Mark Howard reflects on the recent jumping action
Top Racing TV analyst Mark Howard reflects on the weekend action and still harbours one doubt over Defi Du Seuil's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase credentials.
18 years after Flagship Uberalles' victory, Philip Hobbs won the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday for a second time courtesy of stable star Defi Du Seuil.
The Minehead trainer is now hoping the six times Grade 1 winner can emulate the 2001 victor by winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase during the same campaign. The former Triumph Hurdle winner, who will be seeking his third Cheltenham Festival victory in March, built on his reappearance win in the Shloer Chase last month with a fine display.
The field contained two previous winners of the race and, while only a neck separated Barry Geraghty’s mount and Un De Sceaux, Defi Du Seuil was value for more than the winning margin having idled on the run-in.
Hobbs immediately nominated the Grade 1 Clarence House at Ascot next month as the six year old’s most likely next target before heading to Prestbury Park. There is no disputing that Defi Du Seuil is a top-class horse and his trainer feels he would be effective at the highest level over a variety of trips.
Unbeaten in two starts this winter, it is worth pointing out both victories have been achieved on testing ground and I still harbour doubts as to whether he will jump quick enough should conditions dry out in March. Many will point to the fact he beat an eleven year old at the weekend, albeit one with ten Grade 1s on an overcrowded CV.
I suspect we will see the reigning champion Altior return to the minimum trip sooner rather than later, possibly even at Ascot in January, and another Willie Mullins trained runner, Cilaos Emery, emerged as a contender for the top two mile prizes when putting the 169 rated Ballyoisin firmly in his place in a Grade 2 at Cork on Sunday.
The seven-year-old lacks chasing experience but he is now unbeaten in three starts over fences and was a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler a couple of years ago. While it is a relatively quick turnaround, nineteen days to be exact, the Grade One two miles chase at Leopardstown over Christmas ought to tell us whether he is going to be a serious threat to Defi Du Seuil and co. That same race is reportedly the target for stablemate and Grade 1 winning novice chaser Chacun Pour Soi. The lightly raced seven year old defied an absence of 1089 days to win at Naas in March before following up in the Ryanair Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival.
Four and a quarter lengths back in second that day was the aforementioned Defi Du Seuil. While clearly fragile, the seven year old has the potential to reach the very top over fences and his owner Rich Ricci texted me on Sunday night to say the ex-French gelding is in ‘fierce order.’
From the north’s point of view, it was encouraging to see Waiting Patiently returning to something approaching his best when finishing with real purpose in third. Ruth Jefferson’s string endured a quiet spell during the autumn but she has produced 4 winners from her last 11 runners and her flagbearer was only beaten a length on Saturday.
Still only eight, the Flemensfirth gelding was tackling two miles for the first time in three years and he stayed on strongly up the hill at the Esher track. He, too, could head to Ascot for the Clarence House having already captured a Grade 1 win at the Berkshire venue. Ironically, Ruth’s late father Malcolm was adamant Waiting Patiently would be at his best over two miles, even as a novice, and he may prove to be right in the long run. If he makes it to Cheltenham in March, the likely strong early gallop will play into his hands.
Philip Hobbs is also responsible for another exciting youngster in Sporting John. Like Defi Du Seuil, the four year old sports the green and gold silks of J.P.McManus and he made it two wins from as many outings over hurdles at Exeter on Friday. Purchased for £160,000 at the Cheltenham Festival Sale in March, having won his only point-to-point in Ireland eleven days earlier, he had no trouble defying a penalty and following up his win over the same course and distance last month.
The Getaway gelding promises to be even better over further but it would be no surprise to see him kept to trips around two miles for the time being. Either way, in the words of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he looks ‘oven ready’ for a rise in class. Still only four, I suspect he will be accompanying Defi Du Seuil to Prestbury Park on the second day of the Festival for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Cheltenham in March is unlikely to be on his agenda but another four year old novice hurdler to keep tabs on is the progressive Tea Clipper. A winning English pointer, the in-form Tom Lacey has placed the Stowaway gelding to rack up a sequence of three wins in a little over two months. Following victories at Warwick and Kempton, he took advantage of a seemingly generous opening handicap mark of 127 at Huntingdon on Sunday.
Overcoming a mistake at the last, Richard Johnson’s mount rallied on the run-in to regain the lead making it four wins from as many career starts. The second Magic Dancer is exposed over timber but it is worth remembering Kerry Lee’s charge filled the same position in last season’s rescheduled Betfair Hurdle at Ascot. Lacey, who sent out Kimberlite Candy to finish second in the Becher Chase at Aintree on Saturday, has his team in rude health at present with 4 winners during the last fortnight.
Something like the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Kelso in early March or even the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr the following month could be options in the spring before embarking on a chasing career next Autumn. He is a smashing prospect.
Gary Moore believes Goshen is potentially the best hurdler he has trained and, having won his two starts over obstacles by an aggregate of 57 lengths, this scribe isn’t in a rush to argue. As discussed here a couple of weeks ago, the Authorized gelding was progressive on the Flat earlier this year winning three out of three over a mile and a half plus. Switched to jumping at Fontwell last month, he destroyed his four opponents and it was a similar tale at Sandown on Friday as he put eight rivals to the sword in the opening Introductory hurdle.
Pulling clear once turning for home, he revels in the mud and, while the Triumph Hurdle is his ultimate target, the three year old is expected to test the water, in terms of the track, at the Cheltenham Trials meeting in late January. His sire has already produced Tiger Roll to win the Triumph Hurdle and, while Goshen looks to possess the engine to develop into a Grade 1 performer, it is worth noting Jamie Moore’s comments at the Esher track when he felt his mount was much happier racing right-handed.
He jumped noticeably to his right late on at Fontwell, too. Those factors slight temper ones enthusiasm for his Triumph Hurdle bid. By the way, his half-brother Elimay made a winning start to her chasing career at Cork on Sunday.
Finally, with the greatest respect to the Midlands track, one doesn’t expect bumpers at Worcester in late October to unearth too much nowadays. However, the dozen runners who assembled on the 23rd this year contained some really promising types.
None of the first three home have run since but the fourth (Cadmar), sixth (Israel Champ) and eighth (Benson) have all scored subsequently and the first two named, in particular, look well above average. Keep an eye out for Off The Planet, who shaped very nicely in fifth. The Paul and Clare Rooney owned four year old holds a couple of entries this week and ought to be hard to beat. After all, the Hobbs stable are not in bad nick at present.
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