December. They had a real scrap at Cheltenham and it'll be a tough call should they do battle once more just before Christmas.

Winning trainer Alan King said of Elgin: "He’ll go to Ascot for what was the Ladbroke. He keeps improving, I was worried about the ground today but we've probably found the best of it."

Harry Fry was understandably happy with the performance of his game runner-up, Misterton, saying: "He's run a career-best and I'm delighted with him. He's been beaten a neck from a pound out of the handicap so it was a brilliant run. The horse has given his all, he’s jumped, he's travelled, he's run a brilliant race. It could be Ascot next."

Meanwhile, both King and Fry reported their big-name JP McManus-owned hopefuls to be on track for the Ladbrokes Gold Cup (formerly the Hennessy) meeting at Newbury in just under two weeks' time.

King said of Yanworth, who fell on his second novice chase start last week: "He seems fine, he cantered Saturday. We'll school him again next week and he might well go to Newbury a week on Friday. I'm not going to wrap him up we better find out where we’re going. He didn’t do a lot wrong and hopefully he’ll learn from it."

Finally, Fry says all is good with Unowhatimeanharry ahead of the Long Distance Hurdle.

"He’s good, he's on track for Newbury in two weeks' time. Everything is well with him at home and he was really impressive on his reappearance, so we’re looking forward to it."

It's another big one to look forward to. The National Hunt season is in full swing. From Cheltenham, it's over and out.

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