Rest of Kempton review on Lanzarote Hurdle day: Arclight shines

Arclight stays unbeaten

Nicky Henderson plans to waste no time in trying to secure Arclight some valuable black type after she maintained her unbeaten record over jumps facile in the Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.

Faced with just the three rivals the daughter of Champs Elysees saw her task made all the more easier with chief market rival Regally Blonde parting company with Bryan Carver at the first flight of the two mile prize.

The 8/15 Favourite then had to survive her own piece of drama around the bend carrying them out onto their final circuit with Nico de Boinville having to take evasive action to avoid the loose horse.

Left out in front for the remainder of the race Arclight, who won one of her seven starts when trained on the flat by Sir Mark Prescott, sauntered home by 43 lengths to set up a tilt at the Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster on January 27th.

Henderson said: “Nico said you wouldn’t know which way the loose horse was going to go. It could have gone anywhere and you have got to be thinking but he is quite a good thinker.

“To be fair that (Regally Blonde) was the one that had equal sort of form to what we had on the Flat, so giving it a penalty could have been interesting. You have got to take what you are given and they gave us that and bad luck to them.

“She is a sweet filly and as Nico says she is very game and genuine. She handled that but I can’t believe she liked it.

“There is a four year old fillies’ Listed race at Doncaster on Friday week. I think having had to do what she has had to do today we will go there.

“That is where she was going but I stuck her in here and said to David (Sumpter) who runs the syndicate you can’t not come here.

“I think now that if all was right we go to Doncaster on Friday week to get a bit of black type then the game is a different ball game altogether.”

Henderson and De Boinville ensured they made it a double when Quick Draw justified 5/4 favouritism with the minimum of fuss in the Coral Bet Bundles Handicap Chase.

“They we’re going a bit quick for him early on in that ground, but he kept jumping away and has a lot of ability,” said Henderson.

“Barney (Clifford, clerk of the course) says there’s a race for him at the meeting they have straight after Cheltenham, and that should suit. He’s not a horse for those big-field handicaps at the Festival.”

Collectors Item for O'Neill

Most owners have their sights set on trying to get a runner at The Cheltenham Festival in March. However, that is not the case for syndicate Jackdaws Antiques who have pencilled in an outing at Sandown Park the same month with the progressive Collectors Item.

Having proven no match Hermes Allen in a Grade Two at Cheltenham on his previous start in November, the Jonjo O’Neill-trained six year old got his career back on track upped to an extended three miles in the Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Hurdle.

Drawing alongside 10/11 Favourite Makin’Yourmindup on the run to the final flight the gelded son of Flemensfirth (returned at 11/10) sealed victory with a superb leap at the last before going on to score by two lengths under Jonjo O’Neill Jr.

Following the race connections identified the European Breeders’ Fund Paddy Power “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown Park on March 11th as his main target.

John Goodman, spokesman for the winning owners, said of the 11/10 winner: “We got him at the Cheltenham sale the December before last.

“He cost a bit more than we wanted to pay (£115,000) but we loved him and he was from a good family, which includes Lady Rebecca.

“He is not the biggest but he looks like an athlete and he will gallop all day long for you. The ground has been too dry for him and Jonjo said how he won over two miles he will never know as this is his trip.

“The ground was too quick for him at Cheltenham last time but he stayed on all the way up the hill.

“He really pinged the last and he has run right to the line. We will look at the EBF Final at Sandown Park with him now but he needs to qualify for that so we will look at a little qualifier in February.”

Annsam destroys them from the front

Evan Williams hopes history doesn’t repeat itself after earmarking next month’s Coral Trophy Handicap Chase as the next target for Annsam following his decisive victory in the Coral Racing Club Handicap Chase over course and distance.

Last sighted finishing sixth in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in November the Wayne Clifford-owned eight year old, who pulled up in the Coral Trophy last season, run his rivals ragged before prevailing by 17 lengths.

Williams said of the 7/2 winner: “He is smashing on his day. He ran well in the Ladbrokes Trophy. The reality is that old ground stopped a lot behind us, if you are brutal about it, as there were a lot of horses in trouble there going out onto the second circuit.

“I wouldn’t want to get overly carried away with that performance but it is nice to see him do it. He is just a good horse and you good see at Newbury last time, he got beaten but ran a great race.

“I would say so (that will come back for the Coral Trophy at Kempton Park on February 25th). It all went wrong in that race last year though we will get a few pounds for today. I would say it be the right job to come and have a crack at it.”

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