Simple for Lulamba on chasing debut at Exeter

One of the leading juveniles from last season, Lulamba was beaten a neck by Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle before reversing the form in emphatic style at the Punchestown Festival in May.

He was sent off the 2/5 favourite under stable jockey Nico de Boinville and was content to take a lead from Tripoli Flyer and Salver who took the five-runner field along.

With several of the fences omitted due to the low sun, Lulamba didn’t face a particularly exacting test on chasing debut but connections will have been highly encouraged by what they saw from the four-year-old, the odds-on market leader jumping to the front three-out and coming 10 lengths clear to win from the running-on Fingle Bridge (7/1) who eventually took second from a tired-looking Salver (15/2).

Paddy Power cut Lulamba to 3/1 from 9/2 for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

De Boinville said on Racing TV: "I was all fairly smooth, I was probably one of the only ones who was a bit disappointed the fences were out down the back. We came here to educate him as much as anything and the more fences they jump in public the better."

Regarding his pre-race antics, when Lulamba almost looked like he might want to return to the stabling areas rather than head down to the start, the experienced jockey said: "You saw him trying to go home and things like that before they let me out, so he's fresh and well. He wouldn't blow a candle out there (after the race).

"He's now slow, but you can see from the way he jumps that he can definitely go further. He's just very clean and makes a lovely shape over his fences, more in the realms of your Ballyburns and things like that, rather than your hurdler-types. I think he's going to be a horse who rewards you in time, just being patient picking your battles as it were.

"They've gone a nice enough gallop, we were still fairly well bunched turning in and then it was a bit more of a sprint for home, but it's lovely ground and they're lovely fences. I just wish we'd had more of them."

Earlier on the card, Harry Lowes kept the Dan and Harry Skelton bandwagon rolling with a stylish success in the opening Persham, London Road, Exeter Novices’ Hurdle.

The red-hot Skelton team was among the weekend winners at Cheltenham’s November meeting, including a seasonal debut success for Panic Attack in Saturday’s feature Paddy Power Gold Cup, and the point-to-point winner Harry Lowes was sent off as ½ market leader on his debut under Rules.

The odds-on favourite raced freely near the back of the field early on but steadily made his way through the pack on the inside before weaving his way into the front approaching the final flight of hurdles.

Skelton didn’t need to resort to the whip to come two lengths clear of 12/1 chance Kapitein Kool, with Aguellid (in the same JP McManus ownership at the winner) taking third at 9/1.

The winner was cut to 14/1 from 25/1 by Paddy Power for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, a race won by the same stable’s The New Lion last spring.

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