Sandown Friday review & replays

Fay stays best

Stay Away Fay (8/11 favourite) left his jubilant connections dreaming of more Grade One glory at the Cheltenham Festival later in the season after being described as "proper horse" by triumphant trainer Paul Nicholls following his front running success in the Betfair Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Entering the campaign on the back of a fine season over smaller obstacles highlighted by his victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March the Shantou gelding made it two wins from as many starts over fences when grinding his rivals into submission in the Grade Two prize.

The small but select field of four runners was reduced mid race when The Changing Man, despite the best efforts of Brendan Powell, came to grief, however it failed to stop those in the stands at the Esher track being served a finish to savour.

After jumping the third last together it looked as though Stay Away Fay was a sitting duck out in front with Stephen Mulqueen appearing to have a double handful aboard Giovinco on the run down to the penultimate fence.

However, the scene soon changed after the final fence when both horses were asked for their maximum efforts with Stay Away Fay responding best to pressure before prevailing by a length and a half to give Nicholls and Cobden victory in the inaugural running of the three mile contest.

Nicholls said: “He digs deep and stays and gallops. He is a proper horse. I knew he would stay and gallop all the way to the line. It is a hard in front as he doesn’t do a whole heap in front.

“In those better races when you have loads of company and they go a true gallop it helps him. No one was going to takes us on so we were left in front and we had to do the donkey work and you are a sitting duck, but one thing he does is gallop all the way to the line and he stays on strong. He is a good horse.

“I’m definitely not going for the National Hunt Chase and if he runs anywhere it will be the Brown Advisory at the Festival.

“We might look at something like the Reynoldstown at Ascot, but there are no real plans. He will not go to Kempton (for the Kauto Star) that is for sure as he will have a little break now."

As for Chris Giles, who owns Stay Away Fay with Dave Staddon, he was excited about what the future holds for one of the most promising novice chasers in Britain.

Giles said: “He had a lot of work to do. He did a lot of work by himself. It was a tough race for him, but it was a nice staying finish and that is what you want up the Sandown hill. I think the second is a good animal and that is a nice race to win. We are very happy, especially as he was giving three pounds away.

“It was lovely to see him do it over those fences. Around the Railway Fences down the back straight twice meant there was a lot of jumping involved. He did not miss a fence. I think Harry thinks he would be better with a lead.

“He stays as he has got the stamina. I don’t think he is ever going to be a horse that wins by 10 or 15 lengths, but more so by two or three lengths. He will give us a lot of fun.

“We will miss the Kauto Star Chase for sure, but you wouldn’t be afraid to go straight to Cheltenham. I think he is proper horse and it was lovely to see him do that today. Listening to Paul he thinks he is a proper horse and he doesn’t want to over race him in his novice season as there is more to come. You have got to (think of the Gold Cup next season) when you go and see him do that.”

Silence makes big impression

Dan Skelton insisted that a big bag of carrots would be a fitting reward for Deafening Silence who moved a significant step closer to an outing at the Cheltenham Festival when grinding out victory in the Betfair Beacons Winter Novices’ Hurdle.

The Alcester handler predicted that the lightly raced six-year-old has a ‘massive future’ after following up his last time out success at Exeter when bravely getting the better of a late battle with Insurrection in the Grade Two contest.

Ridden patiently for much of the race by Harry Skelton the 6/1 chance steadily worked his way into contention before moving on after the leading pair of Insurrection and Josh The Boss at the penultimate flight where favourite Southoftheborder parted company with Nico de Boinville.

Three soon became two up front as Josh The Boss and Jamie Neild went their separate ways at the final flight leaving long time leader Insurrection and Deafening Silence to fight out an entertaining finish to the two and a half mile prize.

Having been out in front from virtually the fall of the flag Insurrection was unable to quite hold off the final challenge thrown down by Deafening Silence who forged on close to the line before scoring by two and a half lengths to complete a quick fire double for the Skelton brothers.

Dan Skelton said: “The two six-year-olds have come along way clear and I think that is the type of day it is. That bit of strength on this ground, around this track is so important. He is obviously a very strong stayer.

“I wouldn’t say Harry was off the bridle, but he was a bit cold on him the whole way round. He has got a fabulous attitude, and he wants to keep doing it. There is not a lot not to like about him.

“We had a sloppy jump two and I thought is that our chance gone, but he is a tenacious horse.

“I got him out of an English point-to-point so it is nice to fly a flag for the English pointers. I think he is a horse with a massive future. I said beforehand that he didn’t have to win today to think he has a big future, but that obviously cements that. A big bag of carrots is next for him.”

Following the race Deafening Silence was introduced at 20-1 by Unibet for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival which is likely to be his long term target according to the Shelfield Green handler.

He added: “You would have to go up to three miles with him. Two and a half miles around here is three and more at most venues. We will just pick and choose.

“He could run at Cheltenham on Trials Day over two and a half miles, but it would want to be really soft or he could go to Doncaster over three miles (River Don) or there is Haydock Park two weeks later (Prestige) over three miles.”

“It is an acceptable dream to have (to go to the Cheltenham Festival). You wouldn’t want to be going to an Albert Bartlett at a tender age, but with his age and strength and the form to back it up I think it is an acceptable situation to go there.”

Blinkers work the trick for Tempest

Dan Skelton hailed the application of a set blinkers helping "little rascal" Mount Tempest unlock his potential over fences in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.

Having chased home Iceo at Newton Abbot on his chasing debut the gelded son of Walk In The Park then failed to fire when sent off joint-favourite on his latest start at Wetherby.

However, under an attacking ride from Harry Skelton the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing owned six-year-old turned a corner in the extended one mile seven-furlong contest which the 11/2 chance claimed by a length and a half.

Skelton said: “He has obviously got plenty of ability, but he is a little rascal as he probably only uses whatever he wants to.

“It was a very good run (at Newton Abbot) and it encouraged us to think we will go and win next time, but he did the thinking next time out. The other day at Wetherby we gave him the chance to get the trip, but he went ‘oh yeah I’ll stay behind then’.

“I don’t think the trip is the biggest problem, I think it is the application and obviously the blinkers have helped him. He will probably go to the Winter Million Festival at Lingfield as there is either a novices’ handicap chase, or handicap chase, that is worth quite a bit.”

Castelfort in control

Castelfort produced the perfect sales pitch after getting the Chasing Gold Racing Club up and running for the 2023/24 National Hunt campaign when showing plenty of courage in the betting.betfair.com “Introductory” Juvenile Hurdle.

The Jane Williams-trained three-year-old demonstrated that stamina is very much his forte when wearing down hurdles debutant Ithaca’s Arrow in the closing strides of the two mile prize to go one better than at Chepstow 55 days ago.

Looking booked for second over the final flight the 10/11 favourite, who shares are still available in, was not to be denied after finding extra reserves close to the line before prevailing by a head under David Noonan.

Tom Chadney, syndicate manager, said: “We have a maximum of 50 shares in the horse and there are still some available in him. We are thrilled as we have had four seconds this season so far and this is our first winner of the season. Finishing second is great but nothing beats having a winner.

“We were hopeful coming here today as he ran well at Chepstow, and we knew the ground wouldn’t bother him but in these types of races you never know what you are up against.

“I thought he would keep going all the way to the line as he is very tough. This is all a bit of a rehearsal really. When he ran at Chepstow he was very big over his hurdles and he will probably go chasing as a four year old while he will stay a lot further than that.

“He has had two runs now and I imagine he won’t run for another couple of months as that was a hard race today, but we will have a chat with Jane and see what she says. We don’t over race them at this age as we want them to be there at nine years old.”

Rest of the action...

Man of the moment Gavin Sheehan came up with the goods once again in the saddle after putting the stamina of Animal to good use in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.

Having piloted Datsalrightgino to glory in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday the 31-year-old was not for stopping aboard the Suzy Smith-trained seven-year-old.

Making the most of the weight he received from all bar one of his rivals the 13/2 chance galloped on resolutely after the last in the three mile event to defeat My Silver Lining by four and a half lengths much to the delight of the Littlehampton handler.

Smith said: “I was really pleased with him. It has been quite a struggle finding races with him, but three miles here with the hill we knew would play into his strengths a little bit. He had a nice weight today and both Gavin and Sean (Bowen) felt he could be a regional National type of horse.

“Gavin said it was almost happening a bit too quick down the back straight but then his stamina kicked in and he found himself there quite nicely and it was all over. I think this is probably as soft as he wants it. Gavin felt that a Midlands National could be a target for him. Some of those other Nationals are on ground which is a real slog.

“We will just enjoy this today and think about plans later on. He is a horse we have always thought a lot off, but he has just really switched off now in getting his act together.”

After several years of trying jockey Robbie Dunne finally celebrated victory Sandown Park after hitting all the right notes aboard Classic Tune in the Betfair Racing Podcasts Novices’ Handicap Hurdle to leave just Kelso as the one remaining British jumps track he is yet to ride a winner at.

Without a win in his 33 previous rides at the course the 38-year-old finally set the record straight when galvanising the Jim Boyle-trained 100/30 chance to glory by two lengths in the concluding two-mile contest.

Dunne said: “I’ve only Kelso left in Britain to ride a winner at so hopefully I can get that out of the way. Then I have Killarney, Listowel and Kilbeggan and Thurles to ride winners at over jumps back in Ireland.

“I’ve had a few placed ones here for Venetia (Williams) and I think I’ve been second in the London National twice. It was a nice feeling passing the post in front here today. Hopefully I can get those remaining tracks done in the next few years.

As for Classic Anthem he added: “He has had wind done since his last run and that has worked out well. He has ended up doing that well. When the ground was as testing as it is out there today I just didn’t want to commit too soon but I felt he was always going to get there.”

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