A review of the rest of the action from Newbury on Saturday as Jeriko Du Reponet maintained his unbeaten record.
Jeriko remains unbeaten
James Bowen and Nicky Henderson doubled up for the day at Newbury as the well-regarded Jeriko Du Reponet maintained his position as Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite with a smooth success in the Coral Committed To Safer Gambling 'Introductory' Hurdle.
There was a pause after the tapes went up at the start as none of the jockeys seemed all that keen to take up front-running duties and in the end it was Gary Moore's newcomer Officer Of State who took the five-runner field along.
Jeriko Du Reponet jumped well and cruised into contention and while Paradias made a bright-looking move from the back approaching the last flight, his run petered out on the soft ground as the winner went through a couple of gears to win by a comfortable length and three-quarters from the running-on Secret Squirrel (5/1).
The sponsors left Jeriko Du Reponet unchanged as their 6/1 market leader for the Cheltenham Festival opener - the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
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“I didn’t really want to make the running on my own as he is still inexperienced and thankfully Gary Moore’s horse went forward,” James Bowen told Racing TV.
“We hacked around, but once I gave him a squeeze he really quickened for me. I was never really in doubt but once I did squeeze him he gave me some feel. He’s good.
“He was good then and he is obviously quite a smart horse and I was very happy with him.”
Off on the right Note
Nicky Henderson and James Bowen got Challow Novices' Hurdle day off to a fine start as Spring Note made all the running to win the opening Play Coral 'Racing Super Series' For Free Mares' Handicap Hurdle.
Bowen, who stood in for the injured Nico de Boinville on Saturday, sent his mount to the front from the outset and guided the 11/4 favourite to a 16-length victory over Amelia's Dance (9/1), with a further three lengths back to Walk Of No Shame in third at 11/1.
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Bowen said: “To be honest I didn’t realise I was that far clear. I winged out the gates and went a good gallop all the way and probably put the race to bed between the last two hurdles.
“She was definitely slowing down up the run-in and I didn’t want anything to come and nab me but obviously I was really far clear – she has done it really well.
“Possibly the race may have fell apart, she ran over three miles last time and that didn’t suit her, but obviously a drop back in trip helped.”
Report & reaction: Captain Teague wins the Challow
Rest of the action...
Surrey Quest provided Toby Lawes with one of the biggest victories of his training career to date when landing the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase.
Formally a right-hand man to Nicky Henderson, it was somewhat fitting it was a former Seven Barrows inmate that provided him with his finest hour as he followed up an impressive stable bow at Huntingdon with a battling success in the rain-softened ground.
Having been up with the leaders throughout, Surrey Quest stuck to his task gamely when asked for maximum effort by man-of-the-moment James Bowen, who was striking for the third time on the card.
Although not fluent two from home, the 7/2 chance still had enough in reserve to hold off Kerry Lee’s 11/4 favourite Atlanta Brave by three-quarters of a length and give owners Surrey Racing plenty to dream about moving forward.
“The ground didn’t come up as soft as we were worried about and James rode him perfectly to plan,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.
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“We know he stays and it looks like from that performance he will stay another couple of furlongs. The front two pulled away handily from the rest. It opens up a lot of options.
“That is the biggest win for Toby and he would be probably one of the better horses in Toby’s yard. We have to give plenty of credit of Jackie Du Plessis in Cornwall, who looks after horses with niggling issues for us and she found a little issue with Quest and helped put it right – without that we wouldn’t now have the horse we have got.
“Toby has then taken that further with the training and it has been a team effort from all of them.”
He went on: “We will have to see what the handicapper does and there’s a few options. We’ll sleep on it and celebrate this and the trophy is big enough to fill up with champagne so we will take that away and have some fun!
“We will probably have a look at the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster at the end of January, but we will enjoy today and see how he comes out of it and then put our heads together.”
However, there would be no four-timer for Bowen as Henderson’s Walking On Air was denied by Ben Pauling’s Henry’s Friend (17/2) in the concluding Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
A useful hurdler last term, it was a huge improvement on the six-year-old’s Doncaster chasing debut and a performance that somewhat surprised his handler.
“I was pleased with the result, but I didn’t think he would handle the ground and I think he’s won despite this being not his most suitable conditions,” said Pauling.
“He’s done very well to win and jumped very well on the whole without ever jumping as well as he did at Doncaster last time. It was a gutsy performance and I think he is an improving novice.
“He’s always had a touch of class and this is his game (chasing), but I do think there will be a lot more to come on slightly better ground.”
Issar d’Airy made a pleasing chasing debut to strike at 4/1 in the New ‘Bet-In-Race’ With Coral Handicap Chase. Gary Moore’s five-year-old stepped up markedly on what he had shown over hurdles and produced a superb round of jumping under Niall Houlihan as he sauntered to a four-and-a-quarter-length success over the 6-5 favourite Martator, who had attempted to make all.
“I was very pleased and he jumped very well for a horse having his first start over fences,” said Moore.
“What he beat I don’t know because the favourite went off very fast and he was never going to get home unless he was a super horse going that pace. Niall was good and patient and gave him a nice introduction and he’s done well our horse, I’m very happy.
“It will depend what the handicapper does to him, but there is a two-mile chase at Lingfield over Millions Weekend and I might look at going there, but I’m not sure.”
Meanwhile, the fine season of King George VI winning rider Gavin Sheehan continued when he scored another Saturday success aboard Olly Murphy’s Rambo T (2/1 favourite) in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.
“He appreciated the step back in trip and I think the race fell apart somewhat,” said Murphy.
“I thought a lot of horses were beat early in the straight, but albeit it was a good performance. He doesn’t stay three miles and we hope he carries on progressing. He handles soft ground well and he is a strong stayer at two-and-a-half, just doesn’t stay three. It was a good performance and hopefully he can carry on progressing.”
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