Multiple champion Paul Nicholls has trained 46 Cheltenham Festival winners, including three in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, which will be run on the opening day of the meeting this year.
Sanctuaire set the ball rolling in 2010 off an official mark of 127, Qualando was a 25/1 outsider when scoring off 131 five years later and Diego Du Charmil was left clear at the last before winning on his British debut in 2016 when rated 133.
That trio began their careers in France and the lightly raced GOOD BALL is of a similar mould.
Handled across the English Channel by Erwan Grall, the gelded son of Doctor Dino finished a well beaten ninth on his sole outing on the Flat in August before turning his attentions to a jumping career.
Reappearing a couple of months later, he had his first start over obstacles at Auteuil and ran a fine race to finish second. Beaten a length and a quarter by Teahupoo, the winner was subsequently bought on behalf of Robcour and won at the first time of asking for Gordon Elliott at Fairyhouse this month.
The third, Haut Les Coeurs, returned to the Parisian track next time and landed a similar event by a dozen lengths. The seventh home is no longer a maiden, either.
Anthony Bromley, who has purchased the likes of Big Buck’s, Kauto Star, Master Minded and Politologue amongst others for Team Ditcheat, recruited Good Ball for owners Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason and John and Lisa Hales, and he looked a smart prospect when quickening up to win an Introductory Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas.
Fitted with a hood and in receipt of nearly a stone from the majority of his eleven opponents, his lack of experience was evident on the home turn but the Nicholls runner warmed to his task and showed a good turn of speed on the run-in to win comfortably by a length and a quarter.
Good Ball can only improve with experience and the form of the Newbury race is already beginning to work out with both the fourth (Gowel Road) and fifth (Grumpy Charley) winning since. The latter-named had forced subsequent Grade 2 winner Adrimel to pull out all the stops at Haydock earlier in the season.
Given all that, the four-year-old’s opening mark of 126 looks generous and his connections must surely be eyeing a tilt at the Boodles.
In the meantime, Good Ball needs to have one more run between now and March (must have raced three times over hurdles), in order to qualify – he has been declared at Wincanton on Wednesday with a first-time tongue tie but no hood.
The 25/1 on offer with bet365 and Unibet looks tasty, especially if his next run produces a favourable outcome.
Published at 0950 GMT on 25/01/21
