Our man at the track Graham Clark reflects on the Super Saturday action from Newbury.
Ante-post markets suggest the man that has made the Cheltenham Festival his own is once again likely to dominate proceedings at jump racing’s annual jamboree. And in all probability that is likely to prove correct.
However, on evidence of results on Super Saturday at Newbury, two of the sport’s leading ladies might give the Closutton master something to think about.
Although the meeting had some of its gloss taken away from it following the absence of red-hot Game Spirit Chase favourite Sir Gino, who suffered a setback 24 hours earlier, it failed to stop several notable displays from being produced.
Top of that list was the performance put in by Djelo on his first try over an extended two mile seven furlong trip in a Denman Chase that was screaming for a standout star.
It was only at the last minute that trainer Venetia Williams decided to switch targets with her upwardly mobile seven-year-old having initially intended to run him in the Game Spirit.
And what a decision it proved to be with Djelo now looking a lively candidate in the Ryanair Chase, the market for which is headed by the Mullins-trained Fact To File.
With stable star L’Homme Presse set to bid for Grade One glory in the Ascot Chase next weekend it is easy to see just why Williams, who also smashed through the £1 million barrier in prize-money on Saturday. can now afford to be that bit more excited about the Festival.
She said: “15 minutes before entries closed I put him in the Denman Chase. There are not too many horses that would have been competitive in both that and the Game Spirit.
“The horse switched off beautifully, to the point where they were turning for home, and I said to Pete (Davies, owner) he has got to set him alight there and I think Charlie (Deutsch) was thinking the same. When he did it was boom and all over in three strides.
“As I’ve always said it is a season for us that runs from the beginning of November until the middle of April so our season is fairly short and concentrated and Cheltenham is a part of it. I’ve always said Cheltenham is not the be all and end all, but it has now just become that little bit more exciting for us.”
Finishing third this close to the Festival could scupper dreams of a run at the prestigious four-day meeting, especially for a yard likely to have less than a handful of runners there.
However there was nothing but a smile on the face of Rebecca Curtis after her stable star Haiti Couleurs filled that very spot in his prep run back over hurdles ahead of a tilt at the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.
And having saddled the likes of At Fishers Cross and Lisnagar Oscar, to name but a few, to Festival glory in the past, it would come as no shock should the Welsh handler see her name in the headlines once again with the talented eight-year-old.
Curtis said: “I’m really pleased. If that would have been over fences he would have won off that mark, but it would seem silly wasting that when I think the National Hunt Chase is the perfect race for him so that should put him spot on.
“It is really nice for the yard to have one like this. We are a bit low on nice novice chasers, but we are building it back up now and the likes of him help.
“He has always worked like a nice horse. He is probably a season behind for his age as he struck into himself quite badly the first season we had him.
“For his age he is relatively inexperienced. He is improving with every run and it would be nice if he can do so again at Cheltenham.”
Big wallets are a help, but dreams are fundamentally what racing is primarily fuelled on.
And the dream of having a competitive runner at the meeting most treasure above most is most certainly on for owner Jamie Shepperd following the victory of Master Chewy in the Game Spirit Chase.
Having lost dual Grade Two winner I Like To Move It back in 2023 following a fatal fall at Uttoxeter, Shepperd, who owns Master Chewy with his partner Anne-Marie, could now have in the shape of the eight-year-old, a horse capable of representing them back in the big time.
Shepperd said: “This was a proper race today and we were reasonably confident Nigel (Twiston-Davies) had placed him in the right race. I’m not saying Chewy is the fastest horse in the world, but he has just got this immense cruising speed and he just loves to cruise and keep going which he has done today.
“You are now at the top table following this race. To be at the top table and competing at that level is an achievement anyway. If we can place in a Champion Chase or a Ryanair it would be wonderful. I Like To Move It is sat beside me in my office every day and our breeding barn is named after him.
“It is a real shame we lost him, but we were lucky to have him for three years in our life. To have a horse like that and now we have Chewy as our flag bearer is great and hopefully we can have some more big days with him.”
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