Another fantastic weekend of racing to reflect on, starting with Bangor and Cheltenham on Friday.
We will start at Bangor, where favourite backers got off to the worst possible start as Malt Master was turned over on chase debut at 2/5. Two things I wanted to mention here, Susan Gardner had a double, a trainer who does very well indeed with limited ammunition. I was also taken by the debut of Wing Mira from the Venetia Williams yard in the bumper, who ran on well near the finish under hand riding from Sam Thomas, and despite being green, he seems to have quite a bit of ability.
As for Cheltenham, rain in the morning meant that the ground was very testing. I thought Super Duty put up a nice display of jumping to win the opener, unlike Broadbackbob, who will be much better on a faster surface. The race was overshadowed by the passing of Hildisvini, who broke a shoulder when falling at the second last. A lovely horse and a sad loss. Dark Lover was an easy victor in the two mile handicap hurdle, and still looked like a horse on the improve. The finish of the day was in the three mile one furlong handicap chase where Midlands National winner Master Overseer overhauled Quartz De Thaix in a titanic battle up the hill. Master Overseer is very tough and really sticks his head out and wants to win, which makes him great to watch when in top form.
The Cross Country was given the go-ahead at twelve o'clock, and it provided another great spectacle for racegoers as Outlaw Pete won well for Josh Halley. Josh's father John, who trained the winner is also the head vet for Aidan O'Brien. I thought Samantha Drake gave Leac An Scail a super ride, and fully deserved a place, despite running from 19lbs out of the handicap.
Yet again I was very impressed with At Fishers Cross, who is still a bit babyish and doesn't always jump that well, but must have a serious engine to win as nicely as he did at Cheltenham and at Newbury the time before over five furlongs shorter. He is still lightly raced and could develop into either a very good chaser, or a live World Hurdle contender for 2014, whichever the yard and JP McManus decide. Melodic Rendezvous rounded off the card with a win for Nick Scholfield and Jeremy Scott, a lethal combination this season registering a 21% strike rate and all of Scott's winners have been ridden by Nick.
On to Saturday, and the jumping came from Doncaster, Lingfield and Cheltenham. We begin at Lingfield, who raced on very testing ground. The card was marred by Felix De Giles taking the wrong course aboard Newton Tonic in the handicap chase, resulting in a 12 day ban. They did have a Grade 2 on the card, the RSA Trial Chase, which went the way of Court In Motion for the Emma Lavelle yard, battling on gamely from Houblon Des Obeaux. He is a lovely horse, and could perhaps develop into a Welsh National horse next year.
Doncaster hosted a good card including the Grade 2 Summit Juvenile Hurdle, which went the way of Kashmir Peak, from the John Quinn yard under Dougie Costello, the same team that won this in 2011 with Royal Bonsai. He travelled best through the race and idled when he hit the front to score narrowly from Sametegal. I saw Counsel running on well late in the race for fourth, and deduced that he may be better suited by an end to end gallop. Rocky Creek made a winning chase debut for Paul Nicholls, jumping well in the main and staying on well. The finish of the day was certainly the feature handicap chase won by Court By Suprise, another Emma Lavelle winner on a day she would have a cross card treble involving a double at Doncaster. There were four in with every chance at the last, before the fast finishing Night In Milan joined the argument late on with a storming run under Jonathan England, Misstree Dancer was third and Corkage fourth ; distances a nose and two necks!! A thrilling race and a fine example of National Hunt racing.
For me the star of the day was Dominic Elsworth, who was in inspired form. He rode a double, the first of which was on Wiesentraum for Lucy Wadham, who was last down the back straight and struggling, but he remianed patient and delivered him to lead at the last, and then at his strongest to hold off Vintage Star by a neck. The second win was the opposite, making all on Easter Meteor for Emma Lavelle. He jumped really well, and Dom always had a bit up his sleeve and asserted on the extended run-in to score by four and a half lengths. A fine example to any budding jockeys of judging pace, jumping and timing.
Cheltenham had a high class card, but the ground was very testing. Far West won again in an uncompetitive opener for Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls. Our Father was beaten at odds on by Highland Lodge, maybe because Timmy Murphy was unavailable to ride due to injury and he seems to get the best out of him, having ridden him on every start to date. Shooters Wood was very game in winning the handicap chase, rallying to overtake His Excellency close home. Coneygree was impressive in the three mile novice hurdle, dictating from the front and staying on strongly up the hill to score by six lengths. He is very likeable, but my worry for him at The Festival would be him getting taken on for the lead, which he hasn't experienced early in a race before.
There is nothing like a good old-fashioned gamble in a Saturday handicap, and Paul Nicholls executed it perfectly with Unioniste, under a great ride by Harry Derham. Scraping in as first reserve on Friday, he jumped very well and stayed on well. It wasn't all good for Nicholls though as Cristal Bonus sustained a broken pelvis with a circuit to go and had to be put down. The International Hurdle featured a clash between Zarkandar, Grandouet and reigning Champion Hurdler Rock On Ruby. They finished in that order, and I thought that Grandouet ran the best, after not running for a year, on ground that was too soft and giving Zarkandar 4lbs, he would be very close to him come March. Zarkandar is a very good horse, but I'm not sure how well the Old Course suits him, which he will run on in the Champion in March. Saying that though, like Rock On Ruby who ran well to a point to Saturday, they are tactically versatile. Oscar Whisky won the Relkeel Hurdle for a second successive year at a relative hack canter by nineteen lengths.
Sunday bought us racing from Hereford, Musselburgh and Carlisle. It was the last meeting at Hereford, for the time being anyway, and it was sad to see it go. I was there last month for some work experience and you couldn't go to a friendlier racecourse, the viewing is brilliant with a good atmosphere as well. Let's hope it will be back soon. Danny Cook was the star at Musselburgh riding a four timer, with the biggest margin being a length and a quarter. His ride on Dusky Bob was exquisite, never say die and got up close home to score by a neck. Carlisle also went for a seven race card, with Corrin Wood and Morning Royalty both impressive winners of the novice hurdles.
The weekend dark horse to follow: Atriptomilan (Jonjo O'Neill) - Finished fifth in the 2m6f Novice hurdle at Hereford on Sunday. This son of Milan was making his rules debut after a point win in Ireland in April. He was very green, and as a four year old running against older and more experienced horses, definitely showed himself more than capable of winning a race when he matures a bit more.
Hope you've enjoyed my review of the weekend, and if you have any feedback, either tweet me @willbowler2k12 or fill in the box below.
Will
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