Lydia Hislop Road to Cheltenham: Novice Chasers archive

February 9 2017

It's been joyous to watch Top Notch's ever-building confidence over fences and his richly-deserved first Grade One success in last Saturday's Scilly Isles Novices' Chase guaranteed his participation in the JLT - barring accidents to him or Altior.There were just five participants but they were almost in a line approaching the Pond Fence so it needed Top Notch to pull right away, both to prove his stamina for two-and-a-half miles and cement his reputation as well named for this chasing lark. That he did by five lengths after a near-immaculate round of measured jumping."He's lovely. He's obviously not very big but he's got a massive heart and this is no more than this horse deserves. He's been second and third in all the big races for a long time now so it's nice he's finally got a Grade One under this belt," enthused Jacob afterwards. 

 "Typical French [horse], isn't he? He measures and makes it a little bit easier for me. I mean I gave him a squeeze at the last of the Railways [fences] down the back straight and he said no, that's a bit too long for me and he got himself over the back of it. He's just grown in confidence with every run."Jacob was full of praise for the team around Top Notch - his retaining owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede as well as Henderson and Anthony Bromley - in how they campaigned this horse to steadily develop his confidence. It was a well-considered comment, pinpointing one of the trainer's chief talents."We were always worried whether he would ever make a steeplechaser," said Henderson later. "I know people won't like watching three-horse races but for him… getting those races, getting his confidence…"I never thought you'd ever see him jumping round tracks like this… He's just brimming with it and that's the making of him - simple as that… He's not been a nearly horse because he's been doing very well but now… he loves it and you can't help but love him."He's something special - when you see somebody try as hard as he does… And he hasn't got the scope for it, yet on the other hand he gets it so accurately now, he can do it."Of course, that puts the tin lid on this column's hopes that Top Notch will contest the Arkle - a case of right talent, wrong race. At the time I was far from convinced this horse stayed 2m4f but did suggest the more risk-averse might want to take up the insurance of Sky Bet's 'any Festival race' about him.Immediately after the race he was an attractive 8/1 for the JLT but since the withdrawal of Min from the Arkle (due to a bruise) has raised the possibility of Yorkhill defecting there, Top Notch is now at least three points shorter. His trainer is long-suited for this race, with Whisper and O O Seven set to act as wingmen.Back at Sandown, it seemed likely that runner-up Baron Alco might have blown any handicap ambitions trainer Moore might have held but a 3lb rise in fact still looks fairly workable. This brave horse, who responds generously to an aggressive ride, put up the best fight here. But his habit of jumping right was again on display even at this right-handed track and that would worry you for Cheltenham.Third-placed Le Prezien simply jumped too scruffily but Clan Des Obeaux ran abysmally. It was his first attempt at jumping a right-handed track and it might not have suited. He stood off the sixth far too far and that was perhaps a function of already apparent discomfort because efficient jumping had been a hallmark of his efforts at Newbury and for much of Cheltenham last time.It was either that or he frightened himself because his jumping unravelled on the far side. It was to his credit that he worked his way back into the race on the approach to the Pond, but that proved unsustainable. Rider Sean Bowen later reported Clan Des Obeaux was "never travelling".Bowen rode due to Sam Twiston-Davies having committed to stable-companion Politologue in the JLT, with Clan Des Obeaux's owners seeking "continuity" before Cheltenham. You may previously recall trainer Paul Nicholls saying he might miss out the Festival with both horses because he wanted to mind them for the future. I love it when form works out.Of course this unsettling effort from Clan Des Obeaux could be the deterrent his trainer requires to revert to Plan A, as it were. But maybe not. Nicholls has also got Frodon for the JLT after he looked much more at home returned to 2m4f at Musselburgh last Sunday.It didn't harm that Twiston-Davies poached a handful of lengths at the start, where Frodon had been characteristically keen to get on with things, and was able to make all entirely unchallenged.This will have been a timely boost of confidence for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup winner, who took a tired fall at the last in the Kauto Star when booked for third, but he'll have to hustle in the JLT and that might not be ideal.This was, of course, another boost for the form of rightful Kauto Star winner Might Bite, who hasn't been seen since taking a tumble at the last when clear but returns for Henderson at Doncaster this week.By winning the Edinburgh National and gaining a mark of 139, Dancing Shadow could have booked a slot in the JT McNamara NH Chase although connections did mention alternative targets such as the Midlands or Scottish Grand Nationals.At Wetherby that same day, Baywing potentially stated his case for the same Cheltenham target by causing an upset in the Grade Two Towton Novices' Chase at 33/1. The extra accent placed on stamina due to rail movements and heavy ground played to the strengths of this unexposed chaser."He's a big heavy-shouldered horse and he needs it soft," commented trainer Nicky Richards. "He'll be a horse for the Welsh National and races like that but we need to educate him first. He's in the four-miler at Cheltenham and that's in my mind but it'd need to be soft."On the yak front, given owner John Hales now has Politologue running in the JLT, he reportedly wants Ibis Du Rheu to represent him in the RSA despite that horse clearly indicating that three miles stretches him. But Hales has wisely drawn stumps on the Aux Ptits Soins chasing project after witnessing some nervy jumping; that horse might miss Cheltenham for alternative hurdles targets.David Pipe has mentioned the NH Chase or a handicap for sulky Champers On Ice - headgear ahoy! - but ready Warwick conqueror American heads to the RSA rather than the four-miler according to trainer Harry Fry.Malcolm Jefferson has reported that Waiting Patiently returned stiff from his exertions at Haydock two Saturdays ago and repeated that anything other than soft ground is a deal-breaker in his Festival participation. He means it.

February 2 2017

Only four horses lined up for the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown last Sunday - two each from Mullins and de Bromhead - but it didn't lack for thrills and spills. It had already lost one significant player when Min was removed from the race after banging his knee during schooling but was reported to be "much better on Monday" according to Mullins.Instead understudy Royal Caviar, also owned by Ricci, got his big break but managed to fluff his lines when clipping the last and falling when perhaps set to beat sole remaining rival Some Plan, who finished alone. You wouldn't be dogmatic about the result having gone either way, however, given the winner can finish weakly and Royal Caviar has a string of seconds to his name.This Grade One race had become a duel from the third when well-supported favourite but reckless jumper Bleu Et Rouge hit the flight on the way up and unseated Geraghty. The winner's more fancied stablemate Identity Thief, running for the first time since pulling up lame behind Min over Christmas, had blundered and unseated David Mullins at the very first fence.The remaining pair then raced alongside but Royal Caviar consistently out-jumped Some Plan until taking over on the lead at the fifth. The winner was being niggled along exiting the home turn behind the smooth-going leader but jockey Davy Russell was in the process of producing him for one decisive challenge with an excellent jump at the last when his sole rival took a tumble.Russell wasn't sure whether he would have won had Royal Caviar not fallen. "I still had enough in the tank to get almost upsides Ruby at the last so I'm not sure what would have happened," he said. "I was keen to hold onto Some Plan for as long as I could and come with one run."De Bromhead afterwards confessed to being both "delighted and frustrated". "I'm obviously delighted to win the race but it is frustrating to see Identity Thief do what he did. Some Plan is a very good horse in his own right. He's a 145-rated hurdler who jumps quickly and, as we saw today, good jumping was very important."We have said all along that Some Plan would go for the Arkle at Cheltenham and I don't see why we shouldn't have a shot at it after that. He has done really well for us this season."The entire four-strong field is entered in both the Festival's two-mile novices' Grade One and the JLT over half a mile further; Bleu Et Rouge is in the RSA for good measure but it's impossible to advocate a horse with his jumping technique for any Festival contest. He even fell in last year's Albert Bartlett.Some Plan is still available at 25/1 for that target on ante-post terms and has a lot to find with the likes of Altior or Min, but he's a lovely jumper - even if he did end up on the deck at Cheltenham in December. Royal Caviar was set to deliver a career high but nine years of age is a bit long in the tooth to go right to the top over fences.Identity Thief was revealed to be a lower-table member of last year's Champion Hurdle field but is yet to get anywhere hear that level of form over fences. Two non-completions is a terrible springboard for Cheltenham and it will be interesting to how de Bromhead plays this next. Will he cram another run in or accept this year's Festival is a busted flush?Another four-runner affair had been rather more informative at Doncaster the previous day when Forest Bihan outpaced Cloudy Dream to win the Sky Bet Lightning Novices' Chase. He did well to overcome a bad blunder at the third last and still get his head in front with something to spare at the line.The overwhelming significance of this result to pay a sizeable compliment to the runner-up's stable companion and fellow Arkle entry Waiting Patiently, who had brushed off Forest Bihan by two-and-a-quarter lengths at Newcastle previously.The winner jumped straighter than he has in the past and trainer Brian Ellison believes him entitled to a shot at the Arkle; he won't get away with an error of that magnitude at Cheltenham. Cloudy Dream jumped well under pressure and this evidence suggests the JLT is a more suitable Festival target for him.Trainer Ben Pauling said this race would determine whether favourite A Hare Breadth headed for the Arkle or the Grand Annual and he got his answer with this no-excuses third. Headlong front-runner Marracudja was unfortunately pulled up suddenly with a broken blood vessel.At the same track the previous day, Premier Bond has a tidy winner of the three-mile novice event. The winning margin of a neck doesn't fully convey how well he got rolling at the finish after getting slightly outpaced. He will definitely improve for a marathon trip and will run well in the JT McNamara NH Chase, first taking in the Eider Chase.Odds-on favourite Aux Ptits Soins came home in his own time, last of the quartet of runners. He has not taken to chasing at all so entries in the JLT and RSA Chases would appear hopelessly optimistic at this stage.At Cheltenham on Saturday, Royal Vacation underlined what a gift of a mark Might Bite has been given after falling at the last with the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase otherwise in the bag. In a bit of a blunder-fest 2m5f handicap, Kempton's fortunate winner drew clear from the home turn.He's improved with every start of late and rider Paddy Brennan believes he'll do better again on a sounder surface. Connections believe he's earned the right to contest the RSA Chase where he would have plenty to find with Might Bite, whose Christmas performance would have outshone Thistlecrack's King George triumph on the clock had he stood up.He'd have to prove his effectiveness on an undulating track and it's unnerving that he didn't get an entry in the Sky Bet Chase last Saturday. Perhaps I'm reading too much into Henderson looking a gift horse in the mouth but I can't dismiss the notion that such a thumping fall might have left its mark.Cheltenham runner-up Potters Legend isn't yet entered at Cheltenham but he could be a force in some decent handicaps at three miles and further on this evidence - if he brushes up his jumping. Burtons Well, who helped force a strong pace, can be marked up for this but I'm baffled how positively the run of Champers On Ice has been received. He had a massive sulk, losing his position early before staying on distantly.No doubt headgear will be reapplied at the Festival, as it was and derived an improved showing when third in last year's Albert Bartlett, but he wasn't then behaving this badly. If you were to have him on your mind, I'd prefer the four-miler over the Ultima Handicap Chase.Over in Ireland Anibale Fly put his miserable Kauto Star performance behind him when winning a Naas Grade Two last Saturday. Patiently ridden by Mark Walsh and making stealthy headway latterly, he had to be hard ridden to join A Genie In Abottle at the last. He led narrowly on the other side and then maintained his advantage until pulling away slightly in the shadow of the post."I was adamant that it was the ground that beat him at Kempton," said trainer Tony Martin afterwards. He hasn't entered him in any of the Festival's novice events and, given his belief that testing going is paramount, could conceivably give Cheltenham a miss entirely unless we have a wet spring.A Genie In Abottle is a sound jumper under pressure but was inclined to hang left here; the fact the winner challenged on his far side in the straight might have helped. This steady improver looks a live NH Chase candidate although he'll need to prove himself on a sound surface.Balko Des Flos, the likeable Haymount and Martello Tower - wearing first-time cheekpieces and repeatedly jumping right - all underperformed. Given they all pressed on at one stage or another, it led me to wonder whether they had done too much but it didn't look that way.Haymount is unproven at three miles and a quick jumper at his best; he might be worth dropping back to 2m4f for the JLT. Back in sixth and ultimately finishing 48 lengths behind the winner, Briar Hill was being hit with the whip long after the last when his chance had long gone.Finally last Thursday at Gowran, Great Field comfortably beat Mall Dini in a beginners' chase despite his harem-scarem style of running. Wisely, he hasn't been entered for any of the big novice chases at the Festival where his tendency to lunge at his fences would be a liability.The runner-up, sent off the beaten favourite for the third time in a row, at last had the tongue-tie replaced that helped him win last season's Pertemps but it didn't seem to bring about any improvement. He holds a NH Chase entry and a sounder surface could help.

January 25 2017

Yorkhill continues to demonstrate his massive ability but his latest success in a Grade Three event at Leopardstown still managed to be disconcerting even before Mullins mentioned targeting next year's Champion Hurdle.None of his four rivals in last Sunday's contest were slouches by any means and yet he only needed to be minimally nudged out after the last to dismiss them with contempt. Improving Jett - far more patiently-ridden than of late - got closest, almost to his heels by the line, but was hard ridden to do so against a characteristically idling winner.Contemptuous it might have been but stylish it was not. Yorkhill's satnav is clearly faulty: he jumped even more markedly left than last time, despite switching to a left-handed track. On some occasions he landed three horse widths to the inside of the chase track and had to be quickly corrected by Ruby Walsh. If it had got much worse, his jockey would have needed to find a safe place to perform a U-turn.Fans of Yorkhill, of which I am one, might argue he jumped left over hurdles. That he did, but never as wildly as this. They might also point to his strong finishing splits compared with the subsequent handicap but the flaw in this argument is that nobody's arguing with his innate ability. It's just that if he jumps like that, he'll be vulnerable in the JLT let alone the Arkle.Walsh, though, was typically phlegmatic. "He was a bit keen and we went a fair gallop. He'll learn a lot from today. It was typical Yorkhill in front, not doing a lot, but when they got within a few lengths of him he went on again and there was loads left in the tank," he said."I thought I went an hour too soon on him in the Neptune last year, when he jumped the last that day he ran around and pulled up. That's just him. He jumps to his left, but that's not a worry - Leopardstown is left, Cheltenham is left and Aintree is left."Yet surely even the most forgiving of judges were unnerved when, at the aforementioned press conference earlier this week, Mullins seemed to betray some discontent with how Yorkhill has taken to fences."We'll see how things go but I would have absolutely no problem going back over hurdles with him next season if we're not convinced about his jumping over fences," he said."Leaving Cheltenham [last] March after he won the Neptune, I thought he had what it takes to be a Champion Hurdle contender this year. We thought long and hard about going chasing with him instead so the next few months should be very informative."Now there is conceivably a scenario whereby Mullins might have said this in response to a leading question, thereby mitigating its significance. But it's not what you wanted to hear if you've backed him to win a Festival novice chase this term and your equanimity has just been further undermined by news of Annie Power's injury.At the time of the press conference, it seemed most likely that Yorkhill would stay chasing this season unless something unexpected happened… Well, guess what?Mullins' next move will be fascinating. Could Yorkhill switch to hurdles before Cheltenham? After Leopardstown, his trainer was keen for him to garner more experience over fences. If he stays chasing could anything less than victory, scoring highly on artistic impression, reasonably keep owner Graham Wylie from contemplating the biggest hurdling prize around? Again, this partly comes down to Faugheen this Sunday.Therefore let's set aside the Champion Hurdle googly for one week and the evident concerns about his chasing technique - quite an ask, I acknowledge, but run with me.Yorkhill remains 7/4 favourite for the JLT currently but I would still prefer him to run in the Arkle. The Old Course is the tighter left-handed track of Cheltenham's two and might just suit him - he already proved he handles it when winning the Neptune. A stronger pace would also enable his huge engine to purr along sweetly.Mullins tends to agree. "We could come back in trip if we want. His pedigree and everything suggests he could go out in trip but whether he's too strong (keen) to go a longer trip or not, I don't know," he said."I'm not trying to interfere with his jumping much and I'm hoping with more experience on the track he'll get out of that [left-jumping] habit."Entries for the Festival's novice chases are unveiled this week and Yorkhill will surely be entered in at least two (if not three or all four) of them, along with stablemate and seeming Arkle first string Min, who runs at Leopardstown this Sunday.Later on the same card, novice chaser A Toi Phil did well to win a competitive handicap chase after being hampered by a faller on the home turn. He shaped as if needing all of this 2m5f. Success from an Irish mark of 143 underpins the form of Coney Island and Our Duke, both of whom thumped him earlier this season. Elliott reportedly mentioned the Irish Grand National for A Toi Phil.At Navan the previous day, Acapella Bourgeois soon established a long lead in the 2m4f beginners' chase and odds-on favourite Arbre De Vie was never quite able to get on terms. The latter managed to bridge much of the gap approaching the last but the winner had enough left for a comfortable victory.He looked a lot happier than at Leopardstown last time, perhaps due to the removal of the cheekpieces or the far more testing surface. Trainer Sandra Hughes certainly believes the latter is pivotal."He is very ground-dependent and unless it came up soft at Cheltenham, we will give it a miss," she said, adding that Acapella Bourgeois needs "three or four weeks between his races". Given he often adjusted right at his fences here, Cheltenham might not prove ideal even were the rains to come.Two smart but raw youngsters clashed in Haydock's Grade Two novices' event last Saturday but each might need a particular set of circumstances to realise their full potential. I suspect neither will run at the Festival this year.Waiting Patiently ultimately beat Politologue by a length and a quarter, his rider Brian Hughes having eked out his stamina for 2m4f in soft ground with a patient and well-judged ride. He jumped measuredly, challenging on approach to the last and was always holding his rival despite hanging right across to the stands' rail on the run-in.Trainer Malcolm Jefferson suggested the winner had idled and was delivered purposely late to get home in "not very nice ground" but he also asserted: "I'm not so sure that two miles isn't his better trip - he's got a hell of a turn of foot."The dynamics of this race rather bear him out: they went hard early and tired in the straight.In his post-race interview, Jefferson also offered unprompted that Waiting Patiently will have an Arkle entry as well as the assumed JLT engagement. But he also warned: "He wouldn't go to Cheltenham unless it's soft".These are not empty words; this horse displays a rounded knee action and Jefferson can readily withstand the lure of the Festival. Indeed this horse might have been named after his latest trainer's modus operandi.Jefferson was quick to recognise this horse's potential as a chaser, though, immediately eschewing a hurdles campaign after schooling him over the larger obstacles. He'd received him at the start of the season from trainer Keith Reveley, who retires at the end of this month. The yard also possesses another decent novice chaser in Cloudy Dream, who might be better suited to the likely conditions at Cheltenham.Politologue was edgily sweaty in the preliminaries and again too free in the race but he seems intelligently to adapt his jumping to the track at hand. He negotiated Ascot with bold leaps whereas he almost hurdled a few at Haydock, as if sensing those modern-day ghosts of the fences that formerly stood there demanded less respect.While Hughes allowed Waiting Patiently to lurk behind, Its'afreebee took on Politolgue for the lead in the back straight. The runner-up gradually shrugged off that challenge but despite jumping soundly in the home straight could not shake off the winner. He rallied when headed, keeping on well to the line and was of course conceding 3lb.Politologue has got a lot of maturing to do if he's going to make it as a chaser. After his previous Ascot success, I wrote: "I suspect Politologue will eventually stay three miles but needs to further strengthen in order to do so." This latest piece of evidence underpins that interpretation but add to it the requirement for mental development. He's never going cut it if he doesn't learn to settle.His asset is his jumping but he doesn't even relax in the lead. Here, he only confirmed the ability he showed last time rather than build on it and for that reason Cheltenham might well not be the right option for him this season. His trainer Paul Nicholls hinted as much at Ascot but he's not always made of the same granite as Jefferson when it comes to resisting temptation.Its'afreebee was well below his career-best success at Wetherby last time at a track and on ground that he's coped well with in the past. To the credit of his training at Dan Skelton's yard, he jumped soundly when dog tired over the final two fences. Handicaps on better ground look like his best option.Recent Newcastle handicap chase winner Bun Doran, pulled up before the last, ran far better than that letter next to his name will imply. His jumping lacked some fluency under pressure but, on ground he likes, he was hanging on in there upsides Its'afreebee until weakening from two out. Provided all is well, he's capable of winning from his mark when his sights are lowered.Finally, King has stated in his Weekender column that Label Des Obeaux, who's achieved a decent level of form in three placed starts over fences, heads for the JT McNamara NH Chase.

January 19

American improved on his exciting novices' chase debut defeat of Label Des Obeaux at Exeter in November with a convincing success in a Warwick Listed event last Saturday.He jumped that tricky track well, whether when led and often slightly impeded by Chef D'Oeuvre jumping right on the first circuit or when moving into the front himself with largely fluid leaps on the second. He was clever when necessary and stayed on strongly, despite edging a little to his right late on."For a novice on his second start to jump and travel as he did, especially down the back the second time, was exhilarating," said a clearly enthused Harry Fry. "It's always been a case of getting him to this stage in his career where we could go and jump fences."It's well documented - we've said how fragile he is and that's why we don't see him that often but when we can get him in that sort of form, it's very exciting.""The way he travelled and jumped today was the best I've seen him do it," added winning rider, Noel Fehily. "He's very, very neat… He wouldn't want it too quick but as long as it's on the slower side of good, he'd be fine."Fry said Fehily had suggested this horse was a Welsh National - and 2021 King George? - type as long ago as Exeter, which suggests the JT McNamara NH Chase will be his Festival target rather than the RSA Chase, although he's likely to be entered in both.That is if he runs at the Festival. Two elements make that perhaps unlikely: first, American's fragility and, second, the likelihood of unsuitably quick ground."Every day when he comes out in the morning you wait with bated breath to see how he walks out across the yard," admitted Fry, who will send the horse straight to the Festival, rather than via a prep, if conditions as Cheltenham turn out to be suitable.Of course, the Fry yard also has second-season novice Fletchers Flyer for the NH Chase, who won over 3m6f at Punchestown in April but was below his best on his sole start since at Ascot last month.Warwick runner-up Champers On Ice was bang in trouble in the back straight second time around behind American, whose jumping enabled him to take utter control of the race. But the David Pipe-trained grey knuckled down likeably to distinguish himself from the rest of the field and also shapes as if in need of the NH Chase's four miles.His Albert Bartlett third last term suggests that, unlike the winner, he handles a sounder surface and it could be that Pipe again reaches for the headgear for his Festival target, given he wore them for that improved performance.Third-placed Captain Chaos continues to quietly improve over fences. He was checked by the runner-up's mistake at the 12th before making a more sizeable independent blunder of his own at the second last.At Huntingdon the preceding day, a drop in grade enabled O O Seven to reclaim the winner's enclosure following a muted effort in a Doncaster Grade Two last time. Conceding weight to inferior horses in a handicap is probably more this horse's bag - although Mad Jack Mytton made him fight for it.That the winner possesses the gumption for a tight battle will come as some relief for connections because he has seemed a tad errant or feeble under pressure in the past. That said, he hung right after the last and dived yet further in that direction when the whip was drawn before finding enough.A drop back to 2m4f could be another explanation for his (relatively) superior finishing effort but trainer Henderson believes he "wants three miles" even though his form does not yet corroborate that view.However, he also admitted O O Seven "just might find it hard to break into Grade Ones at the moment" and plans to target him at the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Festival rather than any loftier alternatives.It was a highly encouraging chase debut from Mad Jack Mytton, who mostly jumped well under a patient ride and was inconvenienced by O O Seven's lurching to the right. The runner-up never lived up to the warm words and lofty engagements invested in him as a hurdler - he was entered in the Champion Hurdle last term - but threatens to make a better chaser, as befits a half-brother to Johns Spirit and The Game Changer.At Market Rasen this week, Kilcrea Vale ran with great credit against more experienced rivals despite being the beaten favourite in second to a revivified Three Musketeers in the feature graduation chase.That was only his second start over fences and he's gone under the radar to an extent for such a decent horse who now seems to be putting to good use the ability evident in his brief novice-hurdling days. However, it's worth noting Henderson has campaigned him exclusively right-handed to date.Over in Ireland Ballyoisin got off the mark over fences in Fairyhouse's beginners' chase last Sunday by dominating his field on a drop in trip to 2m1f. He'd previously fallen on debut there when still leading, albeit at the fourth last, having set an attritional pace in the contest ultimately won impressively by Balko Des Flos.He again showed a tendency for the headlong but largely jumped well - frequently out to his left - and just had too much verve, on soft ground admittedly, even to entertain a credible challenge.Perth novice-hurdle winner Townshend tried to muster one on his chase debut and return from nine months off but he was inclined to hang right and could never quite get upsides.The winner handles a sound surface and would be yet another interesting runner for JP McManus in the Close Brothers Novices' Chase or the Grand Annual.Earlier on the same card Ball D'Arc's handicap chase success boasted more substance for the latter target. Still a novice, he was well backed and won comfortably in career-best style. He merits substantial reassessment but will still be competitive and Elliott has earmarked that Cheltenham handicap as his target. The horse is effective on a sounder surface.On the previous day at Punchestown, Edwulf finally got off the mark over fences with his most convincing effort yet. Bar for one significant error, he jumped soundly enough and enjoyed first run on Bachasson, who was always playing catch-up after a nasty looking stumble at the ninth.The winner is steadily improving and looks more reliable than when first learning his trade this season but I'd still fear his jumping could unravel at a higher level. Jumping fences looks a bit of an effort for the smaller-scale Bachasson but it was good to see him complete after falling on debut.Mall Dini was again backed into favourite yet still ran without the tongue-tie he worse when winning the Pertemps last season. Perhaps connections have tinkered with his wind since Cheltenham but he is yet to match his hurdles form over fences. He may need to step back up in trip.Back in fourth, Robin Thyne made a pleasing if belated start to his chasing career on his first outing for almost ten months. He was well positioned, admittedly, and weakened entering the straight but shaped as though he might show improved form over the larger obstacles.

January 11 2017

American Tom was uneasy in the market prior to crashing out of Naas's two-mile novice event last Sunday. Inevitably taken on for the lead by eventual winner Some Plan, he was already in trouble after steadily losing his position via some sticky jumps when walking into the fifth last and landing heavily.It was a relief to see him walk away but he was running dully anyway and would surely not have been involved at the finish had he picked up his feet."American Tom took a bad fall and is fine physically but we can put a line through that run as he was coughing post-race," revealed Ricci in his Betbright blog.He'd previously made a promising debut when beating Gangster at Punchestown despite jumping persistently left - a habit on display here also - but this effort and its timing throws into doubt his claim for any Festival event.You may recall David Mullins maintained he'd "saved a bit" when, still leading narrowly, Some Plan fell at Cheltenham in the Grade Two event ultimately won by Le Prezien in November. However he's not really a horse on whom such circumspection always translates to a heightened finished effort. He can find little.But neither Road To Respect nor Stone Hard had the pace or ability to bother him here and he was entitled to finish tired in heavy ground. His jumping was safe in the latter stages and he kept on going under strong riding from the last, Mullins perhaps sensing him curling up.It was a good effort on paper - recording the best time of the day - but you sense he remains susceptibly one-dimensional. That said, it would be no surprise to see him pitch up in the Arkle instead of something more circumspect given owner Roger Brookhouse likes to have a go at that race - and given Western Warhorse won it for him in 2014, who can blame him?Road To Respect had previously been beaten further on better ground by both Min and Coney Island; here his jumping was ragged but he is consistent. Stone Hard regressed from his Limerick breeze-round just after Christmas. To describe his profile as patchy would be some understatement but perhaps this was too swift a reappearance once more on heavy ground.Very testing going and a positive ride appear to suit Uncle Danny ideally and he got both at Cork last Saturday. Taken to the front from the outset, he largely jumped well in a race that steadily fell apart in his wake.There was just a moment when, lacking fluency at the fourth last, he briefly appeared vulnerable but it was soon all over in the straight. It was his first success at the sixth attempt over fences and he clocked the day's best time.Favourite Blazer clipped the third last, landing unbalanced, and his light immediately dimmed so it was left to General Principle, who'd been outpaced on the home turn, to plug on for a five-length second place. He'll do better over further. Jett got round in fourth this time but kept losing ground at his fences. Squouateur appears to be regressing; his jumping went to pieces and he was pulled up in the straight here.There was a decent performance from Forest Bihan to win by 19 lengths on the bridle at Newcastle last Saturday, in the process recording by far the fastest time of the day.He's improving with each start and paid a compliment to his previous ready conqueror Waiting Patiently here. He did occasionally jump right - which is fine for his most immediate target but not so much for the Festival."He will go to Musselburgh on their Trials Day, either for a handicap or the Future Champions Novices' Chase, and then hopefully Cheltenham," said trainer Brian Ellison.Cyrius Moriviere has been opening umbrellas indoors again because he was seriously unlucky not to get off the mark over fences at Doncaster on Monday. He had tamed a decent field, in particular with two bold asked-for jumps at the fifth and fourth last, only for the saddle to slip and steerage to go awry approaching the second last. Rider David Bass was duly decanted right.His mount had previously unseated a different jockey by jumping left at Ludlow's first fence and prior to that took a tumble when trying to keep up with Might Bite back at Doncaster in December. We saw on Boxing Day that few novices could match strides with that horse in such circumstances.Talking of Might Bite, who would have run away with the Grade One Kauto Star at Kempton in fractions near-identical to Thistlecrack's King George until taking a last-flight fall when asked to go bold: he has unbelievably been raised just 4lb for that effort.He is absolutely thrown in for a handicap - I had wondered whether that might be the Sky Bet Chase, but he's not among the entries. The imponderable is the effects of that heavy fall but his mark is a staring rick and any price that's odds-against would be too long. He's a 160s horse, if Thistlecrack is an even-money favourite for the Gold Cup.Back to Doncaster on Monday and Cyrius's departure meant those who'd already accepted defeat were suddenly asked to fight out a frantic finish. It was Querry Horse, who got rolling again at that point after losing his position at halfway, who accepted that invitation with the most alacrity - he could even afford to idle once hitting the front just after the last. The step up in trip was clearly necessary.Winner Massagot made the odd mistake and was careful at times; he also had to negotiate the prone Bass after the second last. He's beginning to shape as though needing a marked step up in trip. Hammersly Lake was a bit disappointing, his chance ebbing away even before he ran out of room approaching the line. Ma De Fou's jumping simply isn't fluent enough.

January 4 2017

At Warwick on New Year's Eve, Buveur D'Air got mixed reviews for a mixed performance. My take is neither wholly positive nor wholly negative.The pluses were he jumped the tricky run of five fences in the back straight fast and low, especially given he was dancing to leader Gino Trail's tune and upsides Gala Ball on occasion, and he did well to shrug off the argy-bargy with the latter on the home turn.The more experienced Gino Trail had also been allowed to dominate, though at a good clip, and has blossomed as a chaser this season so he was no pushover to beat. Winning jockey Aidan Coleman also believes Buveur D'Air is "the type of horse who will never find that much in front" which, as long as he's winning, is no bad thing. The time was comparatively very good.The minuses are that his fast low jumping leaves little margin for error - he won't be able to plunge through Cheltenham's fences and continue unchecked as he did at both Warwick's and Haydock's second last - and his proposed campaign seems to be the opposite of what he needs.He seems (rightly, at this stage) to be playing second fiddle in Arkle terms to stablemate Altior, who beat him by eight-and-a-half lengths in last term's Supreme, meaning bookmakers deem his probable target to be the JLT Chase and price him as second favourite at 7/1. The yard also has another candidate, in different ownership, for that race whom we'll discuss later.Trainer Nicky Henderson spoke last season of Buveur D'Air being suited by a step up in distance but in the event - rightly in my opinion - kept him to the minimum trip. The horse continues to shape as though a strongly run two miles would be his optimum which makes you wonder whether the Grand Annual would be his ideal Festival target.Given he's owned by JP McManus who also has the likes of Coney Island and Bleu Et Rouge in Ireland, perhaps that notion isn't entirely fanciful. Henderson has said in the past that the horse prefers soft ground, however.Whereas Gino Trail ran and jumped well, Gala Ball regressed on his chase debut. The quintet of quick fences saw his errors multiply and he came off worse from the interference his jockey initiated in a vain attempt to hold a line to the detriment of Buveur D'Air.Two decent aggressively ridden past Newbury winners, Cepage and Knockgraffon, were beaten back at that track on New Year's Eve after taking each other on for the lead in the back straight - perhaps to each other's detriment.The former, awash with sweat, fell when not getting high enough at the cross-fence five out and the latter's bold but largely clean jumping wasn't enough to prevent him being headed by patiently ridden Icing On The Cake approaching the line.Cepage had been raised 13lbs for bolting up on his UK debut and Knockgraffon was trying to concede 19lbs to the winner but it was still a good effort from Icing On The Cake to take this four-runner novices' limited handicap on his chase debut.Trainer Oliver Sherwood said niggling problems, including sore shins, had troubled this horse since his return from a ten-month absence over hurdles last time but described his jumping as "exemplary". The strong pace set by the two principals both enabled him to settle and brought his abundant stamina into play.On New Year's Day at Cheltenham, Whisper followed up his December success over the same course and distance with victory in the Grade Two Dipper.Jockey Davy Russell again had to wait for his mount to get his eye in as he initially sat off the pace but, despite an error at the 13th fence, it was clear rounding the home turn that he had not yet gone for everything. His mount then responded to lead approaching the last and, despite seeking to hang right, he saw it out well and rallied when pressed.The performance of runner-up Clan Des Obeaux was somewhat puzzling. He jumped well but exhibited a tendency to adjust right - his absolute undoing at the second last when, still leading, he got in close and clipped it while skewing in that direction and landed unbalanced. He gamely responded to pressure but was held again near the line.Distant third Briery Belle needs further than 2m5f against this level of opposition and she started to make mistakes from the effort of stretching to keep up with superior horses. She remains a talent over fences and can win a decent handicap and/or a good mares' event."It feels as though Whisper has been around a long time and yet he is novice chasing," said Henderson. "He is going to have to come into the reckoning for the JLT."The reason it feels so long is that it is: Whisper is nine years of age - old for a novice chaser - and that was his 20th start but he seems to have clicked with Russell, the retained jockey of owner Dai Walters from this season.This performance - and other evidence that we'll come to later - suggests the clock didn't mislead about the calibre of his effort last time but I do wonder whether the likely fiercer early pace and bustle of a larger field in the JLT will afford him time to warm to his task.This was the first time Clan Des Obeaux has adjusted right to my mind and it's disconcerting that having jumped so superbly well upsides Briery Belle and then Whisper that he made a relatively unforced error. However he remains young at the mere age of five and still has much scope for learning.Stablemate Arpege D'Alene may have been beaten favourite in third for Cheltenham's preceding attritional 3m2.5f handicap but he boosted his prospects for the NH Chase.He jumped with assurance and proved malleable position-wise in by far the biggest field he has yet faced over fences and was staying on inexorably when squeezed out by the two converging principals approaching the line. This experience will serve him well and he promises to improve over further.He seemed to handle the testing ground just fine but hitherto had registered his best form on a sounder surface. He's now best-priced at 16/1 for the four-miler behind Alpha Des Obeaux, who when he last raced broke a blood vessel (for the first time ever, according to O'Leary) and the more credible (at this stage at least) Martello Tower, who must prove his aptitude for a sound surface. I like our 25/1 position.Other efforts to note from New Year's Day came from steadfast Robinsfirth at Exeter, whose jumping was notably secure under pressure, and Premier Bond, who delivered at Catterick on the promise he'd suggested for a step up in trip behind stablemate Might Bite at Doncaster.The lightly raced Robinsfirth could head to Cheltenham's Trials Day at the end of this month according to Joe Tizzard, son and assistant trainer to Colin. Premier Bond benefited from first-time cheekpieces and could yet find further improvement at marathon trips, his success here becoming increasingly emphatic from two out.Baron Alco's victory at Plumpton the following day was further evidence of the strength of his defeat by Whisper at Cheltenham last month. Dropped back to a trip short of his best, he jumped accurately at a strong pace - although admittedly his main rival sadly suffered a fatal injury.This win - in a fast time - sets up a bonus payment should he win any race at the Festival, where handicaps appear the best option.Over in Ireland Childrens List pretty much made all to win Punchestown's opening contest on New Year's Eve. He adjusted left a few times - suggesting the opposite orientation of track might suit better - but jumped soundly. Walsh allowed him to pop the last, briefly offering the chasing Edwulf some hope, but his mount then kept on well in the style of a thorough stayer.The NH Chase is a possibility but he found the demands even of handicap company at all three top spring Festivals - Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown - too much over hurdles last season. He again wore ear-plugs here and the time was slow.Edwulf jumped better than has been the case and rallied from the last to chase the winner without ever threatening to catch him. Bentelimar loomed briefly but may not have stayed this first attempt at three miles and beyond.On New Year's Day at Fairyhouse there was an attritional novices' event in which only three of the eight runners completed, one of those utterly tailed off. The winner Balko Des Flos shadowed Ballyoisin, who set a good gallop, and the pair were allowed to pull well clear of the rest who clearly hoped they were going too fast in heavy conditions.Those tactics briefly looked likely to pay off at the fourth last when the pursuers took closer order and Ballyoisin took a tumble but it quickly became apparent that only favourite Arbre De Vie was still capable of giving chase and even his will was broken after the second last.Positive tactics clearly suit the winner, who finished fifth in the Albert Bartlett and fourth in the Sefton last season. Here he also paid a compliment to his Gowran conqueror Bellshill but is worth a step up in class himself, having clocked the standout time of the afternoon.Arbre De Vie ran respectably on his chase debut in suitable underfoot conditions but it was worrying to see last year's Albert Bartlett runner-up Fagan stop so quickly that he was pulled up after the fourth last on his belated seasonal debut.Finally O'Leary passed on some good news about Identity Thief, who pulled up lame after getting struck into at Leopardstown over Christmas and was at first feared to have fractured his pelvis."Thankfully that wasn't the case and he's just stiff and sore," he reported. "Henry [de Bromhead] is quite positive about him so hopefully we'll have him back this season."That news nonetheless indicates his Cheltenham ambitions are at best damaged, at worst all but extinguished. Any setback en route to the Festival tends to show in the heat of battle.

January 1, 2017

The Arkle is - not atypically - shaping up to be perhaps the race of the 2017 Festival. No sooner had last term's Supreme second Min run away with the Grade One Racing Post Chase at Leopardstown on Monday than his Festival conqueror Altior produced another effortless success in Kempton's Grade Two Wayward Lad Chase 24 hours later.On paper Min faced a more rigorous examination than Altior with Identity Thief, already a dual chase winner and good enough to win the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle last season, lined up against him. That match was short-lived, sadly, with Identity Thief losing ground successively at the third and fourth fences before being pulled up lame. Let's hope he makes full recovery.That left Min to bully his remaining opponents with none willing or, it later emerged, able to even offer him outside. He lunged slightly at the last when the race was already sewn up but otherwise this was a thoroughly convincing display.A thrilled Mullins said: "He left the rest of them for dead. Jumping is the name of the game and he jumped from fence to fence and anything that tried to lie up with him, they just couldn't handle it."He didn't have respect for his hurdles and ran too free but he has a lot more respect for fences which helps him to settle. That probably helps to give him more pace at the end of his races now. He's matured more over the summer as well."Walsh was visibly delighted as they crossed the line and afterwards testified: "I didn't know what to expect coming here. He'd been working grand without burning up the gallop but he was that way last year, too…"He's an easier horse to ride over fences. He has a look where he's going and is a bit more manageable. I was happy with him in Navan but he impressed me today. He reminds me of Kauto [Star]."That is one hell of a serious compliment coming from Walsh, who isn't free with such assertions. He had previously been suppressing doubts about the wisdom of taking on Altior in this division given the seven lengths between them in the Supreme. But Ricci said Min "got hurt at Cheltenham" and the fact the horse has instantly settled better over fences than he ever did over hurdles could start to bridge that gap.That could mean Yorkhill is indeed sent to the JLT but the two horses do have different owners and there's just a hint of Min adjusting right at his fences which might be better suited to the New Course, on which the JLT is staged, than the tight Old Course, the venue for the Arkle.Admittedly, though, that could be just splitting hairs at this stage and, as we all know, Mullins is a great believer in the ups and downs of racehorse training rendering early decisions futile."He looks Arkle material," he said of Min last week, however. "Although he could go out in trip. We know that Yorkhill can go out in trip and there is American Tom [also owned by Ricci] as well."Walsh concurred: "I'd imagine with the pace Min shows, you wouldn't need to be going much further at the minute, even though he probably could."Behind Min, the likes of Ordinary World and Road To Respect were comprehensively exposed as a cut below top class whereas Three Stars' jumping came undone at that pace.The next day Altior had little to beat that he had not humiliated before - quite literally in the case of runner-up Marracudja, who'd previously been almost 22 lengths adrift of the winner in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown. This time he got about four lengths closer, having been able to dominate at a characteristically strong pace until being brushed aside at the second last.The winner loved that tempo and was faultless at Kempton - fluid and clever at his obstacles. Jumping fences seems to take so little out of him. As his trainer observed, each time we see Altior he's "more polished" and this was a "deadly accurate" display.It was so much the finished article that Henderson, of course, isn't overcome with longing to run him again before Cheltenham. The dreaded words "racecourse gallop" got their obligatory mention - house! - although he did raise the faint hope that, provided this winter doesn't bring ground as heavy as this time last season, the Game Spirit is an option. That was the stepping-stone Henderson used for Sprinter Sacre's triumphant Arkle bid when he beat a certain Cue Card back in 2012.Asked to compare Altior with his previous winners of the Wayward Lad, like Sprinter, Remittance Man and the ill-fated Simonsig, Henderson said: "There's a long way to go, isn't there? But he's got the pace and the temperament…. He's got a huge amount of talent and this today was all that we'd hoped for."Noel Fehily has now ridden Altior on all three of his chase assignments but Henderson confirmed that Nico de Boinville will resume control of the reins once he's returned from surgery on the arm broken by a horse treading on him in a fall at Cheltenham in November.Kempton's second day was a good bit better for Team Henderson than the first when their hotpot novice hurdler got turned over and Might Bite came to grief at the last when having the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase at his mercy. As already touched upon, he was in the process of recording a victory at least every bit as impressive as Thistlecrack's King George success… until he took that rather heavy fall.Watching, it was hard to understand why Jacob went for a long stride at that final obstacle. From the reminders he administered approaching the fence, he clearly believed Might Bite was idling but he had allowed his mount to pop the penultimate flight out to his left and was only drawing further clear when the duo took their tumble.Prior to this unfortunate incident, Might Bite's jumping at pace had pushed all his rivals out of their comfort zone - just as he had done in a smaller-field event at Doncaster a couple of weeks earlier.To repeat: on the clock at Kempton he was racing every bit as hard at every stage as would Thistlecrack later on in the King George and he would probably have recorded a faster time had he stood up.Jumping, as many great philosophers have observed, is the name of the game however and that's the department in which Might Bite has the odd lapse of concentration. It's not that he's a dodgy jumper - quite the opposite; it's rather that he has the propensity to throw in the odd chance-ending howler. He did it on seasonal debut at Ffos Las and even blundered through the second last at Doncaster.This abortive performance indicated he has already taken top rank among novice chasers - if his performance indeed merits a mark in the 160s, then he has already surpassed any RSA Chase winner from the past 20 years. Of those winners, Don Poli had the best numbers prior to his 2015 success, when he was rated 156.So Might Bite already has the raw talent to win quite comfortably any normal renewal of that Festival race - although his best form has been recorded to date on flat tracks, mind. But he's going to need to pull together all the necessary attributes fast and that's provided a heavy fall does not leave any residual effects, mental or physical.The eventual fortunate winner of the Kauto Star was Royal Vacation, who seemed to respond well to the replacement of first-time cheekpieces with first-time blinkers and, although Might Bite was poised to annihilate him by about 18 lengths, he continues his steady improvement within his own more limited sphere. He promises to be a decent handicapper.Frodon would have been third but for crumpling on landing after the last when tired legs found no way to avoid the grounded Jacob. He'd looked a fleeting threat to Might Bite just before the home turn before his stamina ran out. On this day at this track in a race run at that tempo, he looked the second-best horse until the 2m5f marker.Twiston-Davies originally placed Frodon towards the inner but soon switched to the outside - the space-seeking tactics that served the pair well in the Caspian Caviar. Again, you wonder if he'd be able to replicate them and remain effective in a race like the JLT.Going into this, Present Man and Virgilio boasted a high level of novice form but Might Bite forced the former into errors and ran the latter off his feet. Minella Daddy was exposed in this grade and Irish raider Anibale Fly was simply never going, so jumping blunders followed. Was the ground too quick? Did he not enjoy his first trip outside Ireland? Was he just not good enough? My paddock spies tell me he isn't the scopiest model.Over in Ireland on the same day Bellshill mastered stablemate Haymount in an interesting edition of the Grade Two Shannon Airport Novices' Chase at Limerick.Both horses jumped well but, bursting through on the inside of the runner-up, the winner was crucially that shade more efficient through the air and in getting away from the final two fences. Haymount came up first at the second last but Bellshill exited it more quickly and their fates were then sealed.The winner is open to plenty of improvement stepped up to the three-mile trip that brought out the best in him over hurdles. He's now favourite for the RSA Chase but has twice failed to give his running at the Cheltenham Festival, admittedly on both occasions over trips we now know were far too sharp.The mitigating factor for Haymount is surely the ground: he moves like a horse who will thrive on a sound spring surface whereas Bellshill has been proven time and again on heavy going such as this was.Third-placed Attribution continues to improve over fences and should have a decent handicap in him. Diamond King would have hated this ground so this performance probably should be ignored.Two days later there was another smart staying performance in a hot edition of the Grade One Neville Hotels Novices' Chase. Our Duke won, again managing to recover from small mistakes that threatened to undermine his chance.Always prominently positioned by Robbie Power, his errors began when strongly pressed for the lead at the 11th but - with an attribute that's coming to be typical - he quickly regained his composure. He was allowed to fiddle the second last while others on his outside flew it and again needed to be shaken up to recover, which he did. Even so, he probably jumped the last least well of the three remaining players but rallied strongly under pressure to lead approaching the finish."He made about five mistakes during the race and at the second last I thought that he had to be out of it," admitted Harrington. "He pinged the last and he quickened up well for a horse of his size."I know he won his bumper and was good over hurdles but everything he did up until now has been a bonus as he was always going to come into his own as a chaser. The RSA Chase could suit him."Harrington won the 2011 edition with a much less likely type in Bostons Angel and Our Duke is worth his lofty position in the market. Although one or two of his key rivals melted away, he did well to run down the decent Coney Island and strikes you as a horse whose full ability we haven't yet seen. This win also gives hope that the likely sound Festival surface won't be against him.Coney Island did more things right and yet was beaten. He was still travelling strongly at the penultimate flight and, having been surefooted throughout, jumped better than the winner over the final two obstacles. It was just that he got worn down on the run to the line, albeit proving his stamina for three miles - something of which I hadn't been sure beforehand.That said, I still wonder whether shorter might be his optimum or perhaps he doesn't find as much as appears likely. Disko - who did best of the Gigginstown quartet - was closing him down in third when the line came, having stumbled slightly on landing after the last. This was a career best on his first attempt at three miles and quite encouraging.2015 Albert Bartlett winner Martello Tower got outpaced before staying on dourly and will clearly be best suited by the four miles of the NH Chase at the Festival. His best efforts remain on testing ground. In contrast A Toi Phil was clinging onto the leaders at the home turn and may not have stayed - or it may be that he doesn't stand much racing, with his form again tapering off.Prince Of Scars really needs some mud and Briar Hill, after promising to pay greater attention to the existence of fences than hurdles, took an early tumble when failing to get high enough and plunging downwards at the ninth.Gigginstown first string Alpha Des Obeaux weakened rapidly at the 14th prior to blundering through the next and being pulled up. Sadly, it transpired he'd broken a blood vessel.One excellent novice-chasing performance that might just go under the radar amid this glut of graded action was the winning debut of Bleu Et Rouge at Leopardstown last Wednesday. Owned by McManus, he was backed against a decent field of more experienced rivals and recorded a smart time in the process - comparatively quicker than the Lexus dawdle.Bleu Et Rouge was a bit novicey in his jumping early on - ballooning the first carefully, giving the third a good whack and lacking fluency or landing awkwardly on occasions. He was already some way off the principals when checked to avoid the prone David Mullins, who'd unseated from Jett at the second last, and did very well indeed to make up that ground to win from such an unlikely position.Trainer Mullins commented: "He jumps well at home but he didn't bring that to the track. I think he got a fright at the first and lost his confidence. He needs a bit more schooling. He must have a huge engine to win and I thought he had no chance after the second last. I think 2m is fine for him but he'll get more time to jump over a longer trip."Mullins - or McManus, depending upon who made the ultimate call - tried him over three miles in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the last Festival but he was probably racing too exuberantly for that dour task when falling for no good reason at the eighth. The tempo in this 2m3f chase seemed to suit a horse with a good turn of foot far more than would a slog.Bleu Et Rouge also indicated here that a sounder surface is no problem. He has quite a round action and his best performance to date - a Grade One novices' hurdle triumph in February - took place on very testing ground. The JLT looks his race - unless Festival handicaps come calling and he looks a bit better than that. But McManus potentially has Coney Island for that race, although he's perfectly happy to have more than one bunny running for him.Gangster had lasted longer in the same Albert Bartlett and looked briefly threatening until weakening after the second last but he had endured an interrupted Festival preparation. That said, he made even less of an impact at Aintree or Punchestown afterwards.Here, a promising second to American Tom under his belt on debut, he jumped well and was always prominently positioned. Having leapt into the lead at the last, he looked to have sealed it but was outpaced by the hard-ridden winner on the approach to the winning post. This half-brother to Ascot Gold Cup winner Rite Of Passage may need a return to further.Don't Touch It, marching, like the winner, under the green-and-gold-hooped banner, would have finished closer but for pecking badly at the last and kept on likeably after it. He's improving over fences.Long-time leader Acapella Bourgeois looked like he'd got a warm fire and mince pies more on his mind than the racing - he wouldn't have taken much persuading not to go out for the final circuit - but he stuck at it despite looking a tad awkward at times and was headed only approaching the last.Blackmail, who's clearly not the easiest to get to a racecourse, loomed up briefly on the home turn before fading. Gwencily Berbas was backed but failed to respond to a first-time visor; he doesn't find much for pressure.In other Irish novice-chasing news, the benefits of being schooled chez Mullins were again on show at Limerick last Thursday when the deliriously good-jumping Benie Des Dieux won the mares' beginners' chase on heavy ground.She particularly loved negotiating that rapid run of five fences and had her main market rival Keppols Queen struggling to keep up even the first time around. Nothing else really got into it.The clock didn't love the performance as much as the eye, however, so it might have been a good horse winning an ordinary race. In mitigation, Keppols Queen pulled up with a severe cut to her left fore; hopefully the injury is not too serious.In the following race, Undressed won in the style of a thorough stayer. He'd been careful and cumbersome early on but steadily responded to pressure, though hanging right, to lead between rivals at the last. Job done, he was even eased near the line.At the same track on the preceding day, Stone Hard won the beginners' chase unextended - jumping well and breezing into the lead on the home turn. He'd previously finished fourth behind Haymount at Punchestown in a race that's working out well but didn't run to the line on that seasonal and chase debut.Given his season imploded when with Mullins last season, before he was sent to Elliott under the terms of the Great Divorce, this was encouraging. Perhaps the drop in trip helped. Assistant trainer Olly Murphy offered the further explanation that "maybe he's just starting to fill into himself."Favourite and former stablemate Dicosimo was beaten entering the home turn, having jumped so far right at one fence that he collided with the upright. He got very tired in the heavy ground but, given he failed to complete over hurdles on his last three starts, at least he finished here.Back at Down Royal on Boxing Day, Last Goodbye was better than the bare one-length margin of his defeat of Velocity Boy. The other principals were more prominently positioned but the winner was able to mow them down approaching the winning post.He had previously been well held by Haymount whereas Velocity Boy had trailed in behind both American Tom and Anibale Fly. But the runner-up here reverted to more suitable front-running tactics and duly produced his best effort yet over fences. Third-placed Burgas had finished a 14-length second behind the debuting Yorkhill last time.

December 21, 2016

There was a glut of compelling novice-chasing performance in the last week, of which the most eagerly anticipated was the debut of stunning Neptune winner, Yorkhill.He took to his new discipline with ease and readily beat fellow debutant and 133-rated hurdler Burgas - the only horse willing or able to take him on to any degree - by 14 lengths at Fairyhouse last Saturday.He jumped well but - not surprisingly for a horse that had jumped left for most of his novice-hurdling season, culminating in his worst performance when beaten at right-handed Punchestown in April (acknowledging that he had danced at Cheltenham and Aintree, too) - repeatedly to his left.Mullins was untroubled by his orientation. "I thought he looked very much at home over fences and he has huge scope," he said. "I wouldn't be too worried about the way he jumped left. He was keen today but he wasn't rushing his fences."He could go to the Arkle at Leopardstown next month. We would have no difficulty stepping up in trip but he's very very good at two miles."Graham Wylie, who owns Yorkhill with his wife Andrea, had stated beforehand that Mullins' plan is to secure three prep runs prior to Cheltenham. Bookmakers seem to be assuming this horse will run in the JLT rather than the Arkle but I see no reason why that would be the case.Not that it's wise to rely on Mullins' long-distance views about targets but it's the Arkle that's been mentioned for this horse, even after Walsh dismounted after winning the Neptune. It's more prestigious than the JLT and worth more. This horse is also surely an intrinsically better horse than Min and more capable of taking on Altior.Clearly Yorkhill's jumping inclinations need be ironed out, even for left-handed targets, but Mullins' words about him looking "very much at home over fences" chimed with what I saw.Given my current position on the Arkle is something of a flyer - of which more later - I'm going to advise backing him at 7/1 (with various firms) for the Arkle. There was no performance at the Festival last year that excited me more than Yorkhill's Neptune success and I'm running with that instinct.Back in Britain the previous day, two Henderson-trained novices were in the winner's enclosure: at Ascot, Top Notch enhanced his reputation over fences, whereas at Haydock Buveur D'Air established his. Analysis of both races was again hindered by foggy weather.On paper, Top Notch was set a fair task: in Ascot's 2m5f graduation chase he faced 2015 Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Caid Du Berlais - an unusual profile of participant for such an event but qualified due to having won no more than twice over fences - and capable stablemate Hammersly Lake.Multiple winning hurdler Solstice Star (who held his tail awkwardly) and Sizing Codelco, hitherto one of the unsuccessful members of the Potts' settlement at Tizzard's yard, set off at what seemed to be a strong pace. Such tactics suited Sizing Codelco, who recorded by far his best performance yet over fences in Britain.From what could be seen of the race, Top Notch was settled well off that pace in third, took closer order on the final circuit and was in front approaching the line. How he gathered in Sizing Codelco in the straight is unknown.He seemed to jump Ascot's demanding fences relatively comfortably - something that could not be assumed from his frame - and to stay 2m5f, a trip that he had failed to see out (admittedly on heavy ground) on his sole previous attempt.Asked by Racing UK's Tom Stanley to report what winning rider Daryl Jacob had said of Top Notch's jumping, Henderson said: "One mistake going down the hill; nothing very significant otherwise - all good."The experiment was in the trip - that's as far as he's been by a long way… Daryl said that 2m5f round here at a good gallop is as far as he'd want to go."Henderson added, fondly: "He's not very big and we never really saw him as a chaser but he's been very good at this. The beauty has been to get his confidence sky high via two nice easy races at Plumpton and Warwick. He hasn't grown but his confidence has - and his belief in himself again."When you're running round in all those big hurdle races, it's very tough and I don't say it's depressing but he had nowhere to go. Now he's got this new life. I adore the horse - everybody does because he's some trier."This widens his horizons - albeit I wouldn't yet argue that Top Notch is better suited by 2m4f. Even so, it increases the risk of him winding up in the JLT rather than the Arkle for which I tipped him at 25/1 each-way. He's still 20/1 for the JLT and 14/1 with William Hill 'To win any Festival race'.Remember this horse finished second in the 2015 Triumph and fifth in the 2016 Champion Hurdle, breaking clear with the classy portion of the field that did not include, for example, Identity Thief. Given his frame, I doubt Top Notch will ultimately go to the very top over fences but I'm sure he'll continue to have a good novice year and those odds underestimate him.It was no cakewalk for stablemate Buveur D'Air who took on smart Cloudy Dream for his chase debut, albeit in receipt of 8lb, and beat him by three-and-a-quarter lengths. He'd shadowed that horse in third until challenging at the last and sprinting away from the fence more swiftly.The winner had jumped low - scruffily at a few and leaving a dent on the second last - but never looked in danger of falling, especially given Haydock's fences are relatively accommodating these days.Aidan Coleman confirmed: "Buveur D'Air enjoyed it. He was low and accurate. I wouldn't say he was brave in the sense of taking off outside the wings but he took me right into every fence. He's a very nice racehorse."He's now 8/1 for the JLT behind Yorkhill and 12/1 for the Arkle behind stable-companion Altior. Henderson acknowledged the "nice problem" of having three smart two-mile novices and anticipates juggling them to avoid any clashes as far as possible.Buveur D'Air has not ventured beyond the minimum trip in his career to date but Henderson was toying with the Neptune for him last term prior to running him in the Supreme, where he finished third to Altior. He is still yet to convince me that a longer trip will suit even though he's a half-brother to 2009 World Hurdle runner-up Punchestowns.Cloudy Dream remains a progressive chaser and probably wasn't as suited as Buveur D'Air to what appeared to be a sprint. He also stumbled at the fourth last when looking to increase the revs and landed awkwardly at the last, ceding a critical advantage to the winner.Trainer Malcolm Jefferson plans to "freshen him up in January and then bring him back". "I don't think he needs any further - a good gallop over two miles will suit him on better ground where he can quicken," he added.Adding to the series of smart performances last week, Politologue jumped three rivals silly in Ascot's Grade Two 2m5f novices' chase last Friday - but ultimately ended up winning by far less a margin than his dominance was worth.Nicholls later reported that rider Sam Twiston-Davies believed the horse had idled. "It's a long way up that straight and he'd been in front for a long time," he said. "You'd want a fair animal to gallop and jump with him, I'd say - he's a proper one."On Rock The Kasbah in the back straight, Johnson tried to sniff out whether there might be any frailties to the leader's jumping but only succeeded in exposing his mount's own. Having forced his horse back on terms at the third last, Politologue's response was a leap of demoralising alacrity.But then in the straight, having checked twice behind him approaching the last, Twiston-Davies began to agitate at Politologue and at the post there was only four lengths back to the runner-up and little more than 11 to Captain Chaos, who'd made one heart-stopping blunder and another sizeable error.Yet Nicholls is convinced this trip - not shorter or further - is the right one currently for the horse. "He doesn't tell us he's a two-mile horse at home," he said. "If the ground was very testing, that might be a different ball-game."Cheltenham for the Arkle is a very sharp, easy two and I wouldn't ever be looking at him as a Champion Chase horse. He's a stayer really but at the moment I'm not that keen on going three miles with him, although I haven't discussed it with John [Hales] yet. So middle distances this year and then if we're going to go three, that will be next year."Tellingly, the trainer didn't exactly convey any eagerness about Cheltenham this year, either - although he has backtracked on such mid-season assertions of restraint in the past. Putting all that together and quite possibly coming up with the wrong answer, I suspect Politologue will eventually stay three miles but needs to further strengthen in order to do so."Last year when he joined us from France he'd had a busy time, he was very light and you couldn't really be that hard on him training-wise," Nicholls added. "He was over the top when he ran at Cheltenham [when well beaten in the Coral Cup]."But he had a really good summer off [with owner John Hales's family] and came back twice the horse. In fact it took a lot of getting the weight off him. He's improved for that first run."He's got a lot of talent and we've got to look after him. He's a horse for us for the future and I'm not going to try to do any silly things or try to go too high - I'm going to try to get some experience and take it step by step with him."Although Politologue's pursuers were almost certainly flattered, there was some encouragement for them in different ways. Johnson believes Rock The Kasbah would benefit from going up in trip, Royal Vacation continues to steadily improve and even Captain Chaos showed enough to suggest he can win races if tidying up his jumping.On the following day at Ascot, Minella Daddy took another step forward even though mercurial Regal Encore mugged him of victory approaching the line in the valuable three-mile handicap chase. He got an entry in the Grade One Kauto Star, just as trainer Peter Bowen indicated he would, and could face the likes of Caspian Caviar winner Frodon, the new and improved version of Present Man and Irish raider Anibale Fly there.Barry Geraghty continues to be pointedly underwhelmed by Le Prezien. He spoke of scruffy jumping and a need for further when left in the lead from two out for victory at Cheltenham last month. At Exeter last Thursday, he threw out that he wouldn't want to take on L'Ami Serge again at a left-handed track. Given Le Prezien is a novice, that's unlikely to happen any time soon and who knows what else the winner might learn in the meantime.Geraghty conceded Le Prezien had jumped better than at Cheltenham. Indeed, his surefootedness was conspicuous in a three-runner race in which L'Ami Serge was intent on reaching the A38 and Oscar Sunset tried to sit on most obstacles. Yet given the calibre of the runner-up's form and the depth of his experience, this was nonetheless a good effort from Le Prezien.Harry Derham, Nicholls' assistant trainer, was also contained in his comments about Le Prezien, saying the horse would be "brought along steadily over fences" and "we will not be aiming too high". We have been advised.At Newbury the preceding day Beware The Bear still looked a tad raw despite now having won his last four starts and both outings over fences. He beat subsequent Cheltenham winner Singlefarmpayment in receipt of 3lb on his chase debut and was due to be raised to a mark of 139 even before sneaking into the top of this handicap under the BHA's new flexible rule.The winner - who's growing physically and mentally according to trainer Henderson but still idled markedly after the last here - is now rated a still-handy 145 as a result of his own work and that of his vanquished. Henderson believes Beware The Bear would cope well with softer ground this winter.He also dreams he's the rare sort of horse that could win him an elusive first Grand National and mentioned the NH Chase as a potential medium-term plan. Back in third, stablemate Lessons In Milan also shaped like a thorough stayer but is not honing his jumping technique as quickly as the winner.In the following graduation event, Aqalim again failed to convince as a chaser. He'd encountered Thistlecrack on five of his last six starts, only once getting within hailing distance on the latter's Chepstow chase debut, but here looked cumbersome.Later that day, French recruit Cepage zestfully took apart an open two-mile handicap chase on his UK debut for Venetia Williams. Awash with sweat and appearing, on the TV at least, to be athletic rather than scopey, he moved to the front after the third and never came back.He adjusted right four out and there was a mistake at the last but otherwise he jumped very soundly, clocking the best time of the day. Given this youngster only registered his first chase success in May, he still retains his novice status and is also already proven over further."We hoped Cepage would run well but he's only a four-year-old and it was his first run over these fences which are very different from France," said Williams."He's very light on his feet and I wouldn't run him on ground any quicker. He'll be going up for that so I'll look to get him out at the end of next week. I can't answer whether he'll be a handicapper or graded horse yet and we'll take things one step at a time."To return to Ireland, Bryan Cooper put the greater experience of A Genie In Abottle to good use in winning the three-mile beginners' chase at Fairyhouse last Saturday. He is already an improved model as a chaser and had previously chased home Martello Tower here, shaping like the winner as if he needed to step up to this trip. Here he made all and was best positioned for the charge for home."He can't go far enough and the ground can't be soft enough, although he will go on good ground," said trainer Noel Meade. "I would love to aim him at the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham."Runner-up Blazer came from a bit further back and was forced wide on the home turn. Having jumped left at a few previous obstacles, he was presented cautiously by Mark Walsh at the abrupt second last; that left him with work to do to catch the winner but he responded to being thrown at the last until finding no extra on the run-in. This was a decent chase debut and initial try at three miles from last term's Coral Cup fourth.Beaten favourite Mall Dini was slightly short of room on the home bend but Davy Russell never had to stop riding; he was better positioned than the second and just plain outpaced. He's still running without the tongue-tie that was said to be pivotal to his Pertemps success at the Festival in March but perhaps he's had a breathing operation.Royal Caviar has not featured prominently in Rich Ricci dispatches of the past but that might change after his impressive chase debut win at Thurles last Sunday. He made all unhassled and jumping well but it quickly became clear that none of his rivals had the wherewithal to press him.He jumped with verve and had a decent mare behind him in second, although Keppols Queen is yet to translate her classy hurdles form to fences. At eight years of age already, the winner is switching codes later than many but positive tactics and perhaps an increased trip may yet bring more out of him.

December 15, 2016

The precocious Frodon won the Caspian Caviar, beating many chasers who were vastly more experienced and resuming the progress established by his opening three victories in novice chases. He might have got involved in the BetVictor Gold Cup last month had he not blundered badly four out.Last Saturday, Sam Twiston-Davies rode him deliberately on the outside of the field in order to give the four-year-old a good sight of his fences. He may not be able to replicate such tactics at the Festival and would need to find yet further improvement to get involved in the JLT.For instance earlier on the same day, Whisper actually clocked a superior time over the same Cheltenham course and distance. Obviously it was raining and the ground steadily softening all afternoon but the margin of superiority - 4.5 seconds - of the novice chase took me by surprise. Perhaps Village Vic just went too steadily.It was a very different Whisper to the cumbersome chase debutant who stumbled at the first and was careful thereafter at Exeter two Januarys ago. We hadn't seen him over fences on a racecourse since.Back then, trainer Nicky Henderson was also unhappy with how the horse was training - something that didn't come right until days before the World Hurdle. That was too late to deliver a good Festival performance but soon enough to ready him for a second successive victory in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle. Last season he twisted again: training well but performing horribly on the track.Henderson takes up the story: "Whisper was in pieces the last time he ran over fences at Exeter and for a year and a half he has been absolute rubbish. We took him to pieces at the end of the summer and couldn't find anything but maybe there is some confidence and happiness back in his life. He was good today."New jockey Davy Russell gave his mount time to warm to his task and there was a lack of fluency at a couple of fences early on but after that he was able to manoeuvre his mount into position, tracking the leader from three out and making his final decisive challenge from the last. Notably, the horse did race with an upright tail carriage that I do not recall him previously displaying.Afterwards Russell acknowledged Whisper's importance in the affections of his new retaining owner Dai Walters but was not overwhelmed by the quality of the race. That said, the comparative times might now offer him a different interpretation.Russell's initial feeling about the Cheltenham race might have been coloured by the marked under-performance of stablemate, Different Gravey. In the minutes before the off, the market hinted the two chasers' fortunes might be reversed.The favourite was never going at any stage and jockey Noel Fehily looked unhappy after just three fences. He tried everything to get the horse jumping, being patient and taking him more forward, riding him for cover and switching to the outside. Nothing worked.Different Gravey had hitherto produced his best work at right-handed Ascot and had made a promising chase debut there last month. However, Fehily did not feel Cheltenham's left-handed orientation was the issue and wondered whether a physical problem might come to light; he felt the horse wasn't bringing his shoulders up high enough at his fences.Ladbrokes drew stumps on him as a chasing project before Saturday's race had even been concluded with Mike Dillon quoting Different Gravey at 12/1 for the World Hurdle while they were still at the top of the hill. You can get 33/1 elsewhere.It was instead Baron Alco who took the fight to Whisper. He's a brave horse - perhaps a touch too brave, with a worrying tendency to land steeply - and has built on his smart handicap hurdle form over these larger obstacles. He looks capable of playing a leading part in one of the Festival handicaps, perhaps the Grand Annual or the Close Brothers novices' event.Back in third Sizing Tennessee failed to build on his second to O O Seven on the Old Course last month. In fact, that form took one hell of a beating with the Henderson-trained November winner getting turned over at odds-on in Doncaster's Grade Two novice event.There was no obvious excuse; although he was carried right by the winner at the last, it made no material difference. O O Seven may not have stayed three miles or simply found little; his yearning for a premature return to the racecourse stables when veering right at Cheltenham last time out makes you wonder if it's the latter. There was never a moment when he looked the best horse in the race.That accolade went to the winner Present Man, who dominated utterly despite jumping right at most fences. He has been totally reinvented by Nicholls as a courageous and talented chaser compared with the seemingly faint-hearted hurdler of earlier this year.He'd only ever raced left-handed once previously, on his Rules debut at Newbury. On this and other evidence, if he is to contest one of the major Festivals this coming spring, he might be best waiting for Punchestown. More immediately, he's entered in Ascot's Silver Cup this Saturday.Doncaster's galloping track clearly suited the likeable Potters Legend much better than Bangor's tight circuit and he stayed on steadily with an honest head carriage to take second. He looks just the type to win a decent marathon handicap but I wonder whether even Cheltenham's Old Course might be too sharp for him.A far more obvious type for the NH Chase is second-season novice Arpege D'Alene, who determinedly chased home Singlefarmpayment in a Cheltenham novices' event last Friday that seems to have been underestimated by bookmakers. 33/1 is widely available for the RSA Chase and Stan James even offer the winner at a massive 50/1 for that race.Singlefarmpayment clocked a very good time in victory; he travelled strongly and jumped efficiently bar for a guess at the sixth. Jockey Adrian Heskin felt, if anything, they took the third last "too well" and ended up in front sooner than ideal. Connections weren't sure whether he'd cope with the good ground but they got their answer with this career-best showing. He's now ready to step into graded company and should not be lightly dismissed.His temperament is a concern, however. He wears a hood and can pull hard; trainer Tom George described him as "highly strung". Heskin even reported that he got "a little lit up" by the atmosphere at Cheltenham last Friday. Multiply that by the power 1000 and you've got something approaching the din he'd face prior to the RSA.Nicholls has already has a firm plan for Arpege D'Alene. "He's jumping really well now - he didn't enjoy it last year," he said. "He stays forever so the four-miler at the Festival would be his target, with Will Biddick riding, and then the Scottish National. The way he gallops and jumps that [Ayr] race will be ideal for him, like it was for Vicente this year."Annoyingly, the last of the 25/1 has left town, but you can still get 20/1 with a few outfits, including BetVictor, Sky Bet, bet365 and Betfair Sportsbook about this grey for the NH Chase and I suggest we take it, each-way a pleasure. He jumps, stays and has got loads of experience - ideal, really. Most importantly, he has an identified Festival target.The vet reported Label Des Obeaux suffered from post-race ataxia - the equine version of the Brownlee wobbles - after finishing third. The horse also jumped right and made a number of mistakes. Emerging Talent got in close to a couple of fences but was outpaced and ultimately a touch disappointing. Laurium didn't jump well. Relentless Dreamer, who weakened quickly, broke a blood vessel.There was a smart performance from Might Bite that same day at Doncaster, even though his main opponent failed to complete. The Nicky Henderson-trained winner was probably unfortunate not to win on his seasonal debut at Ffos Las, given he was rallying strongly when slipping on landing at the last and not having time to recover.Here he went straight to the front and was admittedly unhassled on the lead but his rivals soon looked discomforted by the rhythm he was setting. After Primo Blue fell at the first, Premier Bond - stable companion and eventual distant second - was the first of the remaining participants get the hurry-up. Winner Massagot's jumping got scruffier as he too was outpaced.Approaching the open-ditch tenth, even Cyrius Moriviere was showing signs of struggling to keep up so it was no surprise that he clipped the top and fell as he stretched for it. His fall hampered the already-beaten pair of pursuers.After that, Might Bite only had to keep his feet to win. A lapse of concentration probably accounts for his mistake at the second last and he measured well the other three obstacles in the straight. He jumped a little big at times but better than at Ffos Las and recorded a good time here. He still strikes you as not quite the finished article, however.Henderson originally debuted him over fences behind More Of That at Cheltenham in November of last season, where he made a series of novicey errors; he then kept him hurdling for the rest of the season - amounting to just two starts. It's clear from connections' comments over time that this is a slow-maturing horse who's been given space to realize his evident talent. He's a half brother to smart hurdler Beat That and hails from the wider family of Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Drombeag. He's interesting.Cyrius Moriviere hadn't made much impact in two starts over hurdles this season but has always been considered a chaser in the making. He's a winning pointer and had jumped soundly prior to his forced error. The two completers were fair hurdlers; Premier Bond might need further now.At Bangor that same day A Hare Breath beat fellow chase debutants and useful hurdlers, Gala Ball and Starchitect. He'd already returned in fine form this season when registering a career-best fourth in the Greatwood Hurdle. The switch to the larger obstacles produced an even better performance.Aside from the first, when managing not to get frightened by skidding into it, A Hare Breath jumped well enough; there was a moment when you wondered whether he'd have to speed to tackle the positively-ridden Gala Ball at this trip and track but he was actually well on top at the finish.Gala Ball brushed through the top of one or two fences. He would have enjoyed the testing conditions and went down fighting. The handicapper says Starchitect is currently the best of these over hurdles but soft ground wouldn't have helped his cause and he was already held when pecking badly after a blunder at the last. He's twice run with credit at the Cheltenham Festival.For the second time in as many starts over fences Barney Dwan was possibly an unlucky loser; but at Wincanton this week - in contrast to his debut at Kempton when he blundered and all but fell at the last - it wasn't his fault.He hadn't been all that fluent early on but survived some early errors over these intimidating fences, warmed to his task and turning for home looked to be going best… only for his race to be ended at the third last when front-running Brother Tedd sprawled to his left and brought him down.This left the way clear for 144-rated hurdler Connetable, 11th in the Triumph Hurdle earlier this year, to make a winning chase debut. He'd been off the bridle for much of the final circuit but responded generously to pressure. He wants three miles - he's by Saints Des Saints, sire of Djakadam and Quito De La Roque - and bottomless ground according to trainer NichollsI've long been a huge fan of Briery Belle but the calibre of her success in Warwick's Listed mares' chase last Thursday took me aback. She faced five rivals, all of whom boasted quality hurdles form - including 2016 David Nicholson runner-up Rock On The Moor - and three of whom had previous chasing experience. Like the winner, Desert Queen had already won over fences but that success had come at Listed level for which she conceded 6lb all round.Typically that mare set a strong pace, shadowed about three lengths behind by the winner, until she drew further clear at halfway; jockey Tom O'Brien was nudging Briery Belle to stay in touch. There was still a five-length deficit at the home turn but the winner is long-suited in stamina and she forced her way to the front between the last two. A tired mistake at the last saw Desert Queen concede victory.Briery Belle is now rated 145, as is the runner-up. However, 2m4f is very much a minimum for the former; she will improve markedly at around three miles and wouldn't be out of place in graded company receiving the mares' allowance from geldings."I actually think she's probably better on faster ground than slower ground, where she can use her jumping," said trainer Henry Daly. "That's her minimum trip and she wouldn't necessarily run over two-and-a-half miles again, but rather go up in trip. There's a Listed race for mares at Leicester in February but I would like to run before then."Talking of quality mares, Listen Dear won Cork's Grade Three 2m1f mares' event last Sunday. She doesn't look the biggest but attacks her fences with relish. She did get a solo in front and got in a little close to the second last but her final leap was more typically fast and accurate.Winning rider Townend commented: "She is learning every day. She was very quick to sort herself out when she got in tight to one… She goes a right gallop and is tough as old boots."She holds a Grade One entry at Leopardstown over Christmas but is merely one of 13 entries from Mullins.Two smart nascent chasers fought out the beginners' chase at Punchestown last Sunday: American Tom, who jumped well but persistently left, beat Gangster, who made an exciting debut over a trip far short of his needs.The winner wasted lots of energy with his wonky leaps and would otherwise have accounted for the runner-up more easily. Mullins said his team would investigate "if there was a reason for that, other than being green; he might prefer going left-handed".He's a lightly-raced horse, having got hurt according to owner Rich Ricci after winning in fortunate circumstances on his Irish and hurdles debut at Gowran Park two Novembers ago. He holds Grade One entries over 2m1f and 3m over Christmas.Gangster, his former stable companion now housed with de Bromhead under the terms of The Great Divorce, laid down a persistent challenge to the winner in the straight and jumped particularly true under pressure. His best hurdles form came over three miles on testing ground but it tailed off after he ran well to a point when seventh in the Albert Bartlett.There was some pleasing depth to this contest yet the first two pulled well clear. Back in eighth Squouateur registered his least encouraging effort to date over fences. He screwed over the first, made a mistake at the third and was never near the principals thereafter. He gave the impression of being taken off his feet slightly and now badly needs to step back up in trip. He's ready for handicaps now, though.At Navan the previous day, Attribution jumped well under pressure when flanked on each side by Briar Hill and Three Stars over the final three fences. He fashioned a narrow lead at the last and ran on well under pressure to repel the former's rally in what was a cat-and-mouse affair.This Grade Three Klairon Davis victory was the winner's best performance yet over fences but not yet up to the standard of his top hurdling form. Trainer de Bromhead now plans to step this "lazy" horse up in trip.Briar Hill had already got busy over fences during the summer and acquitted himself well against two race-fit rivals on his return from a break. He got out-speeded over an inadequate 2m1f but, although his round was far from error-free, it was sound when it counted. Hopefully this clumsy hurdler will evolve into a more accurate jumper of a fence.Three Stars, stablemate of the winner, was last seen when 14 lengths behind Le Prezien in third at Cheltenham. He was attempting to concede 6lb all round here and ran with credit.Later on the same card, Our Duke made a winning chase debut in the beginners' event. He was travelling comfortably in dispute of the lead when making a mistake and stumbling at the third last but soon recovered to assert. This represented improvement on his previous hurdling and bumper achievements in a lightly-raced career to date."I thought that was a very hot race," commented trainer Jessica Harrington. "Robert [Power, jockey] was amazed how quickly he came back on the bridle after the mistake three out - probably his only mistake. He's lived up to what we thought he was last year."Edwulf would probably have been second but for plunging through the last and eventually unseating Mark Walsh. The mistake didn't come out of the blue and he's now lost the right to be called gawky; my empathy exhausted, I now consider him accident-prone and unreliable.Gwencily Berbas was going quite smoothly until checked on landing by the left-jumping winner at the second last and quickly beaten before plugging on.For the second time in as many starts over fences and wearing his head at its usual jaunty angle, Prince Of Scars was the beaten favourite in third. He backed off the first fence, lacked fluency on occasion and wandered latterly. He's always been considered a chaser even though he won a Grade One hurdle and will surely do better upped in trip. Testing ground suits.On his first start for 1004 days since finishing third to stablemate Faugheen in the 2014 Neptune, Rathvinden didn't last long. He made mistakes early and quickly lost position and confidence on this chase debut.

December 7, 2016

The Grade One Drinmore is surely the best novices' chase yet run this season such was its fabulous strength in depth. This is traditionally a strong affair, with Don Cossack, Valseur Lido and the sadly missed No More Heroes all having triumphed in it in the last three years.The time was relatively hard to get a handle on because there was only one other chase (over 3m5f) on Fairyhouse's Sunday card. Given the field was bunched turning for home the eye might have mistaken it for a total crawl; it wasn't quite that.When lining up, Coney Island was the only horse among the seven-strong field yet to win a chase but he soon put the record straight, travelling and jumping beautifully. A fine leap at the last sealed it and he ran on strongly to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths.Trainer Edward Harty said afterwards: "He has plenty of pace, gears and jumps great - a lot to look forward to. He's in the three-mile Grade One novice at Christmas. You'd like to think he's a Gold Cup horse but you hate to say those things - you need a lot to go right."I'm not yet convinced that three miles (and especially not further) will prove his optimum trip; he has a high cruising speed and looked very comfortable over 2m4f here. He also bombed along in a three-mile Punchestown Grade One novices' hurdle in April until finding less than looked likely, being swiftly quelled by Bellshill and flashing his tail under pressure - not for the first time.He clearly got the trip but may not excel at it, as others do. He's a year stronger and may well have grown up… or everything fell plum right here. Whatever, it also paid a compliment to his recent Punchestown conqueror Haymount.In second, Anibale Fly completed a JP McManus domination of this renewal and confirmed the impression of his debut that he'll make a better chaser than hurdler. There may have been an element of Coney Island getting first run but also having more gears; the runner-up was not knocked about once held. He hails from the family of Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy, so there are more grounds for him to go up in trip perhaps.The horse that impressed me most with the RSA in mind was third-placed Alpha Des Obeaux. He seems to have a total affinity for chasing, which is impressive for one of the few to get within shouting distance of Thistlecrack over hurdles.He attacked his fences with relish and at worst got slightly in close to the second last; he was just out-speeded by the winner in particular approaching the last but still came up wonderfully under pressure with a good leap.The doubling of his price for the RSA in some places to as much as 12/1 is an over-reaction to a performance that was a bit better than you would expect over 2m4f for a horse we all know beyond question is a stayer. The calibre of his 2016 World Hurdle second - seven lengths behind Thistlecrack but 22 or more ahead of everyone else - was understandably overshadowed at the time but should not be forgotten in a division from which that winner is (likely to be) absent.Alpha Des Obeaux is likely to run over Christmas on testing ground; albeit he functions well enough in such conditions - well enough to win a Grade One hurdle - his World and Sefton form prove a sound surface suits him best.Back in fourth, Road To Respect stuck to his guns in the manner of a horse worth considering for the four-mile NH Chase in the medium-term. He also jumped left at several obstacles, suggesting right-handed Fairyhouse was not ideal. He measured the last fences well while staying on strongly.Last year's Coral Cup winner Diamond King was scrapping for second when he hit the last, giving him no time to recover; he was running well at the time and remains of interest for the JLT or targets around that trip on a sound surface.A Toi Phil was disappointing. Cooper chose him as Gigginstown's first string after he impressed in a Punchestown Grade Two but he jumped poorly here, often steeply, and was unable to make any impact. Perhaps he couldn't handle three quick runs but it's also possible he doesn't hold his form - as Walsh said, it "tapered off" last season for Mullins.Of his pair, Elliott said: "[Diamond King] just ran out of petrol. He needs better ground so I'm not too disappointed. A Toi Phil had an off day and after his two wins last month this might have been a race too many. We'll freshen him up and make a plan."Lieutenant Colonel has now pulled up on his last two starts, albeit he was found to have injured his near hind leg at Punchestown in October. Here he made a bad blunder at the seventh, lost his prominent pitch as a result and never got back into it, further errors creeping in as he attempted to recover. He was struggling before the home turn.On the preceding day at Fairyhouse, Martello Tower had boosted Anibale Fly's form with a gutsy success over A Genie In Abottle in the opening beginners' chase. The winner looked on TV pictures to lack the scope of some of his rivals but he jumped soundly nonetheless and his leap at the last to get the measure of leader and eventual third Acapella Bourgeois was crucial.The first two both need to step up in trip and, although Martello Tower showed superior tactical speed entering the home turn, his best hurdles performances were recorded on heavy ground. He only made it to the racecourse three times last season. The runner-up is already a better chaser than hurdler.It was good to see talented hurdler Acapella Bourgeois complete after falling at the first on his debut but Childrens List's jumping started to get unpicked and he weakened before the second last. He's been well below his best for almost a year now, albeit his last two runs have been right-handed (which Mullins has previously said doesn't suit) and he was very highly tried twice previously.At Thurles last Thursday it soon became apparent that, 8/15 shot though he was, Bachasson is not yet a member of the Mullins' Made. There were wiseguys and associates all around him, even ahead of him; nobody was carrying his groceries all the way home. Total Recall even pushed him increasingly left at some fences. There was no respect. So it may not have been a coincidence that both horses disappeared at the last; I'd imagine Bachasson was affronted.Beyond these suppositions, there was little to be learned from the fog-enshrouded 2m2f Beginners Chase won by last season's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys handicap hurdle fourth Tully East. He could be glimpsed on occasion at the fore of mid-division with a shadowy cast of extras following; he was travelling comfortably when hitting the second last but recovered quickly to challenge.It's hard to say from the guerilla camerawork how Bachasson jumped prior to his departure at the last; there he was being either headed or pressed for the lead by Tully East. It might well be that the latter would have won anyway.Winning trainer Alan Fleming said jockey Denis O'Regan was "mightily impressed" with Tully East. "He seemed to jump very well," Fleming added. "He's entered in a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas, whether he goes there or not we will decide."The de facto second A Sizing Network, an erratic performer then a maiden from eight starts over fences, was hard ridden to stay in touch approaching the last. Third-placed Sunchyme emerged belatedly from the gloom. The time was nothing special.Back to Britain and, for a moment there, it looked as though Altior's second start over fences was going to raise as many questions as it answered in Sandown's Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase last Saturday. He ballooned the first, puissance-walled the second and dived at the fourth. That seemed to wake him up and he snapped back on it from then onwards.He got the demanding Railway fences spot on, picked up spent front-runner Marracudja on the home turn, zeroed in on Charbel from two out, hit the front shortly after landing over the last and powered away up the hill - all this on the bridle. It was devastatingly impressive."The mistakes he made early were only novice mistakes and because he has so much ability he finds it easy," winning rider Noel Fehily reported. "He can stand off because he knows he can do it."He's without doubt one of the better horses I've ridden. More racing will do him good but one of the mistakes he made [at the fourth] was as much my fault as his as I'd let him go to sleep a bit too much. When I grabbed hold of him down the back, he jumped fantastic."Whereas the Tingle Creek was very strongly run from the outset, the Henry VIII began at a crawl. That contributed to the energy Altior had left to absolutely tank through the final five furlongs compared with Un De Sceaux. Even though the more experienced horse clocked the better overall time, Altior's sustained finishing burst from the last of the Railway fences more than withstood close comparison. This is an extremely talented novice chaser.Of course, you won't want to back him for the Arkle at 7/4 in December. That's what the 7/4 is for - even if hindsight comes to prove next March that it was a proportionate price for the risks involved.Second-placed Charbel is a quality horse but he was brushed aside. Like him, Max Ward is already a better chaser than he was a hurdler; he played the few cards he had cutely here, picking up Marracudja for third after the last.A first-time tongue-tie got Its'Afreebee's season back on track at Wetherby that same day - even though trainer Dan Skelton asserted, as he watched the race live from Sandown, he did not apply the aid because the horse had made a noise. He just needed to change something up after that dull Cheltenham effort behind OO Seven.Rider Ian Popham admitted to the tactically sound enterprise of taking on front-running odds-on favourite Cole Harden when he spotted that rival's reticence for fences. His mount was keen but mostly clean, his only real mistake coming when he already had the race won at the penultimate flight and despite his rider doing everything he could to maintain his mount's concentration. This was a career best from the winner.On one public sighting, Cole Harden's attitude to fences couldn't be more different to his appetite for hurdles. Over the smaller obstacles, he's eager and attacking when at his best - it won him a World Hurdle in 2015 - yet on his chase debut here, he was hesitant and careful. He did transfer his less desirable hurdling habit of jumping left, to the extent that he collided with the wing at the fifth last even before Minella Charmer had lurched more violently left into him.Trainer Warren Greatrex was far from upbeat afterwards. "Gavin [Sheehan, jockey] was more bullish about Cole Harden than I was," he admitted."He jumped OK and he did stay on strongly but he was only third best going to the last. Ideally he needs better ground and three miles; it was also his first run coming back from [a knee] injury, so I suppose we shouldn't be too disappointed."Unless this bonny little horse has grown since I last saw him, he doesn't strike me as the type to improve his hurdles form over fences. He's still got game though, given how despite clearly not loving it he rallied over an inadequate trip - although perhaps only when he could see there were no pesky fences left to jump. It might yet be that we see him revert to hurdles.By contrast, Minella Charmer was reckless on his chase debut, inclined to hurl himself headlong at some of his fences. That ended in disaster at the fourth last when he simply capsized on landing. It was a first run for almost a year for this lightly raced five-year-old so hopefully this experience won't deter him.Sunday's 2m7f Kelso chase won by 2015 Coral Cup winner Aux Ptits Soins was a blunder-fest. The winner was predominantly an exception to that, jumping well bar for a small blemish at the 12th until Sean Bowen sought to pop the last fence and his mount lurched through it instead.On the whole his jumping was more reliable than on his Exeter debut when beaten by Drumlee Sunset. Trainer Nicholls had confidently expected him to build on that, given the horse had been late into full training.It's encouraging that we've already seen him twice already this term, given he was limited to one start last season - a 40-length fifth in the World Hurdle - after a series of setbacks and surgery.Further practice is clearly needed and I can't help but feel he should have won with more authority given the number and scale of mistakes made by his opponents. Perhaps he was idling - his flicking ears near the line hinted at that - or perhaps his optimum trip is shorter. Pass for now.It was runner-up Westren Warrior's chase debut and he did well to complete, let alone finish as close as he did. Improving The Dutchman lacked fluency when winning an error-strewn race at Wetherby last month and was much the same here, occasionally jumping right. But he lacks nothing in gameness and was trying to concede 5lb. Long-time leader Delusionsofgrandeur also made many mistakes but stays thoroughly and wasn't beaten that far.

November 30, 2016

Min's chasing debut was less convincing than Altior's last week yet just as uncompetitive - despite facing 15 more rivals than the latter's Kempton match. The Supreme Hurdle runner-up led approaching the first fence and was never remotely pressed at any obstacle thereafter, outclassing a respectful beginners' chase field at Navan last Sunday.His jumping got better: he ran about quite markedly approaching the first - in need of convincing that he would indeed have to jump it - and corkscrewed the next. Things got more fluent from the third until, having already seen off the feint of a challenge from the home turn, he guessed at three out and squarely negotiated the second last, landing leadenly. The last jump was measured and he came home on the bridle, with no rival able or willing to take him on. He also settled better than was the case over hurdles.He was ritually shortened for the Arkle to a best-priced 5/1 but, at this extremely early stage, my instinct is the horse that thumped him at Cheltenham (injury excuses notwithstanding) looks set to do the same over fences. I wonder whether Min's connections might be tempted to go JLT - even if Mullins did comment: "I don't see any need to step him up in trip."Behind Min at Navan, the more experienced runner-up Three Wise Men jumped soundly, having been waited with until belatedly chasing the long-clear winner approaching the last where he adjusted quite a bit right.Edwulf jumped exactly like a horse who'd hit the deck twice last season - most recently over hurdles in February but also on his chase debut here last December. Here, he was cautious at the fifth and four out, jinked at three out, ballooned the second last and looked gawky at best when wandering on the approach to the final fence, after which Geraghty dropped his whip perhaps in exasperation. I find I also called Edwulf "gawky" last season; another less empathetic adjective may soon be required.Baby Bach jumped right and with decreasing accuracy but ran creditably on his chase debut; if anything, A Great View was inclined to adjust left. Fire In Soul, on his first start since leaving Mullins, was prominent enough and jumped fine until weakening from two out. Squouateur continues to run with promise but needs further; fellow McManusite Henry Higgins also shaped well on his chase debut. In the backwash, William Du Berlais hinted at the ability he displayed over hurdles this summer on faster ground.Top Notch continues to impress over fences and his most recent Plumpton success returns us to the now-traditional agonising over where he's most likely to pitch up: the Arkle or the JLT. He's Altior's stablemate, so that could push him to the latter but his owners, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, would want him to run in the most suitable race. That looks like the Arkle to me.Typically for early skirmishes in this division, Top Notch wasn't put under much pressure at his fences at Plumpton - only Romain De Senam wished to attend him for as long as possible (up to a point, Lord Copper) - but he was often clever, especially when wrong at the last down the back, and at several fences he came up a fraction more swiftly than you might expect. The time was fast - breaking standard and less than three seconds outside the track record. In short: I liked it a lot.The one occasion he tried 2m4f over hurdles, in the Relkeel, Top Notch appeared not to stay when 13/8 favourite - admittedly the ground was described as "specialist" heavy, but he had handled very testing stuff in the past. He arrived at that target in career-best form, having finished second in last term's Fighting Fifth, and bounced back next time out at Kelso. It makes you think the trip was the problem in between.So he's battle-hardened, is a thorough stayer at two miles and has peaked at the Festival for the last two seasons. His 2015 Champion Hurdle fifth proves he's equally, if not more, at home on a soundish surface.The 12/1 with Sky Bet 'To win any Festival race' is tempting for those with a more cautious approach, given Altior lives next-door, but I prefer when betting to have a specific set of requirements in mind. The Arkle fulfills those for Top Notch in my opinion, so let's take the 25/1 each-way still available with Coral and William Hill right now.Back at Plumpton, Romain De Senam's half-hearted chase was stilled with a mistake at the second last. It was already clear that the Fred Winter runner-up wasn't quite good enough to challenge, but this was a good start to his chasing career. Fellow debutant but winning pointer Overtown Express was never involved. He made three mistakes but his form here should not be judged literally.There was another impressive chase performance last week when the four-year-old Clan Des Obeaux won the Grade Two 2m4f chase at Newbury, beating a decent field with a terrific round of jumping. He'd clearly learned plenty from his debut at Chepstow behind Rock The Kasbah, where the ground might have been a touch fast."He jumps and gallops and this track suits him," said Nicholls. "He's got a big future but he's only four and I've got be really careful to look after him as this won't be his best season; his best season will be when he's five and six."I haven't got any thoughts on what we do now but he obviously wants two-and-a-half [miles] or further and he jumps absolutely brilliantly. A horse that gallops and jumps like that is obviously going to go places."If he does mind him, Nicholls would be going against type because - akin to any high-achieving sporting competitor - he wants to be involved in all the best races. If he doesn't have an obvious candidate for certain Grade Ones, it will be hard for him to sit on his hands with Clan Des Obeaux in his backyard.This is the horse, remember, who wasn't going to run in last year's Triumph especially if the going was too quick. But run he did and on ground distinctly not soft, finishing a creditable sixth. Current quotes of 14/1 for the JLT are therefore not without appeal.Admittedly, the race did fall apart in the wake of the winner's fine jumping. Fellow four-year-old Protek Des Flos had shaped quite well on his chase debut until his technique started to fail from six out. He will do better. One Track Mind dived at the first and was frightened out of any rhythm thereafter. Completing in that frame of mind can't have been a positive experience.Of course Nicholls also has Politologue, whom he remembered to mention in his post-race interviews at Newbury but whom I unaccountably overlooked in last week's edition of the Road. That he name-checked this horse during a moment rightly belonging to Clan Des Obeaux either bodes well for this pair or badly for every other novice chaser in the Nicholls yard.To backtrack, Politologue jumped efficiently when splashing round Haydock to victory on his chase debut Fridays ago, taking a slight liberty with the second last from which the big black fences of old would have exacted some sort of toll. He finished tired in testing conditions but beat decent horses in Vintage Clouds and error-prone Welsh Shadow by a wide margin. The doubt is whether he needs soft ground because the only time he hasn't had it, he flopped when 20th in the Coral Cup.At Haydock, Nicholls said: "Politologue didn't come in until late and I thought he'd need the run as he's a huge horse. But's he's classy - he jumps and travels - and he could be very smart."Returning to Newbury, Knockgraffon won Friday's novices' limited handicap chase by 10 lengths off a mark of 132 with a display of bold jumping. Rider Harry Skelton spoke afterwards of his mount's tendency to idle, which explains why he was firing him into the final fences when already well clear.Brother and trainer Dan was also not overly worried about the impact of the handicapper. "I'm going to give him an entry in the Henry VIII just in case there are four runners because his jumping around there could be a real asset," he said. "If he doesn't go there, I would be a little protective of him as the handicapper will probably thrash him for that. We would try to find a couple of races on the way to something like the Kingmaker at Warwick."When it came to it, Knockgraffon wasn't entered in Sandown's Grade One for novices this Saturday but Warwick also requires accurate jumping and he'll need to jump more like he did four and two out at Newbury than with the clumsiness at the other two fences in the straight. When it's right, his jumping is indeed an asset however and Skelton clearly believes there is improvement in him. The time was very good.On the same day at Newcastle, Ar Mad's half-brother Calett Mad made an encouraging UK and chase debut in a novices' limited handicap chase. As a four-year-old, he received weight from all five opponents but he also out-jumped them under Jacob as part of his treble on the card.A sound technique, replete with the odd flyer, propelled Calett Mad to dispute the lead entering the straight for the first time with Bigirononhiship, from whom the market anticipated a bold show on his first attempt at fences under Rules. That horse made errors but also forced some from the winner at the third and second last until finally being shaken off on the run to the final flight. The Rose Dobbin-trained runner-up stuck at it to the line, though.Soft ground may be important to Twiston-Davies's winner, as he displayed some knee action. He's more of a staying type at this stage in his career than was Bristol De Mai, who boldly carried the Munir/Souede silks with similar flair as a youngster last season.Errors undid the remainder: Gully's Edge, on whom cheekpieces replaced blinkers, completed distantly whereas Sevenballs Of Fire and the right-jumping Dan Emmett had long been struggling when they respectively fell and unseated at the fifth last. The experienced Seldom Inn was going okay when his scrappy jumping brought him down at the next.Mistakes were also the dominant theme of a 2m4f novices' chase at Bangor won by Potters Legend last Saturday. The Lucy Wadham-trained chaser, perhaps slightly fortunate to win at Kempton on his good-jumping debut, had ducked a clash with Thistlecrack at Newbury for this target.This was a case of right time, wrong place because further education at a lower level was clearly much needed but the big-framed chaser looked distinctly ill at ease for always being on a left-hand turn at the Welsh track - and dropped in trip to boot. He still managed to assert under pressure, albeit ploughing through the last, and was conceding 5lbs or more to his rivals.Never Equalled was the surprise package of the race and would have given the winner more to contend with had he not also made an error at the last. Ma Du Fou's jumping again lacked fluency and Gavin Sheehan was so intent on steering a tight course that he spent much of the contest on the inner hurdles track between fences. His mount lacks nothing in spirit, however, and kept coming back for more after every self-created knockback. Charmix jumped best for much of the way, only for this to unravel as the race reached its climax.Returning to Ireland, Bellshill has twice failed to make an impact at the Cheltenham Festival, albeit he was hardly a hotpot either when tenth in the 2015 Weatherbys Champion Bumper or 13th in the 2016 Sky Bet Supreme. Yet both seasons he bounced back at Aintree and Punchestown - and was fancied to do last spring at least.At Gowran last Saturday, he made a winning chase debut but beyond that fact the details were mostly lost to dense fog. He appeared to press Balko Des Flos at the third last before moving ahead and forcing an error from that long-time clear leader at the next. With that, he apparently wrapped up the race.If Bellshill made an error, I didn't see it - but then the exploits of two-thirds of the 12-strong field are a total mystery to me and I only saw flashes of the other four, including Don't Touch It and Girly Girl who most closely attended Bellshill's pursuit of the front-runner. Walsh reportedly described his winning mount's jumping as "spectacular"; Mullins plans to step him up in trip.Balko Des Flos was a decent enough rival also making his chase debut, especially reverting to aggressive tactics from the outset. He was fifth in the 2016 Albert Bartlett before finishing fourth in Aintree's Grade One Sefton, two places and more than 15 lengths behind Bellshill.Third-placed Don't Touch It boasts hurdles form not far off the winner's best and superior to that of the second. A sound surface suits him best. He failed to make inroads even after the runner-up's blunder.

November 23, 2016

Nicky Henderson's decision to send chasing last year's brilliant seven-length Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner, Altior, passed its first test in driving rain at Kempton on Monday. There was far more to lose than there was to gain in a match with a horse rated 25lbs inferior over hurdles and yet the net result was as positive as it could be.Black Corton, his sole rival, originally set out in front but he wasn't moving fast enough for a horse of Altior's sheer ability, so Noel Fehily took him to the front from the third. From then onwards, he settled much better and never looked likely to be beaten - by opponent or obstacles.His jumping was not flawless: he put in a short one five out and hit the fence, albeit he reacted positively with a good leap at the next, and he also scuffed the third last. He hasn't yet proved whether he can jump upsides, in a pack or under pressure but there was a measured fluency to his technique that bodes extremely well. He adjusted a tad left twice but was mostly gun-barrel straight. It just looked so right, so instinctive.Henderson observed of the mistake: "Noel said that was nearly the best part… that one fence, when he was tanking a bit and [Noel] could have sent him very big and long. [Instead] he just managed to get one short and wrong, but you were just pleased the way he got out of that. He was very clever."Henderson also endorsed the view of several paddock onlookers at Kempton who felt Altior had also grown since last season, when there was an element of angularity to his physique, and explained that this had been integral in connections' decision to go chasing with the unbeaten hurdler."We talked about it lots," Henderson revealed. "Nico [de Boinville] schooled him at the back end [of last season] - and it was good - before we put him away. Then he came back in and we were still umming and ahhing but there was no doubt that he'd grown... He looks like a chaser."Then we obviously started schooling again. He has been very good. The ground has held us up a fair bit - we couldn't get a lot… done and we've been using the Jockey Club schooling ground, which is all-weather and he'd been great there."It was only last week that we got onto the grass but sadly Nico got injured… so Noel came and schooled him last week and, as he had been with Nico, he was absolutely outstanding."So at least [by] last week, I had no reservations about the decision to switch although it was tempting to take possibly what would be the easier route and say: can we make him into a Champion Hurdle horse? Which I think you could. But this is where we're going at the moment and luckily today hasn't done anything to put us off."The plan is to run in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown on Saturday week - a race that's shaping up to be a compelling contest. Ideally, Henderson would like to get four or five runs into Altior this season: three before Christmas and then decide whether another prior to the Festival would be preferable, but he is mindful that the horse would not want the ground to be very soft, especially as he faces tougher and tougher opposition.For the second season running, bookmakers immediately shut down the Arkle favourite by clipping Altior to a high of 2/1 - the equivalent of nailing the parrot to its perch - just as they did last term when making Douvan 7/4 after he won his chase debut in similarly uncontested fashion.To put that into some context, Best Mate was 7/1 for the Arkle after he made a winning chase debut at Exeter, beating Bindaree (no less) and Shooting Light in a seven-runner race that actually merited that noun. Yes, ante-post betting has kicked the bucket, shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. And yet bookmakers still want free publicity from handing out these valueless prices. What a charade.Yet at this highly nascent stage, I'd say there are many more threats among Altior's potential rivals in this division than there were for the favourite this time last year when the best known quantities switching codes had already seen plenty of Douvan's backside.This term, for example, we have the possibility of the Neptune winner Yorkhill being an Arkle candidate and Grade One-winning hurdler Identity Thief has already won twice in his new discipline. It might also be that a stronger Min, who got injured at Cheltenham according to his owner, might present more of a threat to Altior than Sizing John did in his second-season clashes with Douvan. Anibale Fly also looks an improver in this division.The detail of Identity Thief's second chase win at Punchestown on Sunday was in fact harder to discern than Nichols Canyon's later success because the fog was even thicker at that stage.It seemed he was locked together with stablemate and early leader Ordinary World from the fourth last, getting slightly out-jumped at the third last before disappearing into the gloom and emerging upsides again at the last but going far easier than his main rival. It was a hands-and-heels victory in the end.Trainer de Bromhead, who saddled the first three home with Attribution back in third, commented: "Bryan [Cooper, who rode the winner] said he'd be a better horse for better ground, that he learned more for a proper gallop there and he popped the last or else he'd have won cosier."Ordinary World has improved for a fence - he jumped quite brilliantly and we'll stick to two miles. Attribution ran well but we'll possibly go up in trip."Typically, de Bromhead is long-suited in the two-mile division and it's likely one of his novices will share the journey to Kempton with Special Tiara over the Christmas period.The fog had scarcely improved when A Toi Phil beat Jetstream Jack by seven lengths, securing a 1-2 for Elliott in the following Grade Two Florida Pearl novices' chase over an extended 2m6f. The trainer observed: "He really attacked the last." But that might have been the only fence he saw.Walsh rode the winner whereas Cooper rode Disko, the beaten favourite in the first-string Gigginstown silks; their trio of contenders was completed by the front-running Nampour. The winning jockey commented A Toi's Phil's form had "tapered off" for Mullins last season but they had regarded him as a good horse. Last season's Neptune seventh now heads to the Grade One Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday week.There had been a number of novice-chasing performances in Britain the previous day that were more readily discernible as strong form. In a good-looking Ascot event, the lightly raced Different Gravey beat three rivals in a manner that suggested he should soon at least match his lofty hurdles zenith.He proved he could handle the pitfalls of a small-field contest as well as the strongly run handicap environment in which he'd recorded his standout hurdling form at this same track last season. Back then, he sidestepped the World Hurdle, only to flop behind imperious Thistlecrack at Aintree.Bass felt Different Gravey might need more experience prior to going up in grade but Henderson's team regards him as a possible JLT or RSA type.Brother Tedd, who had the advantage of chase experience over the winner and third, ran his best race yet over the larger obstacles. He looked more at home returned to a right-handed track and jumped the crucial final two flights particularly well.Childish Hell's Kitchen also ran with credit in third, typically refusing to settle but possessing engine enough to still be in contention at the second last. Geraghty tried to cover him up between fences yet pull him out at the obstacles so he could get a good sight of them on his chase debut.Minimal pressure was applied from the last but this horse is yet to prove he can finish off his races. His next two or three starts will be critical to his education and likely ultimate prospects.Back in fourth, 2015 Fred Winter winner Qualando was slightly outclassed but ran more than well enough to suggest he can win races over fences, probably in handicap company.Talking of which, later on the same card Minella Daddy had time to laugh at his generous rating in the three-mile handicap chase when dotting up by seven lengths against vastly more experienced rivals off a mark of 131. He sealed the deal with a monster, plenty-left-here-baby jump at the last.Had trainer Peter Bowen not subsequently argued the horse must to go right-handed, you'd think him a potential National type. He did later wonder whether there might be an as-yet-unearthed physical problem causing this preference and that it therefore might be resolved.But he also said a sharp rise in class for the Grade One Kauto Star (Feltham) Novices' Chase, at right-handed Kempton, would be the next stop.At Haydock over two miles on the same day, Cloudy Dream beat a couple of very decent second-season chasers in an impressive manner on just his third start over fences. Having previously won a three-runner event nicely at Carlisle, this graduation chase victory represented a large step forward.Trainer Malcolm Jefferson is contemplating Kempton's Wayward Lad novices' chase over Christmas as his next target - the event in which, as previously mentioned, he might encounter a de Bromhead or two.Meanwhile at Exeter 48 hours later, the fragile American made a winning chase debut, stepped up to three miles for the first time and despite jumping left. For the second time in their short careers to date, he beat Label Des Obeaux. However, winning trainer Harry Fry was reluctant to make plans until seeing how the winner comes out of this race.Back in Ireland, Haymount has taken particularly well to chasing. He beat a decent field that raced competitively at Punchestown last Saturday, jumping very well bar for a small stumble on landing at the fourth last. He did dominate on the lead to some degree, but the pressers were never that far away.His five closest pursuers were rated more highly than him over hurdles but they may struggle to confirm that superiority over larger obstacles on the basis of this. A sound surface might even have suited him better but he nonetheless recorded the best chase time of the day.Coney Island edged Mall Dini out for second in a head-bob. The former had been a bit keen and he bobbled a bit on landing over the last two fences, whereas the latter was waited with and ran without the tongue-tie jockey Davy Russell had stated was integral to their Pertemps Hurdle success at the Festival in March. These were both good starts to chasing, also.Come the line there were suddenly 13 lengths back to Stone Hard, now returned to Elliott and whose season imploded when with Mullins last year. Worryingly, he again didn't see out his race here, albeit this was his first run since April.Woodland Opera made mistakes, jumped left and slowed up swiftly once not persisted with after the second last, but he ran better than his literal losing margin on this seasonal and chase debut. He had a wind operation prior to his career best when winning over hurdles here in April. Just Cause seems to be regressing over fences.On the same day at Cork, a former inmate of Henrietta Knight's made a belated but successful chase debut for the Mullins yard at the age of nine. Backed in to 4/1 favourite, Isleofhopendreams ultimately won by more than five lengths in what appeared to be a moderate race.That said, the winner's jumping warmed up nicely in the latter stages and he promises to be an improved article over fences. He's clearly not easy to keep sound, however, given he'd only made it to the track three times since April 2012 prior to this appearance. He may also need testing ground.Earlier in the week at Clonmel, Western Lady won an exciting Grade Three mares' novice chase by half a length from Thanks For Tea, with last year's OLBG David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle runner-up Rock On The Moor a further two-and-a-half lengths behind in third.The winner has now triumphed twice at this level, was conceding 6lbs all round here and has exceeded Mullins' expectations. She may be put away until spring because connections have long maintained that good ground is important, but her trainer did admit he might be tempted by another go at the enhanced mares' programme in the short term.Not for the first time, she did jump or adjust quite markedly to her left - albeit she never once looked like falling, even when running about approaching the last - so somewhere other than right-handed Clonmel would surely suit her better.Thanks For Tea is genuine and consistent. She kept on gunning despite being outpaced by the other two on the home turn and rather lurching at the last when under pressue. This was Rock On The Moor's chase debut and she ran well against two far more experienced and race-fit rivals, albeit she did jump and hang a bit to her left at times.

November 16, 2016

At Cheltenham on Friday, O O Seven made the transition to fences that his physique demanded and dispensed in good style with what had beforehand appeared a competitive field. He jumped well, bar for a small stumble at the second last, and clearly stamped his authority on the race.The only drawback was his tendency to hang right, markedly so when he seemed to get the idea that there was no need for him actually to finish the race, so evident was his superiority, and could he please duck out back to the stables halfway up Cheltenham's hill? Disobligingly, de Boinville straightened him out and compelled him run to the line.Reviewers lacked consensus afterwards: some felt the horse was just green and would have concentrated better with company; others felt this confirmed suspicions they'd held before.I'm bang on the fence with this one right now. I want more evidence. What I do know is that this horse impressed me when a good second to Yorkhill in last term's Tolworth, so I'm awaiting his next start with great interest.Runner-up Sizing Tennessee is two years older than the winner, having missed two whole seasons prior to last. He ran with promise on his debut over fences and for Tizzard, having left the de Bromhead yard as part of the Potts Transfer.It didn't pay much of a compliment to those who finished behind Rock The Kasbah in third that Johnson had given up on him after the third last. Although he, Theinval and Its'AFreeBee were all conceding weight to the 1-2, the limitations to the form of their preceding chase wins seemed to be exposed.Sadly, this was the race in which one of last term's most entertaining and talented novice hurdlers, Barters Hill, made his first and last start of this season. He slipped a tendon off his hock early on during his chase debut and was pulled up by David Bass as quickly as possible. The evening bulletins from Ben Pauling's yard were positive about his recovery, but he is not expected to make it back to the track until next term.Paul Nicholls enhanced his robust record in Cheltenham's Grade Two Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial when Le Prezien delivered his sixth success in the past nine years last Sunday. It was his second chase start, having debuted in an unexpectedly deep Uttoxeter beginners' chase the previous month where he split Charbel and Top Notch, fifth in the Supreme and Champion Hurdles respectively.This wasn't pretty, however, and Some Plan was still travelling strongly when getting in too close to the second last, clipping the top and falling. Although his trainer believes his jumping just takes time to warm up, as it did over hurdles, even Barry Geraghty couldn't be wholly positive about Le Prezien's technique. He suggested a step up in trip would help.Jockey David Mullins felt he still had something left when Some Plan crashed out; however, that horse has frequently found little in the past for his previous stables. It should be noted the time was surprisingly reasonable compared with the Shloer, meaning this effort might be better than I'm reading it or Fox Norton's worse.The remaining novice-chasing performance to note at the Open meeting was What A Moment's success in the amateur riders' handicap chase last Friday. Richard Harding sensibly enabled a good view of his fences by keeping to the outer on a horse competing in a chase for only the second time. He jumped better than on his debut at Aintree and can win more races.There are two ways of looking at the competitive four-runner 1m7f novice event at Wetherby last Saturday, won by The Dutchman. On the upside, the time was good; on the downside, there were plenty of errors on show.The winner was a progressive hurdler last season until breaking a blood vessel on his final start at Aintree. Here, Brian Hughes reported his mount's match-fitness failed from the second last following a foot problem that had hampered his training. That may account for his final two errors and reflects great credit on his determined drive to the line. He is set to go back up in trip and is the most distinctly promising of this quartet.Runner-up Vendor seemed to leave his Uttoxeter thumping by Charbel far behind and was only just worried out of victory on the run to the line. Ma Du Fou idn't really travel and jumped scrappily, so it was a surprise to see him still in with a shout at the third last.Blue Heron, who missed last season but had made a respectable chase debut at Market Rasen last month, was a tad keen but tried to rally when headed. This remains well below his peak hurdles form.I was very much taken with the chase debut of Anibale Fly at Navan last Sunday, when he beat Martello Tower by a deceptively authoritative three quarters of a length, even though the form and time is literally nothing special.He travelled strongly into the straight and took the lead with a particularly nippy jump at the second last, after which Mark Walsh only exuded more confidence. They got the job done with hands and heels only.On this evidence, Anibale Fly is going to be a much better chaser than he was hurdler - albeit he was still improving in that discipline when we last saw him. It will be interesting to see how Tony Martin campaigns this horse for JP McManus; he holds an entry in the Grade One Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse next month.In second, Martello Tower also made a very encouraging chase debut over a trip far short of his best. A slightly slow jump when leading at the second last allowed the pack to close in more readily but he responded gamely to pressure with an attacking leap at the last, only to be readily held to the line.The 2015 Albert Bartlett hero's future lies as a staying chaser and this was an encouraging start. Testing ground did appear paramount over hurdles, however.Third-placed Gurteen put himself on the back foot with scrappy jumps at the third and second last, but came up bravely when challenged on both sides at the last, only to weaken approaching the line. His overall profile speaks of a lightly raced horse, still steadily improving.Further back in fifth, Squouateur wasn't knocked about in the closing stages after belting the first, getting slightly outpaced turning for home and being inconvenienced by the runner-up jumping left across him three out. He shaped well enough for a horse that needs further.Looking back to last month, the probable highlight of this division was the chasing debut of former high-class hurdler, Identity Thief. He fell just short of Champion Hurdle class when fifth behind Annie Power at the Festival, but had previously won the Fighting Fifth.It was more of a test than many a debut of known class act can be, in that he had company upsides at many of his fences rather than going out in front and daring anyone to be reckless enough to take such a highly rated horse on.His class took him to the front on the bridle approaching the fourth last but he did jump well throughout and, as de Bromhead rightly observed afterwards, "did it as well as we could have asked on his first run". He's set to reappear at Punchestown this Sunday.Other performances worth mentioning include Potters Legend's defeat of Barney Dwan at Kempton last week - the second would surely have won bar for almost falling at the last - and Road To Respect's Naas defeat of Grade One-winning hurdler Prince Of Scars on their chase debut last Saturday. The winner was having his first start for Noel Meade, who expects this horse from the family of Road To Riches to come on a great deal for that outing.Turning to the yak, Walsh is expecting Mullins' leading novice-chasing hopes to be making their debuts in the coming weeks, but even he can't be certain of the plan.The brilliant Neptune winner, Yorkhill, was the subject of his little joke about Mullins keeping it to a need-to-know basis. It's not yet clear whether this horse will run over fences or hurdles this season, nor even whether starting in one discipline would lessen the likelihood of a subsequent switch to the other.Walsh had assumed the horse would go chasing - he schooled him over many fences "a couple of weeks ago" and "he looks a chaser" - but since spotted he's entered in both the Hatton's Grace Hurdle and Drinmore Novice Chase, Grade Ones on the same day at Punchestown next month.Of all the high-class problems Mullins has to wrestle, I think this is the trickiest because both routes have their distinct merits.This theme recurred when Walsh was asked about Bellshill's preferred trip. Having asserted that the two-mile Supreme had been "the wrong trip" but that the horse would have won at Aintree "but for that mistake" at the last, Walsh said: "He's bred to be a chaser… the RSA or the JLT… even the four-miler. And (laughing) he'll probably get an entry in the Arkle as well."On ATR, Ricci mentioned that Supreme runner-up Min "got hurt at Cheltenham" and has since had "a couple of other niggly things that we've sorted out". He goes chasing.Walsh reported he'd schooled well (is there any other way that we'd get to hear about?) but understandably fears Altior in this discipline, given their Supreme standings. Yet both men commented on how much "stronger" Min looks now. "I think you'll see a different horse this year," asserted Ricci.