- Monday, 27 January 2014 16:54
- Written by David Pipe
Last week was a most informative one culminating with Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday and as the name suggests, there were quite a few pointers towards the Festival in March but more of that later… The week had started off for us in good style with our first runner, Legacy Gold winning the mares’ novices hurdle impressively at Leicester on Tuesday under Tom Scudamore. Our mare had been a good bumper performer and she was taking her record here to five wins from six starts (two from three over hurdles). She was in front plenty soon enough and idled a bit, but I would be surprised if there were not more to come and she should find plenty of opportunities considering the good mares’ programme that is now available.
It is not often that you travel to Catterick and bump into a Cheltenham Festival winning hurdler in a beginners’ chase but that is exactly what happened to poor Shotavodka last Tuesday. Making his debut over the larger fences, our eight year old had shown smart form as a hurdler last term and although not the biggest horse in the yard, I was hopeful that he would make up for this with his exuberance and enthusiasm. He jumped well in the main but a slow jump at the penultimate fence didn’t help his cause and he was eventually reeled in by Pertemps Hurdle winner Holywell. Considering the winner was a 157 rated hurdler, I think Shotavodka has run very well to be beaten only 4½ lengths (having travelled best for much of the race) – I am sure there will be easier opportunities for him in due course.
Our second winner of the week came at Cheltenham on Saturday when Red Sherlock (pictured above) took the step up in class in his stride to land the Grade 2 Neptune novices’ hurdle from Irish raider Rathvinden. The way in which the front two pulled readily clear of the remainder of the field suggests that this was a very good performance. Heavy going has been known to exaggerate winning distances, although I see no reason why he shouldn’t be at least as effective on better ground. He can progress further and looks a leading contender for the Neptune in March. He will be given an entry in the Albert Bartlett as well, although we have another likely candidate for that in the shape of Kings Palace.
Most of all I was delighted for the Johnson family. Red Sherlock is a home bred gelding out of the late David Johnson’s great mare Lady Cricket so to emerge from Trials day still unbeaten and with a live chance at ‘the main event’ is something very special. I know that DJ would be relishing the prospect and there is nothing I would like more than to see his famous silks victorious come March.
There has been much debate about the performance of Big Buck’s in the Cleeve Hurdle on Saturday and as far as I am concerned he looked to retain all of his old ability until the last fifty yards. Following an absence of 420 days, he is entitled to improve for the run and remains the one to beat in the World Hurdle. The imponderable factor could well be the dreaded ‘bounce’ effect, but we won’t know whether that phenomena has occurred for another 45 days. The result does open up the World Hurdle somewhat and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Willie Mullins’ crack mare Annie Power take him on in March.
Talking of the Festival, entries closed last week for the Arkle, RSA, Jewson and NH novices’ chases. Close House is our sole representative in the Jewson, while we have Gevrey Chambertin and Edmund Kean engaged in the RSA. In the National Hunt chase for amateur riders over a gruelling four miles we have entered Edmund Kean, Standing Ovation and Guess Again. There are more early closing entries tomorrow (Tuesday), this time for the novice hurdlers – they are The Triumph Hurdle, Supreme Novices ‘ Hurdle, Neptune Novices’ Hurdle and Albert Barlett Novices’ Hurdle – I will bring you information on our entries for those next week.
Finally, I should round off by wishing my assistant’s assistant Chester Barnes a very happy 67th birthday for today (Monday). Chester has been a fixture at the yard since my father first started training winners and his cockney charm (?) remains undiminished…you can keep up to date with his views on racing by visiting Chester’s Daily Chat.
