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Fifty Ball had to settle for third on his chase debut at Sandown on Sunday, but he shaped with plenty of promise behind a couple of last-time-out winners and is likely to make his mark over fences before long.
Fifty Ball was understandably a bit keen on his first start since contesting the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and that freshness perhaps proved decisive as he found less up the hill than had looked likely after he moved up going well. However, rather than focusing on his failure to overhaul the prolific Minella Trump, the main takeaway is how smoothly he tanked into contention.
Fifty Ball enjoyed a productive campaign over hurdles last term, winning a couple of novice handicaps before finishing runner-up in the Betfair Hurdle, and this promising effort should set the foundations for another successful season.
Timeform Eyecatcher: Saturday
PILEON
Fourth, 3m handicap hurdle, Aintree, Saturday 6 November
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsPILEON went through last season completely out of form, failing to convince in a couple of early starts over fences and then faring no better back over hurdles in the spring. His struggles rather mirrored those endured by his trainer Philip Hobbs, who ended the campaign with 54 winners, his lowest tally in nearly 30 years.
Hobbs has made a better start to the new campaign, though, and Pileon did likewise after six months off when fourth, beaten a little over two lengths, in the Pertemps qualifier at Aintree on Saturday.
Settled just behind the leaders for much of the race, Pileon held every chance when moving up to challenge early in the straight, but a couple of sloppy jumps at the final two flights didn’t help his cause. He tried to rally on the run-in, but his effort flattened out in the final 100 yards, ultimately shaping as if the run would bring him on.
Pileon was trying three miles for the first time at Aintree and he is likely to prove at least as effective back over two and a half miles. It’s also worth pointing out just how far he has dropped in the weights – he lined up here from a BHA mark of 132, fully 6 lb lower than when beaten just a short head in the Martin Pipe at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
There is no doubt that Pileon is a well-handicapped horse and he is very much one to keep on the right side now back in the groove.
This was potentially a good race of its type, with the winner unexposed, the next two home three-year-olds in receipt of lumps of weight, the fourth an unpenalised last-time winner and the fifth, MADE FOR YOU, catching the eye on his first start for five months.
He won a couple of handicaps at Market Rasen last season, but the blinkers he wore for those wins were left off today, and he was considerately handled throughout under a 10 lb conditional rider who was having their first ride under Rules.
Made For You was still travelling well entering the straight before being shaken up approaching two-out, but wasn’t knocked about afterwards and did finish with running left at the line. He is ideally suited by further than two miles, too, and it'll be no surprise to see him resume his improvement with this behind him.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsPoint winner VALLERES enjoyed a successful campaign over hurdles last season, winning twice and finishing runner-up on his three other outings, but he wasted no time proving himself a better chaser.
Valleres was unable to justify solid support on his chasing debut at Newbury, where he was sent off 9/4 favourite, but he shaped with plenty of promise in third in a race that should work out well.
Valleres travelled well in rear and made good headway from four out, getting into contention from the third-last. He was unable to go with the first two up the run-in but he is entitled to improve for the experience and the outing, so is one to be interested in next time. A slight step up in trip should also suit Valleres, who would have been suited by a stronger gallop at this distance.
The winner of this novice was a rare two-year-old debutant for the Henry Spiller yard and looks a nice prospect, but the same can be said for the runner-up, NICHOLAS GEORGE, who shaped particularly well with an eye to the future.
He is from a smart family who all excelled over middle and staying distances, so the fact he showed so much on his debut over a mile is encouraging, especially as he proved green in the preliminaries beforehand (he was coltish).
Nicholas George also showed inexperience in the early stages of the race, having to be bustled along for the first two furlongs to get into a prominent position, but he picked up the bridle as the race wore on, and he was in the lead at the furlong pole but had no answer for the superior turn of foot of the winner in the closing stages.
He did stay on well inside the final furlong without being given too much of a hard time, though, and he promises to improve a fair bit for that initial experience. Nicholas George is one to look out for in a similar event next time, while he also looks a cracking long-term prospect (nice sort physically).
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsRUN TO MILAN had to settle for third in the three-mile handicap chase at Exeter but he shaped with encouragement and should gain compensation before long.
Run To Milan, a wide-margin winner over course and distance on his final start last season, had a much higher mark to contend with on Tuesday but he went through the race like a well-handicapped horse and, indeed, the best at the weights.
Run To Milan impressed with how powerfully he travelled and he jumped well in the main. Unfortunately, his only jumping lapse was a serious one as he blundered at the last when still holding every chance, albeit having been narrowly headed by the eventual winner. Run To Milan, who lost second on the line after failing to recover from that bad mistake, is relatively lightly raced over fences and the way he moved through much of the race suggests he may be capable of a bit better.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsThis looked a useful handicap and it was won by an improving three-year-old in the shape of Marching Army. However, it’s fair to say that the fourth, PISTOLETTO, was probably an unlucky loser, not getting the rub of the green at all in the straight and finding the line coming too soon.
This performance proves that Pistoletto doesn't necessarily need a speed test to excel at this trip. He certainly caught the eye with how quickly he eroded the deficit late on, finishing best of all in a solidly-run race to pass the post less than two lengths behind the winner.
Pistoletto is clearly going through a good spell at the moment – he is unfortunate not to have racked up three wins from his last four starts – and there should be more races to be won with him on the all-weather this winter. He is very much one to keep on the right side.
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