Huntingdon Thursday reports, reaction and free video replays: Act Of Innocence wins Sidney Banks

Class Act delivers in feature

Nicky Henderson further strengthened his enviable team for the Cheltenham Festival after Act Of Innocence proved a class above his rivals in the Don Lockwood Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon.

It was a step into the unknown for the gelded son of My Dream Boat, who was tackling the extended two miles three furlongs trip for the first time in the Listed contest, which Henderson had claimed three times prior to his latest success.

However, after suffering an odds-on defeat when surrendering his unbeaten tag over timber last time out at Newbury, there were no such worries on this occasion, the 8/11 favourite oozing confidence throughout in the hands of Nico de Boinville.

Sweeping around the final bend to make a line of three approaching the final two flights, the odds-on market leader moved to the front in almost effortless fashion to pass long-time leader Sinnatra and Glance At Midnight.

While all of his rivals in behind were coming under some kind of pressure, de Boinville was still travelling powerfully out in front aboard the six-year-old, with only the final hurdle standing between the pair and victory. And after safely negotiating the last, the Gordon and Su Hall-owned runner quickened well once given a shake of the reins to run out a three and three quarter-length winner, much to the delight of the Lambourn handler.

Henderson said: “He has got a lot of talent and he has always looked like a nice horse. He has come to us this season ready-made. You can’t fault him at the moment.

“He has done nothing wrong the whole way through. He is uncomplicated and he just looks the part. He has got a lot of class. The trip was the objective today to see where the stamina limit was and it showed us what we wanted to see so that was fine.

“He is incredibly uncomplicated and even Henderson can’t mess this one up if he tries! He is a beautiful horse and everything does appear terribly easy to him. I’ve got to say that looked fairly uncomplicated to me. It looked smooth. His jumping was great and he cruised and always seemed to have it under control.

“It was a competitive field, but it all looked remarkably straightforward.”

With stablemate Old Park Star, who is also owned by Gordon and Su Hall, Act Of Innocence will now step up to Grade One company for the first time to tackle the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, for which Paddy Power trimmed him from 12/1 into 10/1.

Henderson added: “I thought he was the quicker of the two, but they have flip-flopped if you like as Old Park Star seems to have plenty of pace. I know this isn’t the biggest test of stamina around Huntingdon, but he will stay.

“I think he has told us what we need to know as Old Park Star can stay at two miles and this lad can come into the two and a half mile race. They are both chasers, but this lad in a year’s time could be something else over fences."

Equally delighted with the performance was the winning rider, who felt that victory aboard Act Of Innocence was never in doubt.

De Boinville said: “I’m delighted with that. The rain has got into the ground, and it is a fairly miserable day here, but horses like that certainly brighten it up. I always felt like I had everyone covered and it was nice and easy.

“I think he stays and that tells us where we now go at the Festival. He is a lovely horse and he will make a fantastic chaser in time. Both him and Old Park Star are solid, quality horses. There is nothing else you can say really. They have been brought along nicely by Paul Nicholls and his team and we are now very fortunate we have got them."

Bliss for Derham

Jasmine Bliss vindicated her connections' decision to compete at Listed level for the first time with a tenacious success in the Gin And Dubonnet Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase.

The Harry Derham-trained mare built on her solid third on her debut over fences at Kempton on Boxing Day when going two places better in the £40,000 contest under a determined Paul O’Brien to add to her two hurdle victories and two bumper wins.

Racing up with the pace throughout the two and a half mile prize alongside 11/8 market leader Paggane, the 9/4 chance moved on into the lead with Piper Park, who was making her first start in 405 days on the run down to the penultimate fence.

However, after being momentarily headed by that rival, it appeared that the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate-owned seven-year-old, might have to settle for a place at best with the Tom Lacey-trained runner appearing to be travelling the stronger.

But after jumping the last almost together, the daughter of Blue Bresil was not to be denied with O’Brien driving his mount out close to the line before going on to collect victory by two lengths, with Paggane beating only one rival home back in fifth.

Derham said: “Did we think we could win, probably not on ratings, but we felt she would never have a better opportunity at getting black type than this.

“She jumped fantastically well at Kempton Park first time out over fences. I can’t take an enormous amount of credit as I imagine if she was owned by me I might have gone for a handicap next week, but Noel (Fehily) and Dave (Crosse) very sensibly thought she could do with black type and it is a huge result for the mare.

“She jumped very well at Kempton Park and she jumped beautifully today. They didn’t go mad so you would have been disappointed if she didn’t jump well. She is a lovely mare and she has only let us down once at Ffos Las in desperate ground.

“She is a lovely mare and I’m pleased she has had a big day like that. The plan the whole way along, as she is a Great British Bonus (GBB) mare, is that you can win one hundred thousand pounds in bonus money and I think that is ninety thousand in those she has won now.

“She has won two bumpers, two hurdle races and now a Listed chase. She hasn’t had much racing this season so she is a fresh horse going into the spring."

Rest of the action...

Carpe Diem (10/1) finally seized the day under rules when making his second start for trainer David Bridgwater a triumphant one in the Huntingdon Racecourse 2026 Fixtures On Sale Handicap Chase.

Last sighted finishing fourth in a selling hurdle at Leicester 39 days ago the gelded son of Walzertakt, sporting a first time visor, showed his rivals a clean pair of hooves on his switch back to fences when collecting the two and a half mile test by 14 lengths.

Brendan Powell, winning jockey, said: “It was a pretty poor race and the visor worked a bit and he liked the ground.

“He has probably just got a bit of confidence from point-to-pointing. He ran back under rules at Leicester was on atrocious ground and he just got tired.

“I was in Bridgy’s this morning and he didn’t know what to expect. He said he will either run well or pull up. I had a plan in my head to ride him a certain way and thankfully we didn’t get headed."

Westlain moved a step closer to giving trainer Jack Jones another runner at the Cheltenham Festival after getting his career back on track in the Hook Polo Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Having failed to trouble the judge on his previous two starts the gelded son of Ribchester bounced back to winning ways with a clear cut success in the hands of Lorcan Williams.

And following the five and a half length victory secured by the 4/1 chance in the two mile test, Jones was left contemplating giving him a spin in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle.

Jones said: “I’m delighted. We have had him since a yearling and he has been a long project. He enjoys his jumping and he loves that soft ground. He bolted up in similar ground at Fontwell then we threw him in the deep end at Cheltenham, but he probably wanted it softer.

“Anything on good ground we won’t bother with him. He is only four and we have got to look after him.

“We had a conversation about a week ago about the Fred Winter. If you asked then he wouldn’t have got in, but now he might, however it would need to be soft for him to have a go in it. I’ve had runners in the last two renewals of the Fred Winter and they have run fine."

Nice Legacy for Snowden

Finally, Jamie Snowden will consider giving Wilde’s Legacy an entry in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Festival after maintaining his unbeaten record in the Lockwood Premium British Smocks Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Despite having to give a seven pound penalty away to his rivals in order to back up his debut win at Lingfield in December, the gelded son of Poet’s Word showed he was more than up to the task in the two mile prize.

Forging past his rivals late on the 100/30 chance was not for stopping with Gavin Sheehan driving the five-year-old out to score by three and a half lengths to fuel dreams of a potential outing at the Festival on March 11.

And following the race Paddy Power trimmed Wilde’s Legacy into 33/1 from 40/1 for the Grade One prize.

Snowden said: “I think he is very smart. He won his bumper nicely the first day on the all-weather, but he had to prove he could do it on turf. To do that on softer ground, with a penalty, I think shows he is very smart.

“It is never easy under a penalty as there were some nice horses in there.You never really get a bad bumper at Huntingdon on this ground so I think it was a smart performance.

“He is still very green, and raw, as he had a look at the big screen coming in. He is still a baby, but he is a talented one.

“It is exciting and he will have an entry in the Champion Bumper. I think he is very good.”

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