Pentland Hills returns after the walkover

Pentland Hills enjoyed a Sunday stroll

Pentland Hills handed walkover following non-runner at Huntingdon

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Sun October 30, 2022 · 3y ago

Nicky Henderson secured what will undoubtedly turn out to be the easiest winner he trains all season after 2019 Triumph Hurdle winner Pentland Hills received a walkover in the Racing TV Novices’ Chase at Huntingdon.

The seven-year-old picked up the £8,713.60 purse for first place after sole rival Aucunrisque, winner of last season’s Grade Two Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton, was withdrawn by trainer Chris Gordon less than five minutes before the start of the race.

Although grateful to receive the first-place prize money Henderson admitted it now leaves him facing a dilemma with Pentland Hills, who picked up a penalty for the walkover, with the likes of Grade One-winning stablemate Jonbon and Balco Coastal in the same division.

Henderson said: “Chris had said yesterday if it was quick he might not run as he hadn’t run at Cheltenham last time. We were always going to run. It is very difficult and we all get cold feet at times as the horse comes first.

“He would handle quick ground and he has done everything right at home. He has had a run on Flat just because he had the time off and he won that.

Pentland Hills pictured with connections at Huntingdon

“The problem is he picks up a penalty and where do you go next as he is rated 150? I can’t find a race for Jonbon before the Henry VIII. There are several of them all rated in the 150s. They can’t run in a two mile novice handicap and there are no two mile novice chases.

“I’m sad to say the system makes it difficult for us. He has to come into a novice chase with a penalty. He gets lots of prize money but he has got no experience but he has to come into another novice chase with 150 rated horses giving them six or seven pounds.

“The cat hasn’t got as much cream as you think as it has given us a dilemma. There was a race at Warwick on Tuesday and I entered him in case this happened.

“To be fair the Owners Group had Stage Star in there. You can’t expect them to run two against each other but that will happen soon.

“His one great weapon is his jumping as he was a better hurdler than a Flat horse and I think he could easily be a better chaser than a hurdler. His schooling over fences has been fantastic.

“In the good old days walkovers did happen as you didn’t know what was happening, but now you have this transparency in entries that it really can’t happen but we always knew this would be a two horse race.

“There is a race at Kempton Park over two miles two in November but again we need the ground. There are just so few races.

“I’ve talked to the BHA. It is not anybody’s fault there are only two runners, it was only because of the ground and no other reason.”

Ground too quick for Gordon prospect

While keen to run Aucunrisque, who made a winning debut over fences at Uttoxeter 28 days ago, Winchester handler Gordon felt that conditions were too quick to take a chance with his stable star.

Gordon said: “When myself and Tom Cannon were together in the paddock with the owner we both said it wouldn’t be the right thing to run the horse and the owner has then agreed to pull him out of the race.

“There was massive pressure to run as it was really good prizemoney but at the end of the day I felt the ground was too quick for him. My horses are in good form and I’m dying to run them but I didn’t want to potentially jeopardise his season by running him today.

“Unfortunately it is just the way it is. I had to see the stewards afterwards as of course the decision to run was late but I didn’t get fined. In myself and Tom’s opinion it was too quick for the horse. That is no fault of the course it is just down to how the weather has been.”

Looking ahead to future engagements Gordon has raised the possibility of running in either the Grade Two Boodles “Rising Stars” Novices’ Chase at Wincanton on Saturday or the Racing TV Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Carlisle on November 7.

He said: “ I want to give him a bit of time to sort out his jumping in a smaller field. We probably won’t go to Cheltenham for the Arkle trial.

“We just want the ground to be right. I’ve got him in over two and a half at Carlisle next week and in the Grade Two at Wincanton on Saturday but the ground has got to be right.

“I’m in a lucky situation though in the fact that he has had a run and a win over fences."

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