Mark Howard reflects on the recent key action from Cheltenham and elsewhere

Nicky Henderson enjoyed a productive couple of days at Cheltenham on Friday and Saturday with his 14 runners yielding five winners.

Indeed, he got the fixture off to the ideal start with Chantry House scoring on his hurdles debut in the two miles one novices’ hurdle. Ironically, the Yeats gelding had gone through the ring at Cheltenham 364 days earlier before being snapped by J.P.McManus for a meaty £295,000. A bumper winner on his Rules debut at Warwick in the spring, the form has been franked in no uncertain terms by the runner-up Edwardstone scoring twice over hurdles this winter, he was fully expected to deliver on his first try over timber on Friday and didn’t disappoint.

Despite showing signs of inexperience, Barry Geraghty’s mount always looked in command and wasn’t hard pressed to account for Stolen Silver by nearly two lengths. It is worth noting the same connections won the same novice hurdle with the ill-fated Darlan eight years ago and he went on to finish a close second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The former champion trainer indicated afterwards that Chantry House requires more match practice before his sights are raised and time will tell whether two miles is his trip or he will come into his own over further. A half-brother to Evan Williams’ useful two miles chaser The Last Day, I would reserve judgement on his optimum distance for the time being. There is little doubt he is a very talented individual though with Graded aspirations sooner rather than later.

Henderson claimed the Grade Two International Hurdle for a sixth time with Call Me Lord, who was believed to be a superior horse when racing right-handed beforehand. However, it was the performance of stablemate Pentland Hills which caught the eye.

The formbook tells us last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner finished fifth behind four horses who have either won or been placed in some of the most competitive two miles handicap hurdles run in the Calendar. Call Me Lord (Imperial Cup), Ballyandy (Betfair Hurdle), Ch’tibello (County Hurdle) and Monsieur Lecoq (Greatwood Hurdle) are rated between 150 and 160 and are some way short of Champion Hurdle class in a normal year. That doesn’t tell the whole story though as Nico De Boinville’s mount went through the race on Saturday like the best horse but didn’t see it out having raced too keenly in testing conditions. Some firms elected to push the Motivator gelding out in the ante-post lists but he remains a leading contender.

Electric over his hurdles, expect him to be a different proposition with this run under his belt. Despite the fact he won the Triumph on the New course at Cheltenham, he could prove even more effective on the speedier Old course. With dual champion Buveur D’Air seemingly laid up for the remainder of the campaign, Henderson would appear to have four possible challengers for hurdling’s Blue Riband, namely Call Me Lord, Epatante, Fusil Raffles and Pentland Hills.

I would side with the last named and, who knows, he could emulate Katchit and Espoir D’Allen by winning the Champion Hurdle as a four year old.

I am delighted to see David Pipe having such a fruitful campaign following a couple of lean years, by his own standards. The head of Pond House has sent out 45 winners already during the 2019/2020 season and is currently operating at a strike-rate of 19%. Warthog provided him with his second win in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham following Tamarinbleu’s victory twelve years ago. Saturday’s win went some way to atoning for Starchitect’s sad loss in the same event in 2017. Pipe has steadily built up a smart team of youngsters, including Listed bumper winner Israel Champ who is set to tackle a similar event at Ascot on Friday.

In a similar vein, Donald McCain has unleashed some promising types in recent weeks with Navajo Pass providing the Grand National winning trainer with only his second Grade 2 win since early 2013 when the Nathaniel gelding won the Summit Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday. Purchased as a yearling for 68,000gns, he readily saw off the challenge of Lord Lamington on Town Moor and could end up in the Triumph Hurdle in March. The Cheshire based operation is also responsible for Chuvelo, Mackenberg and Minella Trump who have all looked above average in this winter. With potential like that on offer, the glory days will hopefully soon be returning to Bankhouse Stables.

Nicky Richards had a day to remember at his local track Carlisle on Sunday with four winners and a second from five runners. Big Bad Bear and Kitty Hall justified favouritism at the Cumbrian venue, while Chapel Stile confirmed himself a progressive young chaser with victory in the staying novices’ handicap chase. A half-brother to the National Hunt Chase winner Rathvinden, the seven year old had returned from an absence of 562 days to finish third behind Two For Gold (won again since) on his fencing bow at the same venue last month.

Back in action at the weekend, he needed every yard of the two miles five trip to wear down longtime leader Cloudy Glen close home. Slow into stride, the Scorpion gelding was on and off the bridle but stamina is his strong suit and that very much came into play late on. A winner here off a mark of 127, he looks tailormade for that valuable three miles one novices’ handicap chase at Ayr’s Scottish National meeting in the spring as he is crying out for a step up in trip. Granted luck, there is a big prize to be won with Chapel Stile one day.

The Greystoke handler confirmed afterwards that his unbeaten novice hurdler Ribble Valley will head to Ascot on Friday for the Grade Two Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle provided the ground isn’t bottomless. The Westerner gelding has looked a class act at both Hexham and Wetherby this season but we are about to find out how good he really is. He bids to become the first ever northern trained winner of the two miles event.

Earlier in the week, Willie Mullins unleashed another potentially top notch mare at Tramore on Tuesday. Dolcita raced twice in France for Guillaume Macaire before being bought during the summer on behalf of owner Jared Sullivan.

The Saint Des Saints filly made her Irish debut in the same mares’ maiden hurdle which stablemate Laurina had triumphed in two years earlier. Despite the inclement weather conditions, the four year old proved a class apart from her rivals winning hard held by eleven lengths. The Grade 3 Solerina Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in late January was nominated as her next target before she is presumably aimed at the Dawn Run Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins has won all four renewals of that Grade 2 event, including with the aforementioned Laurina in 2018. Speaking to Dolcita’s owner during the summer, he stated that her former trainer was keen to keep hold of her. I think we now know why.

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