Inside today’s main piece I you can read my Cheltenham Trials Day review.
Although underwhelmed by the quality of entries for Cheltenham Trials Day. However, I couldn’t fault the day for excitement and its passed quickly despite a bumper eight races.
Saturday Review
Doncaster Premier Racing Day was also excellent. It was the Doncaster card that provided me with a tidy profit on the day courtesy of Kerryhill’s success in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett River Don Novices' Hurdle. The Ruth Jefferson trained 6-year-old appreciated the return to a flatter track and got a peach of ride from Brian Hughes.
It would have been an even better day if Forward Plan had won the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase. He failed by a nose to reel in the front running Annual Invictus. The 8-year-old had lost a couple of lengths when short of room on the turn and that probably made the difference.
Cheltenham Trials Day
Let’s begin this Cheltenham Trials Day Review with my two top performances on the afternoon.
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth never turned a hair in winning the International Hurdle. It was a winning seasonal return for last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner who had grown and matured since last seen in action. A neat and accurate hurdle who has a turn of foot. She’s the best mare in training and will comfortably win the Mares’ Hurdle at the Festival. Sadly, that’s not the race she should be running she should be taking on Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle.
It highlights all the bad things about jumps racing, particularly the lack of competition. If she wasn’t trained by Willie Mullins, she would be Champion Hurdle bound after Saturday’s success.
Runner up Love Envoi went with more zest than on her Sandown seasonal reappearance. Like the winner she’s likely to go to for the Mares Hurdle a race she was second in last year. It’s hard to see her reversing places with winner there given she was beaten more than 9 lengths.
Sir Gino
Sir Gino maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles when powering up the Cheltenham hill to win the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle. It was a brilliant performance by the winner who comfortably saw of the previously unbeaten Burdett Road. The runner-up may just have needed the run after a 70 day absence, and he didn’t see out his race as strongly as the winner.
Sir Gino is now a strong favourite for the Triumph Trial and is the best British trained juvenile. He will face a sterner test from the Irish challengers in March, but it will take a good one to beat him.
Capodanno Lands Cotswold Chase
There were question marks about all six runners in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Cotswold Chase. There was plenty of support for Capodanno but I didn’t think he would end up being as short as he did. The money proved to be spot on as he produced a decent change of gear coming to the last to beat The Real Whacker and Stay Away Fay.
Capodanno was a smart novice chaser to seasons back and appreciated Saturday’s better ground. He isn’t entered in the Gold Cup, and I doubt he will be supplemented. If he does go to the festival its likely to be for the Ryanair Chase. Alternatively, he could miss Cheltenham and head to Aintree.
In winning he paid a handsome compliment to Galopin Des Champs who beat him comfortably last time.
It was a much better effort from The Real Whacker who rallied up the hill and managed to snatch second off Stay Away Fay.
The novice Stay Away Fay was only having his third start over fences and wasn’t disgraced albeit you would have expected him to see out his race more strongly than he did.
If there was an unlucky runner in the race it was Ahoy Senor. His jockey’s stirrup broke for from home which compromised his chance. Up until then the 9-year-old was in the process of returning to form for the first time this season.
Royale Pagaille was rallying and would probably have finished second but for taking a heavy fall at the last.
There was a sad postscript to the race Datsalrightgino was fatally injured after falling at the 9th.
Elxir du Nutz Shocks Jonbon
Hands ups if you backed Elxir du Nutz in the Grade 1 Clarence House Stakes? Me neither. A good day for the Tizzard yard and a memorable one for young conditional jockey Freddie Gingell.
Elxir du Nutz caused a major surprise to beat Jonbon. It had looked a penalty kick for Jonbon but things didn’t go well for the 1/4 favourite in the jumping stakes. He made a bad mistake four out and almost unseated his jockey.
Jonbon has some engine as he got back into the race and was just in front at the last. Another error there and those earlier mistakes took their toll on the run-in, and he was beaten a neck into second.
In truth none of the five runners put in a good display of good jumping but the winner made the less mistakes.
If jockey James Bowen had come off Jonbon at the fourth last. Then you could have written the race off as one of those things. Instead, he had a harder race than anticipated.
It’s hard to Jonbon beating El Fabiolo in the Champion Chase if he jumps like he did here. The only hope that his backers have is the return of Nico De Boinville in the saddle. Nico has ridden him more aggressively on two starts this season than James Bowen did on Saturday. Not sure about the tactics on Jonbon but he’s a better horse when he’s asked to attack his fences.
Noble Yeats Edges Out Paisley Park in Cleeve Hurdle Thriller
It was a battle of the veteran staying hurdlers in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle. 2022 Grand National Winner Noble Yeats was back over hurdles and got first run on Paisley Park and that proved decisive in a thrilling finish. Paisley Park hit a flat spot two out and was outpaced but he stayed on well after the last and failed by a head to give 6lb to the winner.
Noble Yeats will now head for the Stayers Hurdle at the Festival before another tilt at the Grand National. Paisley Park is also Stayers Hurdle bound and despite being a 12-year-old he’s likely to go well. There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he was pull it off in March.
Fry’s Dilemma
I took evens about Gidleigh Park in the Grade 2 novice hurdle (2m 4 ½ f) that concluded Trials Day. He made hard work in winning and coming to the last it looked like Lucky Place had him beat. I have to say I was expecting better.
To his credit Gidleigh Park proved his class by battling back on the run-in. He’s progressing with racing and will have learned plenty from having to battle to prevail. I’m just praying trainer Harry Fry will see that the Albert Bartlett is the race if he’s to win here in March.
My guess is Harry will use the time from now until the Festival to convince himself that the Ballymore is indeed the horses race. The Ballymore is run on the old course which is more a test of speed. He won’t win a Ballymore even with a stronger pace to chase.
The third home Isaac Des Obeaux’s two wins have come on soft/heavy ground. He needs more give in the ground and looks one who’ll do better over fences next season.
Cheltenham Trials Day Verdict:
The standout performance of Trials Day was produced by Lossiemouth. closely followed by Sir Gino in the opening juvenile hurdle.
It’s just sad that we won’t be seeing Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle. The argument is to go for the easier Mares’ Hurdle this year and then go for the Champion Hurdle next year. The problem is the mare might not be in the same form next season. If she was to run in a Champion Hurdle this year, she would have a bigger chance of upsetting Constitution Hill than her stablemate State Man. Strike now while the iron is hot.
What Else Did We Learn?
It will take a good Irish juvenile to beat Sir Gino in the Triumph Hurdle here in March.
Neither the Clarence House Chase or Cotswold Chase are likely to have an impact on the Festival. And I don’t think the Cleeve Hurdle will either.
Finally, it must be the Albert Bartlett and not the Ballymore for Gidleigh Park at the Festival.
All in all, good day’s racing and there’s likely to be a Festival winner or two to come out of the meeting.
Next up it’s the Dublin Racing Festival and more big race excitement.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John
A great summation, thanks very much John.
You’re welcome Ted.
A poor ride from Johnny Burke on Gidleigh Park. You dont have a Ferrari and race it against a Mondeo and choose to have your race in Central London. You lose all your upside.
Burke did exactly that in not sending the far superior horse on and using his stamina instead hoping he would take them up the hill. Had he gone on when he should have they would have won half the track. Blame Burke, not the horse.