Lydia Hislop Road To Cheltenham Novice Chasers

Novice chasers

Kalondra must be considered a JLT candidate after accounting for all three rivals in Cheltenham’s 2m5f Ryman Novices’ Chase last Saturday. In a race that started steadily, he travelled well and readily out-speeded the rest between the final two flights.

He was conceding weight to all bar fourth-placed Jameson after winning at Sedgefield but had been brushed aside by nine lengths by Modus at Wincanton last time.

Trainer Neil Mulholland will make plans according to how the handicapper reacts but suspects his charge will be rated in the mid-150s and indicated that the Festival may not necessarily be on the agenda at all. Jockey Noel Fehily suggested that two-and-a-half miles suits ideally, so a switch to the RSA Chase would appear unlikely.

Coo Star Sivola again ran creditably in second, Lizzie Kelly having opted against making the running on him, but Movewiththetimes just doesn’t seem to be improving his jumping technique.

Up at Doncaster the same day, Keeper Hill won the three-mile Grade Two December Novices’ Chase despite not entirely convincing with his jumping. He’d previously been beaten nine lengths by Benatar at Plumpton and here accounted for Ladbrokes Trophy fourth Braqueur D’Or, who was below his best with his jumping becoming shaky latterly.

At Fairyhouse, Moulin A Vent took another good step forward in his chasing career when galloping to a relentless 18-length victory over consistent Monbeg Notorious in the 2m7.5f beginners’ chase. Back in fourth, Bonbon Au Miel shaped better than his 58-length defeat would suggest; he may not have stayed on his seasonal debut.

Earlier on the same card, Castlegrace Paddy made a winning chase debut in the two-mile beginners’ event, readily accounting for the more fancied Bravissimo and Brelade who would both appear to need further.

At Cheltenham the previous day, Sizing Tennessee put two non-completions behind him with a six-length verdict over Duel At Dawn. The winner had looked set to take the notable scalp of Black Corton when falling at the second last on his previous visit to Cheltenham and barely took off when unseating his rider at the second obstacle on his next start at Ascot.

Here, he threw in a mixed round of jumping – some good leaps and some mistakes – and he’s already a nine-year-old but trainer Tizzard believes he could yet develop into a RSA or NH Chase candidate.

“We never thought he had an issue with his jumping until this year when he fell at the first meeting here,” Tizzard said after this success. “He just galloped into the second at Ascot and he was definitely unnerved after that. When we were schooling him, he was guessy – even on a good stride.

“We’ve done plenty of schooling in the last week but he was still a bit guessy out there today. But he’s got a big, powerful engine and he’ll probably run a couple more times.

“On good spring ground he’ll be an RSA Chase horse. That and the four-miler are the races to be looking at with him. He just wants practice – practice is everything. He’ll be a big player in the spring.”

Other performances to note from that day are Chirico Vallis’s wide-margin success for Mulholland at Bangor – good to see after his heavy fall at Ludlow on his previous start – and, more takingly, his former stable companion Peter The Mayo Man’s six-length defeat of Stowaway Magic at Doncaster.

That winner is now housed at Nicholls’ yard and threatens to be a better chaser than he was a hurdler, as impressed rider Nick Scholfield testified.

“Peter The Mayo Man is very smart,” he said. “He met some short and he met some long and that will stand him in good stead in a better class of race. Chasing is definitely going to be his game – his jumping was super.”

Finally, Eddie O’Leary has reported that Petit Mouchoir – a dual Grade One-winning hurdler last season and third in the Champion Hurdle – suffered “a small fracture” after winning on his chase debut at Punchestown in October. “We put a pin in it and he’s back cantering well. Hopefully we’ll have him right for the Irish Arkle in February,” O’Leary said.