Lydia Hislop Road to Cheltenham Stayers' Hurdle archive

 

February 9 2017

Although the ratified addition of Buveur D'Air to JP McManus's troops for the Champion Hurdle would have comforted those who've backed Jezki for the Stayers' event, the subsequent withdrawal of Faugheen might cause them a wobble or two.In some ways, I wonder whether the fate of Yanworth might dictate Jezki's target as much as Saturday week's Red Mills Trial at Gowran. Trainer Jessica Harrington has stated this prep race will decide where to go at the Festival but should Yanworth's setback prove more troublesome than thought or he gets beaten on his comeback, then it might be all change.In that scenario, McManus has the impervious-looking Unowhatimeanharry topping the stayers' charts and might want the back-up of a credible second string in a suddenly wide-open Champion Hurdle. Especially when that understudy has already won the race before. 

 None of these events may yet come to pass but it crossed my mind… Just saying.

February 2 2017

Unowhatimeanharry extended his serene unbeaten sequence since joining trainer Harry Fry at the start of last season with a thoroughly convincing win in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle last Saturday. He established beyond doubt - if indeed any existed - that he is the preeminent British-trained staying hurdler.He was still travelling strongly upsides the rousted-along Cole Harden as they rounded the bypassed last hurdle (due to low sun) and was only shaken up by Barry Geraghty when a glance behind revealed Walsh smuggling the novice West Approach into contention. Once Unowhatimeanharry hit the front, he passed on the workload to his jockey by deciding he'd done enough and idling quite markedly. Don't knock it: that thrift with his own energy is one of the key reasons why he has been able to win his last eight races and this latest win is a performance that seems to get better the more often you watch it."It's his usual trick," said Fry. "He hits the front but keeps a bit in reserve. He's the same at home regardless of whom he works against. If we work him with a 100-rated horse or a 140-rated, he goes a length up and then stops. If he was winning 20 lengths every time, however, there'd come a time when the tank would be empty."Geraghty concurs: "He's just got such an unassuming way of going. He does as much as he has to - or as little as he as he has to!"His jockey was particularly taken with how Unowhatimeanharry travelled in that soft ground but it's hard to use that to undermine his chances on a faster surface given he won the Albert Bartlett on good. It's reasonable to assume at this stage that although his very best form is on testing going, that's merely a function of circumstance.Cole Harden was receiving 8lb from the winner and beaten just under two lengths. This was far more like the hardy little warrior of two seasons ago but not yet a return to his peak. His track record says he's better on a sounder surface though, so there could be more to come.I'm not sure I buy the usual argument for soft ground on the New Course that a trailer-park-girl ride 'round the outside was an advantage and therefore Cole Harden's trademark inner-hugging passage can be marked up, however. The first three home in the preceding race all stuck to the inside.West Approach was flattered to get as close as he did to the principals via a hold-up ride for which the word 'exaggerated' is inadequate. He was detached in last at the second last (usual three out) and only sitting in 11th approaching the next, after which Walsh was at pains to tread the familiar wide path in an attempt to cede every benefit, perceived or actual, to his mount.As he neared the leaders' heels on bypassing the last, he briefly looked the biggest threat to the winner but whereas Cole Harden typically dug in, he had nothing more to give. These hold-up tactics in a strongly run race clearly play him to best effect and can surely be replicated in his preferred target at the Festival - the Albert Bartlett. The 20/1 proffered by BetVictor in the immediate aftermath is most kindly interpreted as an attention-grabbing mistake. He's now 8/1 best or 6/1 NRNB BOG with Bet365.Ballyoptic either had a bad day or was exposed as slightly flattered by his previous Ascot endeavours. He did help conduct a strong pace but so did the runner-up and although you can construe it as a positive that he completed without incident, you could argue he should therefore have done better. He was in receipt of 4lb from the winner to boot.None of the remaining field looks capable of playing a leading role in the Sun Bets Stayers' but Old Guard shaped like a Coral Cup contender. Patiently ridden on his first start over three miles, he was never good enough to play an active part in the race but only faded away near the end. A trip three furlongs shorter on better ground might now be ideal.Asked to assess Unowhatimeanharry's chief dangers come March, Fry's post-race synopsis was "whatever Willie Mullins throws into the race". He'd have known at the time he said those words that one of those missiles had been safely tested at Gowran earlier in the week whereas the other had suffered a Trident moment less than an hour earlier at Doncaster.Shaneshill was deployed to plan in the Galmoy Hurdle - even if the market was wrong-footed by Walsh riding Clondaw Warrior, a horse that's owned by a syndicate including his wife Gillian, and despite the fact the winner's best efforts had all previously been at the hands of Paul Townend.Given he took a purler of a fall against Vroum Vroum Mag over Christmas, it was encouraging to discern zero ill effects in his attitude to jumping and that his round was pretty clean. However it was hard to concur with Mullins that Shaneshill is "improving" given he was receiving 5lb from Snow Falcon - a horse with an imperfect completion record of his own - and had merely three-quarters of a length to spare over him at the line.You'll recall Snow Falcon was still travelling well when falling three out in the Long Distance Hurdle behind Unowhatimeanharry. This effort suggests 14/1 NRNB BOG with Bet365 underestimates him in comparison with Shaneshill at 8/1 in the same book.In Shaneshill's favour is the fact he holds no conflicting Cheltenham entries - making the 12/1 William Hill still offer perhaps the most attractive option - and is known to peak under Festival conditions. Seconds in the 2015 Supreme and 2016 RSA Chase, both under Townend, were probably his best efforts for each of those seasons. He will surely run well but will he be a lone wolf for his yard or hunt in a pack?Surely Clondaw Warrior won't be playing: his suspect stamina for the task can probably now be filed under absent after he couldn't ever quite get involved in the Galmoy, despite Walsh's best conservation efforts.Footpad and/or Diakali could take walk-on parts but the doomsday scenario dreaded by Faugheen fans can surely be dismissed now he doesn't have the option of falling short of his Champion Hurdle ambitions in a prep race.The only other potential player is Vroum Vroum Mag herself and the question is whether underwhelming narrow defeat of Midnight Jazz at Doncaster last Saturday is likely to send Mullins and owner Rich Ricci scurrying for the safety of the mares' event.For the second successive year, Mullins reportedly suggested a chilly journey could be to blame for a disappointing show from his Town Moor troops. Last year Shaneshill, Morning Run and Up For Review were all thought to have underperformed in their races on the same card due to getting a chill. Given we know Vroum Vroum Mag is smart, I'm giving her the Shaneshill benefit of the doubt rather than holding Up For Review suspicions.Townend's finger was hovering over the distress flare even before the home turn and his mount exacerbated the problem by landing awkwardly over the second last. She then knuckled down hard to get within a length of the leader approaching the final flight, joined her with around half a furlong to go, inched ahead and held on all out by a neck. Pedestrian it was in terms of form but that mare hasn't half got game. She was determined to win.But could Mullins conscionably use this as a launch pad for the bolder of her two likeliest Festival options? Townend was immediately inclined to believe something minor would come to light - a view shared by owner Rich Ricci."It clearly wasn't her true running and we have her back home now where she'll be tested to see what's at her," Ricci said in his now weekly pre-Festival blog as BetBright chairman."This time of year it's easy to pick up the occasional bug, especially if you're travelling, and there are no bigger issues at play with her - no leg issues or anything to worry about. She'll be absolutely fine for Cheltenham but it's too early to say what race she'll head to."I've always thought the Mares' Hurdle trip of 2m4f is her trip but she has gotten three miles too, so you'd have to see how the Stayers' races shapes up… It'll be the week before Cheltenham, I'd imagine, before we decide exactly where she'll head."Or perhaps even later…The case for sticking to defending her title in the mares' event is that Apple's Jade might be easier to beat than Unowhatimeanharry and stablemate Limini, also owned by Ricci, is yet to prove she's up to the standard of either mare. Mullins errs on the side of realism in his Festival placing with the very sensible aim of winning as many races as possible.The case for twisting is: Vroum Vroum Mag is open to further improvement at three miles, would surely have beaten Ireland's otherwise leading stayer Shaneshill even had he stood up when they met, Walsh could easily ride her if he wished given Townend's established partnership with her stablemate and Ricci doesn't have much of a track record for double representation.Perhaps the opportunity has never arisen but having a go at the chief races is also in his character. He did it with Annie Power in the 2014 World (Stayers') Hurdle… but then Vroum Vroum Mag isn't as good as that mare yet.Walsh, of course, will also want the chance to win as many races as possible but that could propel his thinking in either direction.I think there's enough there to suggest this is a genuine dilemma so now's the moment to back her for the Stayers' Hurdle at 7/1 NRNB with Paddy Power or Sky Bet because she's been pushed out on the basis of one below-par effort that was still a win. She ain't going to get any bigger and still take part. There's enough juice in that price to back her each way against a sound favourite who's too short for me to countenance - even factoring on-the-day enhancements.Lastly, Supasundae was unsuited by dropping to two miles when trounced by Sutton Place last Saturday but that placing means he is yet to try this trip nor indicate he merits a shot at this race.I was sorry to hear American-trained Rawnaq misses his shot at this race and the US$500,000 bonus if following up his success in Nashville's Iroquois Hurdle. He's picked up a soft-tissue injury. What a shame.

January 25 2017

Jezki made a winning return on his first start for almost 21 months at Navan last Saturday, brushing aside capable but inferior rivals on advantageous weight terms as behoves a former Champion Hurdle winner.The positives were plentiful: he settled well despite being fresh (even without the hood trainer Jessica Harrington had used to tame him in his younger days), readily took closer order when required and has lost none of his old efficiency at his obstacles. He was already getting the better of Renneti and Tombstone for hands and heels approaching the last, but a fast getaway sealed it.The flipside is the 2014 Festival hero was about 20lb below his best. That shows up as wildly optimistic the 10/1 he's quoted for the Champion Hurdle in one book - even if that is NRNB. Although connections were non-committal afterwards about his likely Cheltenham target, the 8/1 best with Ladbrokes about the Stayers' Hurdle may suggest that remains their preference."Barry [Geraghty, jockey] said he took a blow going down the back, blew up again after the second last and then just filled up and went away," said Harrington. "We had him ready to run at Christmas and he got a little bit of a setback. Every time you go, you worry about whether you have done too much or not done enough and whether he has his old spark."We'll learn more in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran next month, another two-mile event that was identified as Jezki's next target. "I think he gets in with no penalties," explained Harrington."I think on soft ground we would be better going two miles and not bottoming him out. He could still do a job over two miles but we know he stays three, so we have options. As long as he's sound in the morning - that's the main thing."When Jezki won a Punchestown Grade One over three miles two Aprils ago, he beat two horses also unproven at the trip in Hurricane Fly and Zabana in an overall time you'd only accuse of being fair. His 2015 Aintree Hurdle success over 2m4f was encouraging, however - far more so than The New One's 2014 triumph when he scrambled home, the needle on empty. Of the pair's stamina for the Stayers' Hurdle task, I rate Jezki's more highly.Of course owner JP McManus already has favourite Unowhatimeanharry for this event but given he also has Yanworth (and a potential cast of extras) for the Champion Hurdle, Harrington will probably be free to target her horse at whichever race that suits him best.In either scenario he faces lining up without the service of Geraghty who is unbeaten, six wins from six starts, on board but at least Mark Walsh was the pilot for that Punchestown success.One absentee from this event whom I overlooked when checking over the entries last week is Different Gravey, who was quoted in this market after running horribly over fences at Cheltenham in December.

January 19 2017

Last year's RSA runner-up Shaneshill was not entered for the Gold Cup or Ryanair last week so this race looks his all-out Festival target. With this decisiveness you are really spoiling us, ambassador. He has been tipped for this race by Pricewise.He was one of 10 entries from Mullins along with Faugheen, 2014 runner-up Annie Power, Vroum Vroum Mag and Nichols Canyon - among others. There were 47 entries in total with last year's second Alpha Des Obeaux not among them, assuaging any fear of trainer Mouse Morris assembling a safety-net for his novice chaser.There were some interesting potential code-switchers, however: 2014 hero More Of That (as predicted), stablemate Taquin Du Seuil, Grade One chase runner-up Henri Parry Morgan and recent Market Rasen graduation chase winner Three Musketeers.Entries for The New One, the novice West Approach, long absent Ordo Ab Chao, improving Supasundae and underperforming novice chaser Shantou Village are also worth noting. These engagements also indicated that Camping Ground - who features among them - has left Robert Walford and joined Gary Moore.The race will also be given an international flavor by the participation of Rawnaq, who defeated Shaneshill and Nichols Canyon in the Grade One Iroquois Hurdle at Percy Warner Park, Nashville, in May.His Maryland trainer Cyril Murphy has been tempted to target this race by a US$500,000 bonus for winning both races as part of the first-ever Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge.Rawnaq has since won the Grade One Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills, when partnered by Ruby Walsh, and finished second in the Grade One Colonial Cup over fences at Camden. Having been trained in Ireland, he has experience of Cheltenham when finishing third in both the 2015 Brown Advisory Merriebelle Stable Plate over fences and 2013 Greatwood Hurdle."I asked Ruby if he felt we could finish in the first four or five… and he said he would not put us off chasing the bonus because it is an open year in the stayers' division," Murphy said."At the moment, the plan is to leave here either on February 3 or February 6 to arrive in England the following day. It is a 12-hour drive from our place to Huntsville airport in Alabama, then he has a direct flight to Stansted and finally a road trip to Neil Mulholland's [in Somerset] where he will be based. You are looking at about 36 hours door to door."Murphy worked with Mulholland at Henderson's yard as well as earlier for Sir Mark Prescott and as a conditional jockey for Bill Turner. He plans to use the National Spirit at the end of next month at Fontwell as Rawnaq's stepping-stone to the Festival. Jack Doyle retains the ride, having missed the horse's last two starts due only to injury."After he ran in November, we left Rawnaq alone for a month and then started to pick him up again before Christmas. He did a piece of work last week and another bit on Tuesday," reported Murphy."Everything seems to be moving in the right direction for us. He got beat the last day, which was disappointing for everybody, but in hindsight I think the ground was even firmer than we wanted. He just didn't have a cut at the fences."2014 Champion Hurdle winner Jezki features relatively prominently in the betting for the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle with three horses that are shorter than him in the betting being unlikely runners - and that now perhaps includes Nichols Canyon given Wylie's comments.Jezki has been sidelined since beating Hurricane Fly and Zabana - two doubtful stayers - over three miles at Punchestown in April 2015. And missed putative engagements over Christmas with a small-scale problem.He's due to return over two miles at Navan this Saturday, rather than taking on faster and younger legs in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the end of the month, and then next month's Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran Park. His odds are likely to tumble markedly if he wins or shapes well on seasonal debut.

January 11 2017

The Racing Post last week flew the kite of last year's runner-up Alpha Des Obeaux reverting to hurdles for this Festival target as a result of breaking a blood vessel when last seen over fences at Christmas.He could well get a precautionary entry but seemingly more likely is him pitching up in the RSA Chase without prepping in between - a proven modus operandi of trainer Mouse Morris. I had fancied him for that novices' target prior to his latest effort and he's probably over-priced even so.Morris, who said the horse had never broken a blood vessel before, says the horse is also likely to have an entry in the JLT Chase but "the RSA is his race, I'd say".Warren Greatrex reportedly described 2015 Stayers' Hurdle hero Cole Harden's distant third to Agrapart as his best run for 18 months and said that "he seems to be coming right back to form". From this vantage point, however, it was hard to construe any encouragement for a target this lofty.Greatrex apparently also suggested he "wouldn't be averse to going back over fences and reverting to hurdles again for just that race [the Stayers' Hurdle]." I wouldn't personally put a fence anywhere near Cole Harden again unless it was to prevent him from trampling the vegetable patch.It must be likely that stablemate One Track Mind will also be entered here, having won Punchestown's Grade One Champion Stayers' Hurdle last April, but been beaten in a Catterick novices' chase last month.

January 4 2017

Conditions at Cheltenham on New Year's Day were surprisingly testing and only became more so during the course of the day - exactly how Relkeel Hurdle winner Agrapart likes it.Notching a significant double for jockey Lizzie Kelly, he outstayed or out-battled L'Ami Serge - or a bit of both - after the latter breezed into the lead on landing at the last and went a length up on the winner. Agrapart knuckled down to the fight and forced his head back in front on the line.The winner proved his stamina for this trip, having made little impact compared with his best UK form at around that distance in two starts in France this year, but his ability to be effective on the soundish surface likely at the Festival remains an unknown.So it's probably not surprising that trainer Nick Williams said: "I don't know where Agrapart goes next. He is very ground dependent. His wins have all been on heavy. The reason for coming here was to see if he could step up to the Stayers' Hurdle."L'Ami Serge is even more betwixt and between given this outing seems to conclusively prove that 2m4f - especially in conditions placing an extra emphasis on stamina - is at the absolute upper end of his staying needs. He'd been switched from fences following his left-jumping display at Exeter and was perfectly at home over the smaller obstacles.However he has also found little in the past and it's been pretty much a year since he got his head in front, which is worrisome for a horse of his ability even if he has been highly tried. I wonder whether he's a Grand Annual candidate when, played late, his class might take him to the front when the music stops; even so, he'll still need to jump straighter.Sporting first-time cheekpieces, third-placed Cole Harden certainly looked happier returned to hurdles than on his effortful chase debut at Wetherby but he's still operating at a level about a stone and a half below his 2015 World Hurdle peak (although I'm starting to think that race was over-rated).The fact trainer Warren Greatrex reverted to hurdles with him suggests he might, not unexpectedly, have drawn stumps on that chasing lark for this season as least. Handicaps would be an option if the assessor relents further.Last year's runner-up Lil Rockerfeller had an off day, perhaps because a fourth successive month of having your ears driven off from halfway can pale on even the toughest of racehorses. That's not a criticism: it's his run style but it tends to be one with a shelf life. I hope this hardy perennial bounces back.Camping Ground won this Grade Two event in bottomless ground last year but has been making mistakes over fences this season and was beaten the moment the pace lifted here. He was trying to concede weight to all bar Lil Rockerfeller. Trying a new trip, Adrien Du Pont had not been asked for his effort at the nine-furlongs-out penultimate flight when landing awkwardly, pecking and shifting Sam Twiston-Davies off sideways.Over to Ireland and after making his seasonal debut for new trainer Jessica Harrington the day after Boxing Day, Supasundae reappeared four days later in rude health to win a 2m4f event at Punchestown by six-and-a-half lengths from Monksland.Seventh behind Altior in last year's Supreme, Supasundae would need to find plenty more improvement to get involved in any of the Festival's graded races but this was a career best and Harrington mentioned potentially stepping him up in trip.Further back in the field, it was good to see Sure Reef back in action after almost two years on the sidelines; he jumped as though he'd forgotten what hurdles looked like but stuck on well after docilely surrendering the lead to the winner at the third last.

January 1, 2017

Although it's impossible to predict which Festival race she'll contest, Vroum Vroum Mag was impressive when upped to three miles for the first time to win the Grade One Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle last Wednesday at Leopardstown.She travelled strongly and jumped beautifully - now as slick at this task as she was over fences - to record the best time of the day and lower the colours of a few hopeful candidates in this division. At the last her very presence upsides long-time leader and stablemate Shaneshill, whom she'd been stalking throughout the final circuit, was enough for him to step at the hurdle and take a not-uncharacteristic tumble.She was idling a tad but clearly saw out the trip well and the patiently-ridden Clondaw Warrior, who might do better at a right-handed track, was flattered to finish so close to her. She also exposed Snow Falcon, who helpfully kept his feet to enable proper assessment for once, as lacking the requisite class for the Stayers' Hurdle.The problem for punters is whether Vroum Vroum Mag will contest that race or the OLBG David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle - or even the Champion Hurdle or Ryanair - as Mullins freely acknowledges."She's extraordinary," he said. "We know she gets three miles now and she even works with our Champion Hurdle horses as well. She can jump hurdles and she can jump fences. She will be the super-sub in Rich Ricci's team and we will put her in wherever we think she can win at Cheltenham."Depending on the wellbeing of her stable companions - notably, Annie Power - it's another case of 48-hour stage ahoy!As stated above, Nichols Canyon is one such fellow inmate who had been talked of as a candidate for this event prior to suffering a rare reversal for the Mullins yard last week. His run at Leopardstown is a reminder of how his right-adjusting tendencies are only likely further to undermine his doubtful stamina for a race such as this.

December 21, 2016

Last Saturday's Long Walk Hurdle should have elucidated this division and, given how foggy conditions were, we did learn a fair amount. However, we were also left in the nonsensical position of having to surmise what might have happened during critical phases of the race.Racing is both an equine industry and a spectator sport; last Saturday, the authority's responsibilities to those two sets of constituents came into conflict. Horses with campaigns to map out and experience to gain need to be able to race; as long as it is safe to do so - and the consensus seemed almost unanimous that it was - then participants are always going to favour going ahead. There are fees to be earned and bills to be paid, after all.Yet the paying customer at Ascot and Haydock last Saturday got a raw deal. Those who watched the racing on TV would also have been dissatisfied. The lack of sufficient reliable visual or sectional information also has an impact even beyond the potential souring of racing's fans: it means handicappers and analysts must guess what happened. That's not fair on anyone and will impact in real terms, via the official handicappers' estimates, on participants, too.On balance, I therefore think it was the wrong call to go ahead with racing last Saturday. To abandon would by no means have been an easy decision, given both key venues were affected and the fog had the potential to lift suddenly - as it was certainly forecast to do. But what British racing in essence laid on was an alienating, obfuscating farce.In Racing UK's coverage, three horses with relative chances disappeared into the gloom of the last hurdle in the Long Walk but only one - the winner Unowhatimeanharry - emerged at all. Channel 4 Racing's mobile camera later revealed to us that Ballyoptic had lost his hind legs on landing and, prone, had caused the awkward-jumping West Approach to jink left and unseat his rider.We cannot know beyond doubt what would have happened had Ballyoptic not fallen but I think we can be sure West Approach would not have won - Lil Rockerfeller, the eventual second, had already passed him, on riding, at the last. (West Approach is discussed more fully in the novice hurdlers' section.)Immediately afterwards, winning rider Barry Geraghty believed he would have won anyway: "Mine had jumped [the last] well and I thought I had it in the bag but I saw [Ballyoptic] was brought to a standstill - I didn't realise he turned over - but I'd have thought we'd have got him covered at the time."In contrast Richard Johnson, who'd employed the front-running tactics on the former that had revivified The New One at Cheltenham last week, said in his Betway column: "…coming to the last he wasn't stopping. We were a little bit up on Unowhatimeanharry at the time of falling and I don't think there would have been much between us at the line. I'm not saying we would have gone on to win but I really don't think there would have been much in it."Having worn out the pause/rewind buttons on my remote control using an amalgamation of Racing UK and Channel 4 shots, I'm of Geraghty's point of view. The two horses actually take off at the last in unison but Ballyoptic was under the greater pressure approaching that obstacle and Unowhatimeanharry draws further clear of Lil Rockerfeller on the run-in.Comparing his mount's win here to his readier success at Newbury on his previous start, Geraghty added: "[This] was a stronger race, we went a really good gallop; Ballyoptic and Reve De Sivola went fast and mine had just crept into the race. He did it well but it was definitely harder work today."He's going the right way [for the Stayers' Hurdle]. He's got a good bit of pace, travels nicely and he's very uncomplicated."That Unowhatimeanharry can adapt for victory off a dawdle or a searching gallop is an important asset and it speaks of a horse who has now fully made the transition into open Grade One company. He is the correct Stayers' Hurdle ante-post favourite because he is currently the best horse definitely going for the race, but 5/2 feels very short when you don't yet know what your opposition looks like.Johnson's comments and even pieced-together TV pictures suggest Ballyoptic is greatly over-priced at odds ranging from 12/1 to 25/1. What we can't really judge is whether he went a shade too hard in the Long Walk - it may be that Unowhatimeanharry was advantaged by being patiently ridden to be getting the better of him at the last.Ballyoptic won the Grade One Sefton at Liverpool as a novice and clearly responded to different tactics here. However, his jumping remains his Achilles' heel now that he's hit the deck, with a chance of winning, on two of his last three starts.Neil King reportedly believed Lil Rockerfeller was given too much to do. Whilst I can't be dogmatic in countering that, all available evidence shows a horse characteristically rallying for pressure from some way out but who could not travel so readily into contention as the winner - and they came from similar hold-up positions.The runner-up was slightly disadvantaged by having to switch around less responsive rivals on the home turn but he still lacks Unowhatimeanharry's malleability. Nonetheless he is still unexposed at three miles and is also over-priced at 20/1. We'd know more had we seen whether he or Ballyoptic would have finished second here.Benefitting from the casualties at the last, Un Temps Pour Tout somehow came through for third. I say somehow because he was contesting second last on the home turn and yet came past both Ptit Zig and classy French raider Alex De Larredya after the last. That's partly what makes me wonder whether Ballyoptic and Reve De Sivola went off too fast.Admittedly, neither Ptit Zig nor Alex De Larredya are proven in an end-to-end gallop over three miles in British Grade One company. The latter even appeared to be travelling fine on the home turn but could not respond as both Unowhatimeanharry glided and Lil Rockerfeller ground past.Three-times Long Walk hero Reve De Sivola is starting to look as though he's past his best at the age of 11 but what joy and entertainment he has brought us - not to mention prize money for his connections - over the years. He still went down fighting. Zarkandar also looks a light of former days.Finally, I should mention Clondaw Warrior who won at Clonmel earlier this month and is currently quoted for the Stayers' Hurdle at 16/1. It should be noted Mullins has said his March target is "the two-mile Flat race in Dubai" but a bold showing at Leopardstown next Wednesday could change his mind.Prior to this latest success, the horse had been runner-up in the 2015 Doncaster Cup, winner of the 2016 Galway Hurdle, joined the Mullins globe-trotting troupe by finishing second in the American St Leger at Arlington and finished stone cold last in this year's Doncaster Group Two event.In his Racing UK column, Ruby Walsh observed: "Clondaw Warrior did exactly what the ratings suggested he would when winning over three miles at Clonmel but it was good to see him get the trip."I suppose by that stage of the day we had cottoned on to the fact that the ground was definitely a bit drier on the outside and I took advantage of that… He has a rating of 152, which probably leaves him 12-14lb shy of being a [Stayers'] Hurdle horse. You get caught betwixt and between with horses rated between 150 and 160 - often they're not quite good enough for the next level and on the other hand they're burdened with top weight in handicaps."Of course there's a trump card lurking in the form of Thistlecrack were he to fail in some fundamental way in next week's King George. In the scenario of jettisoning their Gold Cup dream, his connections would be unlikely to opt for the RSA Chase as their preferred fallback option.Finally, the new bookmaker sponsors of the race formerly known as the World Hurdle have started out on the right foot by reclaiming the historic title. Let's hope the partnership between the Sun newspaper and Tabcorp Holdings Ltd also re-introduces a more Australian attitude to laying bets.

December 15, 2016

Aside from Llewellyn's ambitions for The New One, the pause button has been pressed in this division until it bursts into action again at Ascot this Saturday when Uknowhatimeanharry could clash with the likes of Ptit Zig on Reve De Sivola's turf.The Long Walk could have the added spice of top class French raider Alex De Larredya and new Nicky Henderson recruit, 11-times winning mare Kotkikova was also entered, but will reportedly miss the race. It should still be some contest.Having missed the Bula-sigh-International in favour of fellow McManusite My Tent Or Yours, Yanworth's ambitions persist in a Champion Hurdle direction - albeit he still holds an engagement in Leopardstown's three-mile Grade One at the end of the year. He is now clear third favourite for the two-mile event but, unlike the other three at the top of that market, holds the distinction of having at least run this season.Interestingly long-absent Jezki, another who marches in the green-and-gold hoops, is also entered at Leopardstown. It would be the 2014 Champion Hurdle winner's first run since April of last year when he tried three miles for the first time and found it very much to his liking.

December 7, 2016

Festival ante-post markets currently expect to see last year's RSA runner-up Shaneshill contest the World Hurdle rather than the Gold Cup and his third to Apple's Jade in the Hatton's Grace probably underpinned that interpretation. He found only Thistlecrack too good - admittedly by seven lengths - in April's Liverpool Stayers' Hurdle.This latest third was his best effort yet over hurdles, building on having been given too much to do and perhaps needing the run behind Snow Falcon at Navan last time. Over a trip short of his best at Fairyhouse, he got a shade outpaced and then squeezed for room entering the straight but stuck to his guns and would have finished closer bar for a bad blunder at the last.Despite that stilling mistake, he comfortably held off Ivanovich Gorbatov for third although this was probably also that horse's best effort since winning the Triumph.In the backwash, veteran Dedigout couldn't keep up from an early stage and Monksland frustratingly translated the multiple errors he's been making over fences to these smaller obstacles.

November 30, 2016

With last season's wide-margin 1-2 Thistlecrack and Alpha Des Obeaux having departed this division for a crack at chasing, the stage is empty of top-billed performers. Clearly, Mullins possesses a strong troupe of potential players but at Newbury last Friday Unowhatimeanharry delivered a soliloquy of note.It might instead have been a compelling exchange had Irish raider Snow Falcon not taken a hardly uncharacteristic tumble when still holding every chance at the third last. But his exit stage left meant Harry Fry's doughty stayer jumped into the lead at the next hurdle and immediately closed the show.Now owned by JP McManus rather than the yard's racing club, Unowhatimeanharry had been a rabid improver as an unbeaten novice last season, rising 29lbs in the ratings from handicaps in November to winning the Grade One Albert Bartlett in March. Remarkably, that was his third season over hurdles but his first for Fry.On Friday, he hadn't raced since the Festival and was taking his first steps into open company. There was a dawdling pace, which might have been expected to discomfort so thorough a stayer, but instead he travelled strongly under a patient ride, taking closer order on the final circuit and moving to the front decisively after the only other horse still in cruise control hit the deck.Geraghty gave a grounded but positive account afterwards: "I'd never sat on Unowhatimeanharry before but he travelled really well, jumped really well and saw it out well. I was travelling too well at times, which can be a dangerous thing in a three-mile race, but only through freshness."You are afraid to talk them up but it was a good solid performance. At all stages he was doing what you would like a horse to do. It was a good race but Ascot will be tougher and the opposition there will tell us how good he is."The truth of this statement was underlined by news this week that French trainer Francois Nicolle plans to send his classy staying hurdler Alex De Larredya over to Ascot for the Long Walk next month. A good show from the Grade One Grand Prix d'Automne winner would raise the possibility of Nicolle also targeting the World Hurdle in March. Very exciting.Meanwhile, the refrain is starting to wear thin that Snow Falcon must eradicate his mistakes if he's going to get to the top in this division and similar comments apply to runner-up Ballyoptic, whom some argue was coming to win the West Yorkshire Hurdle when falling at the last on his previous start.This Grade One-winning novice is yet to make a solid leap into open company - pun intended - albeit the way he travelled and jumped in the early stages at Newbury might suggest he'd be more at home returned to soft ground. (It wasn't soft last Friday, despite the official description.)We might see more of Menorah over hurdles. This king of quirk enjoyed his first start over the smaller obstacles since May 2011 under a positive ride; he is also unexposed at a trip that came to suit over fences.Jacob knows Reve De Sivola well and the fact he didn't set the relentless pace for which this veteran is loved suggests he sensed not to; perhaps this three-time Long Walk hero is building towards a final hurrah at Ascot next month. Only Thistlecrack could deal with him there last year.Ubak had worked hard to press the leaders on the home turn and was brushed aside in the straight.

November 23, 2016

The finer details of how Nichols Canyon beat Jer's Girl in the Morgiana at Punchestown is anybody's guess, given the entire day was shrouded in fog. We only saw glimpses of the runner-up laying down a challenge to the winner at the third last before reportedly being brushed aside. Officially, there were 12 lengths between the pair at the finish.Walsh takes up the back-story of their tussle: "We went a good gallop every step of the way and they both jumped well. It was run at Grade One pace and we just seemed to get the better jump at the second last and it was all over then."Nichols Canyon's best form entitled him to win like this and last season I came to the conclusion that racing right-handed sees him at his absolute optimum - this was the race in which he lowered Faugheen's colours last year, after all.On the upside, he was a last-minute substitute here and therefore perhaps not ultra-tuned but he was also encountering a (high-class) filly who'd missed her intended seasonal debut and may not have brought her A-game to the denouement either.Despite this success, the plan remains to step last year's Champion Hurdle third back up to three miles - a trip he's hitherto attempted only once, when seemingly well below his best in America in May."He's very effective over that [two-mile] trip on soft ground, " said Mullins. "But I'd imagine we'll be going back up in trip with him." However, I'm not convinced he'll stay the World Hurdle distance, especially given he can be keen, and he's still prone to the odd critical error.Yanworth's reappearance at Ascot last Saturday was billed as an information-gathering exercise in the choice between Champion and World Hurdle targets. In needing nearly all of the Grade Two 2m5f contest to quell Lil Rockerfeller, he answered that question at least. It's just that he raised others.The runner-up was the best horse at the weights on the day, conceding 4lbs to the winner and beaten only three-quarters of a length. Barry Geraghty had also permitted that diligent rival to steadily get the better of the discipline-switching Garde La Victoire before launching Yanworth's decisive challenge.It's a moot point whether he steered wide of Lil Rockerfeller in order to get a good sight of his hurdles - clean jumping having been an issue in the past - or to ensure the gimlet-willed runner-up didn't gain a window to his soul. As it turned out, Yanworth stayed on stoutly if unspectacularly.Geraghty admitted he "laboured a bit to get there" and acknowledged he's "a clear-winded horse, so he didn't blow up" due to lack of peak fitness but "at the line, he'd got going by that stage at least". "You'd like to think he's going to be sharper next time," he added, with some understatement.He all but counted out the Champion Hurdle - two miles might be "a little sharp", although the next run would tell us more, and he "got 2m5f well" when second to Yorkhill in the Neptune - and declared three-mile races like the World Hurdle "definitely an option".Geraghty ended on a more positive note: "He's strengthened up a lot physically and mentally he's a good bit sharper, too, so you'd think he's more able for the battle than he was last season."All in all, it was a thoroughly respectable start and he even jumped quite well, bar for being inconvenienced by Garde La Victoire at the fifth and landing flat-footed. I fear he's neither fish nor flesh, trip-wise, however.This was a fresh career best from the redoubtable Lil Rockerfeller, for whom the only negative was that he needed to be ridden along heading out for the final circuit. I love this horse but I worry there are only so many tough races even in his seemingly bottomless locker.However, having been outclassed and out-speeded when seventh in last year's Champion Hurdle, it's entirely rational that the World should be this term's lofty target. Hopefully, he can lift the National Spirit en route again.In third, Garde La Victoire looked clumsy stretched to this class but Court Minstrel ran creditably. I fear last-placed Zarkandar is on the downgrade, even though he was seemingly going well when unseating his rider at Aintree's last on his penultimate start; after all, he's recorded some of his best performances at this track in the past.An esteemed correspondent emailed me after last week's column, contending that I had overlooked the chances of Ptit Zig as a potential World Hurdle winner.He argued blinkers have improved this horse since chasing home Thistlecrack by a forlorn 12 lengths in the Cleeve in January, helping Paul Nicholls' charge to win the French Champion in June. He also ran encouragingly when third to top French stayer, Alex De Larredya, on his comeback earlier this month.That horse himself would clearly have a leading chance were he to cross the channel but there has yet been no squeak (as far as I am aware) about that as an idea. In contrast, it seems likely Ptit Zig will give the World Hurdle a spin given a lack of alternative targets.He handles Cheltenham and a variety of going, albeit his best form is as yet short of three miles over here, but he could line up in Friday's Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury after which his current 20/1, my correspondent argues, would look very long indeed - especially in such an opaque division.

November 16, 2016

The best price in the current ante-post market for this race is the 8/1 in some places about Thistlecrack. It wouldn't surprise me if last season's imperious winner ends up defending his title come March, but there are too many unknown knowns for me to recommend it as a bet.The top seven horses in most markets are far from certain runners, but neither could you rule all of them out (bar Faugheen, surely?). Inchoate doesn't even begin to describe. It may pay to go big.Snow Falcon survived only a few hours as my 33/1 shout for last year's World Hurdle until it emerged via the Twitter/preview-night grapevine that he'd knocked himself after winning at Navan in February.When he reappeared at Roscommon in August, he showed the better form he'd promised for a step up to three miles. He's since been progressive on the Flat, ending up as the admittedly beaten favourite in the Irish November Handicap last month - don't laugh, it could happen to Doncaster - before winning the Grade Two Lismullen Hurdle at Navan last week.He was relatively well positioned in a race dictated by De Plotting Shed that also saw the veteran Dedigout looking decidedly rusty and aforementioned Shaneshill - not seen since a jaunt to America in May - given too much to do. The last-named holds weighty entries both over hurdles and fences.The winner is a confirmed hurdler due to his habit of dragging his back legs through the odd obstacle, but he's been much cleaner the last twice and remains open to further improvement at three miles. Were it not for his recurring back problem, the 25/1 with Stan James would be more appealing.