Mark Howard reflects on the recent key action including Cheltenham Festival clues
Mark Howard felt Phoenix Way looked every inch a Festival handicap winner last week and there's a big threat to Paisley Park in the Stayers' Hurdle.
It was Trials day at Cheltenham on Saturday and Paisley Park extended his winning sequence to seven victories, claiming his second Cleeve Hurdle in the process.
While the winning margin wasn’t as emphatic as it had been 12 months earlier, Emma Lavelle’s stable star was firmly on top at the finish as he dished out a length-and-a-quarter beating to former Sky Bet Supreme and Relkeel Hurdle winner Summerville Boy. A shade of odds on now to repeat his win in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the same venue in March, the eight-year-old will be many people’s idea of banker material at the forthcoming Festival.
However, it looks far from a one horse race, especially if Thursday’s Galmoy Hurdle winner Benie Des Dieux is steered towards the Stayers’ event rather than the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, in which she was so unfortunate last spring. Returning from a break of 250 days, Willie Mullins’ French Champion Hurdle winner looked every bit as good at Gowran Park last week spreadeagling her field by upwards of 21 lengths from her stablemate and another former World Hurdle winner Penhill.
The Great Pretender mare has won eight of her nine starts for Mullins and sauntered clear through the gloom. Unbeaten in two outings over three miles plus, she is a four-times Grade One winner and, if she is ever going to go down the Stayers’ route at the Festival, this is her year. Available at 6/1 with one firm, she is a huge price. Fingers crossed Susannah and Rich Ricci’s outstanding mare gets the go ahead because it promises to be a mouthwatering clash.
Santini provided Nicky Henderson with his first win in the Cotswold Chase since Raffi Nelson won the same event under Steve Smith-Eccles in 1980. Third in the Albert Bartlett and a close second in the RSA Chase at the last two Festivals, the former winning British pointer had been workmanlike to say the least on his return at Sandown in November.
The Milan gelding had his palate cauterised soon afterwards and produced a far superior performance as he got the better of Bristol De Mai in a protracted duel over the final circuit. Staying on dourly, Nico De Boinville’s mount edged out the dual Betfair Chase winner and last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup third by three-and-a-half lengths. Rated 163, this was a major step in the right direction with stamina seemingly his strong suit and he is evidently much more at home racing left-handed. There is no doubt he is a contender for the biggest prize of all but more will be required to dethrone Al Boum Photo.
The unbeaten Sporting John received a healthy form boost when Harry Senior lifted the Grade Two novice hurdle over two-and-a half miles. Saturday’s winner had finished a length-and-three quarters behind Philip Hobbs’ charge when the pair met at Exeter earlier in the season. Harry Senior has benefited from stepping up in trip since winning by five lengths at Chepstow over Christmas and then outstaying the free going King Roland over the weekend.
Despite those wins coming over the intermediate trip, there is every possibility Colin Tizzard will aim him at the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle over three miles at the Festival. Third in an Irish point before he joined his current yard, he looks a stayer and could be even better over further. As regards Sporting John, he is set to clash with another Tizzard trained Graded winner, Master Debonair, in a Listed novices’ hurdle at Exeter early next month.
Not for the first time, Lady Buttons stole the headlines at Doncaster on Sky Bet Chase day with another terrific display in the Grade Two Mares’ Hurdle. Phil Kirby’s ten-year-old has now won 15 of her 32 races and earned nearly £300,000 in prize-money. Ridden for the first time by Sean Quinlan, she quickened after the last to comfortably beat Irish Roe and the well supported Floressa.
The other performance of note at Town Moor was provided by Mister Fisher in the Grade Two Lightning Novices’ Chase. A Grade Two winner over hurdles last season, the Jeremy gelding is really getting his act together over fences. Successful over two-and-a-half miles at Cheltenham in December, he had sufficient speed to cope with the drop back to the minimum trip here beating Al Dancer by a length. The return to a drying surface appeared to aid his cause and Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old has options in the Arkle or Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. He won’t look out of place in either, although the better the ground, the better his chance.
There was some good action at Fairyhouse on Saturday and the card kicked off with an impressive display from Allaho in the two miles five beginners’ chase. Willie Mullins’ ex-French gelding was third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle last March behind Minella Indo and he chased home the same rival at the Punchestown Festival six weeks later.
Like so many of his stablemates, the six-year-old appeared to need his initial outing this time around when a good second behind Easy Game at Leopardstown’s Christmas fixture. Benefitting from the outing, he readily pulled away to win hard held by 21 lengths. His jumping was swift and accurate as he booked his place for a return to Gloucestershire in March, where his target will either be the Marsh or RSA Chase. I would favour the latter and set up another rematch with Henry De Bromhead’s dual Grade One novice hurdler.
Fine horse - Allaho jumps nicely and makes all in an effortless first chasing success for @PTownend and Willie Mullins at @Fairyhouse @CPStudOfficial pic.twitter.com/Eww1HhXyAI
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 25, 2020
If we saw a future Festival handicap winner last week, there is every chance it was the progressive Phoenix Way who won snugly in a Pertemps qualifier at Huntingdon on Friday.
Harry Fry’s lightly raced ex-pointer was returning from an absence of 383 days and had undergone surgery on his breathing in the interim. Fitted with a tongue tie and tackling three miles for the first time, the Stowaway gelding travelled powerfully under a confident Barry Geraghty. Quickening after the last, he readily reeled in Kansas City Chief to win by a head, a margin which flattered Neil Mulholland’s runner-up.
Having scored off a mark of 133 on his handicap debut, the seven year old is virtually guaranteed his place in the line up at Cheltenham in six weeks' time.
Owner JP McManus has won the Pertemps Final on three occasions this century and it will be a surprise if Phoenix Way doesn’t go mighty close to providing him with another victory.
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