December 1 – Ayr – Upon Tweed – 69
Nicky Richards’ inmate finds his way onto the pages of this column for the second time this season and deservedly so, after impressing with the manner of victory both visually and on the clock. Once again, he probably did not beat a great deal but fundamentally he won well despite the very testing conditions and there is little doubt we will see him to better advantage on a livelier surface further down the line. He remains one to keep firmly on side.
December 3 – Haydock – Mydaddypaddy – 66
Dan Skelton’s gelding seemingly had everything to lose and not a lot to gain on his second start over hurdles but the upshot of it all was he actually achieved more in this three runner affair than he did on his debut. We could all see the promise he displayed at Carlisle a month prior but the time figure he achieved did not really amount to a great deal whereas here, he edged towards the sort of level required to put him towards the conversation of better races for further down the line. The fact he had loads left in the locker when hitting the line suggests there is plenty more to come and this performance was much more in line with a horse – rightfully or wrongly – at the head of the Supreme betting.
December 5 – Exeter – Gentleman Toboot – 68
Atrocious conditions at the west country venue but that did not prevent David Pipe’s gelding from posting a very useful speed figure. Setting out to make it a proper test, the five-year-old jumped noticeably well at the head of affairs and he saw the trip out well despite being constantly pestered for the lead by his main market rival, Klub De Reve. This was a fair effort for a horse dropping back almost three quarters of a mile and this versatility bodes well for a horse who is very much seen as a chaser next season. As for the runner-up, he probably wants to stretch out in trip and something like the final of the EBF series might be a suitable target.
December 5 – Sandown – No Drama This End – 66
Impressive though he may have been on his hurdling debut at Cheltenham, the clock suggested he was almost impossible to assess but at least with the speed figure of this performance, we have a better guide to the merits of him going forward. There was occasions when Paul Nicholls’ grey looked in a shade of bother but he soon dispelled that theory the way he loomed up going well two out and from that juncture, he was not subjected to a hard ride. Although the opposition was not top class, they were four who had showed a reasonable amount of promise and the way he kicked them into touch was very taking. Clearly a horse with a huge engine, the son of Walk In The Park will surely to contesting Grade 1’s from the remainder of his career and the Challow Hurdle could well be the next port of call for the this future Gold Cup type.
December 5 – Sandown – Salver – 67
Unable to cope with the natural speed and talent of Lulamba on his chase debut over two miles, Gary & Josh Moore’s inmate was stepped up significantly in trip to see whether there was mileage in him as a staying chaser and on the evidence of this display, the experiment proved to be an instant success. Held up to get the three miles, the five-year-old arrived at the Pond Fence going best and from that juncture, he proved too strong for Doyen Quest, who gave another bold sight from the front. The main feature of this effort was his final circuit being 4.6 seconds quicker than two-mil handicap winner Keep Running and the combination of speed and stamina he showed at the Esher track should stand him in good stead for the rest of his career over fences.
December 6 – Sandown – Hurricane Pat – 71
A tricky afternoon for compiling accurate figures due to the rain sweeping through cards mid-afternoon, but we are still happy to flag up this opening novice hurdle as a useful one of its kind. The pre-race market went heavily in the direction of Sober Glory following his impressive debut at Chepstow, but he failed to shine as anticipated and the door was left open for Gary & Josh Moore’s inmate to exploit. Shabalko D’herm ensured the gallop was a solid one from the start but when he fell away on the approach to the second last, it soon became apparent Hurricane Pat was moving the best and from that juncture he drew steadily clear of his rivals. Without being subjected to a particularly hard ride, the son of Kalanisi posted the sort of speed figure that puts him towards the top of our tree in this division and it will be interesting to see where connections aim him next. Sadly, the Tolworth Hurdle is no longer run at the track, but they need to find out whether he proves equally effective away from Sandown and if he does, then this scopey five-year-old rates a serious contender for the Supreme – for which he is currently available to back at 25-1.
December 6 – Sandown – Lulamba – 76
A truly brilliant performance by Nicky Henderson’s inmate, highlighted by the fact he made the likes of the very useful pair, Be Aware and Lump Sum, look decidedly ordinary and one gets the feeling watching him, we are only just scratching the surface in the initial stage of his chasing career. There is certainly room for improvement with his jumping, he is still a little up and down and not as slick through the air than ideal, but he will surely get better with more practice. The good thing about his technique, however, he doesn’t put himself in too much danger of falling and he is so quick to gather his stride, he can soon rectify the situation in between fences. Indeed, the pace he exhibited to leave his main rivals in his wake after two out was frightening and the further he went, the better he looked. Long term, he will easily get beyond two miles but for now, he remains the most exciting prospect in this division this side of the Irish Sea we have seen for some time and it is a surprise to still see him as second favourite for the Arkle using our speed figures as a guide. As for the second and third, it must have been a sobering experience for their set of connections to get beaten in that manner and they will have to restructure the rest of their seasons accordingly.
December 6 – Wetherby – Starmount – 70
It has been a stellar season so far for Ben Pauling and this guy was yet another cab off the rank to make an immediate impact in the novice hurdle category. Setting off at a good gallop, he soon forced his main market rival, Ade Boy, to make a series of errors and by the time he had swung for home, it was clear he was still in cruise control. Without being subjected to maximum pressure, he maintained a healthy advantage all the way to the line and his speed figure puts him the top ten of UK novices we have so far this season. A former Irish point winner, he is clearly not short of pace and he looks the type who will improve significantly on this initial outing. Nice prospect.