International Meeting 2018, Cheltenham Racecourse
Good evening all,
Here is a review of the above meeting that appeared in the latest issue of Racing Ahead. As always, hope you all enjoy!
Frodon and Frost excel in Caspian triumph
Frodon defied top weight, driving rain and a furious wind in grotty conditions to take his second Caspian Caviar Gold Cup under another superb ride from jump racing’s new postergirl and Jockey Club Ambassador Bryony Frost.
Sent off a 7/1 chance on the back on a win in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree in October and a 2 length second to the re-opposing Baron Alco in last month’s BetVictor Gold Cup, he followed a similar route to last month’s placing by being always prominent and up with the pace in a near pillar to post romp from the rallying Cepage and Charlie Deutsch, who were the only ones daring and brave enough to challenge the duo in front.
Last year’s winner Guitar Pete was back in third, with Baron Alco back in fourth.
Frost and Frodon took the field along from flagfall, quickly asserting a more than generous enough pace in conditions that seemed more attritional than the official going of Good would have made out. BetVictor Gold Cup winner Baron Alco adapted similar tactics that saw him score last month by keeping on the coattails of the leader, not allowing him too much rein.
At the seventh Frodon put in a great leap to outjump Baron Alco, who made a slight error over it. The two leaders decided that now was time to eyeball one another and duelled all the way down the back straight, Frodon putting in a great leap at one of the open ditches down the side.
Going round the bend at the top of the hill it was already clear that many of the rivals of the two in front were already beginning to toil, the field becoming well stretched out. Favourite Rather Be was one of these, seemingly not being able to land a blow in the contest and dropping back. Down the hill Frodon and Baron Alco both pressed on, Cepage stalking them quietly and Mr Medic coming back at the leaders after a blunder 4 out that James Best did very well to recover from.
Swinging into the home straight Bryony pushed the button on Frodon and he left all his rivals bar Cepage behind, the latter the only one within any sort of striking distance. He flew the second last, a great jump when he needed it, with Cepage making a small blunder over it, the toils of the race seemingly beginning to tell. Another well-conducted leap at the last saw Frodon 2 ½ lengths to the good from Cepage as they set off up the hill. The latter rallied close home, but could only halve the deficit as Frodon and Frost scored by 1 ¼ lengths, a further 15 lengths to Guitar Pete in third and Baron Alco a further 2 ¼ behind him in fourth.
Speaking after the race, trainer Paul Nicholls stated that the horse would be aimed at the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, a wise and somewhat exciting notion, given how much he had progressed in the weights. For now, the season was taking a familiar turn, and a scene that has replayed many a time was on show again, that of a beaming Bryony Frost scoring a big winner on a Saturday.
Rest of the action
The meeting began with a victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle for Elixir De Nutz, scoring for trainer Colin Tizzard and jockey Harry Cobden.
Sent off the short priced 6/5F, it was a bit of a surprise to see him turn up in a race of this class, given how he had scored last month in the Grade Two Sharp Novices Hurdle at the November Meeting, and that he was giving 10lbs to all his rivals, which would have caused many other horses a bit of a concern. Whilst he had started the season off in a Class 3 when beaten by another exciting novice hurdler in the form of the Olly Murphy trained Thomas Darby, it was always going to be a somewhat harder task to give weight away to some potentially exciting rivals themselves.
However, all the doubts were for nothing, as he showed his class and stamped his authority on the field, somewhat proving that his graded win wasn’t any sort of a fluke to score by a very comfy 1¾ lengths to Jarvey’s Plate in second, with hurdling newcomer I K Brunel a further 3 ½ lengths behind.
The World’s End was shortened to between 12/1 and 16/1 for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after a stylish win the Neville Lumb Novices Chase.
After a slightly lacklustre third last month, he came right back to the high class horse his trainer tom George has always said he is by scoring by an emphatic 26 lengths over last month’s conqueror Ibis Du Rheu.
His task was made decisively easier by the early departure from the contest of Lil Rockerfeller, who after jumping right at the first made another mistake at the second, banking the fence and sending Wayne Hutchinson out the side door with no chance of staying aboard.
From then on it was a case of one way traffic, as despite Ibis Du Rheu joining the leader down the side on the final circuit, The World’s End was always jumping better and travelling more powerfully, Noel Fehily always looking confident aboard the seven year old. He started to clear away going down the hill and from then on it wasn’t a case of if he would win, but of “how far”.
His next run is earmarked to be the Reynoldstown Novices Chase at Ascot in February, before a crack at the RSA Chase, though owner Max McNeil has stated that he will receive an entry in the four mile National Hunt Chase the previous day too.
Al Dancer made quite an impression when taking the Catesby Handicap Hurdle under Sam Twiston-Davies for father and trainer Nigel.
Always travelling strongly, he asserted just after the bend for home, sweeping with ease past leader Champagne City and pinging the last. He scooted away up the hill to score by 11 lengths, with Not That Fuisse staying on to grab second in the shadows of the post from the early leader.
He looks like potentially a classy recruit to hurdling, and is already among the early contenders for the Betfair Hurdle, though if he turns up in something like the County Hurdle at the Festival, it may be worth a market check.
It was the beginning of a double for the father and son duo, as Cogry stuck his neck out to defy Singlefarmpayment in the CF Roberts 25 Years Of Sponsorship Handicap Chase, finally scoring a Graded Prize that had eluded him for so long.
Always prominent, he was involved in a three way tussle over the last with Singlefarmpayment and Rolling Dylan, the three setting up a titanic fight up the hill. With only a few strides left Singlefarmpayment looked to end his luckless run, but Cogry wouldn’t lie down and call it quits, sticking his neck out like a terrier to deny his opponent, whose supporters had to settle yet again for second.
Fact Of The Matter has only been over the Cross Country Fences twice in his life, but he looked a natural over them last time and certainly confirmed that when taking the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, the penultimate race of the day. Settling in mid division under Gavin Sheehan, he moved up steadily during the race to challenge the leader My Hometown at the second last. He stayed on dourly at the finish to score by a neck, and in doing so put himself towards the head of the market for the Cross Country Chase at The Festival, where he is a best priced 16/1.
The day concluded with Charlie Hammond and Dr Richard Newland scoring once again at Cheltenham, this time with Aaron Lad, the enterprising conditional’s 5lb claim coming in handy to defy Keeper Hill and Wayne Hutchinson by 3 lengths.
Day two of the meeting began in stark contrast to the previous day’s weather, with driving rain and a biting, sharp wind battering the course and those who had braved the conditions from every angle with no relent. It also started with a slight upset as Nelson River took the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, following up from his win at Bangor-On-Dee recently and already leaving his form on the Flat well behind. Coming from off the pace, he pounced when leaders Fanfan Du Seuil and Katpoli when they met the rising ground after the last. Favourite Protektorat unseated Harry Skelton down the side of the course after a bad blunder at the fourth.
Drovers Lane put himself into the JLT and RSA picture when taking the Ryman Novices Chase for trainer Rebecca Curtis and jockey Sean Bowen.
Sent off at 3/1 and off top weight for the two and a half mile contest, he stayed on stoutly in the gruelling conditions to see of Le Breuil and Jenkins, two classy horses in their own rights, by 1 ½ lengths.
It wasn’t a totally flawless set of jumping from him, pecking on landing 3 out and getting close to one or two, but he was always travelling the best out of his rivals and ground it out in the style of a hardy, game horse who is improving every time he races. He is a 25/1 outsider at present for both the RSA and JLT Novices Chases, but you wouldn’t rule out further progress.
The duo of Phillip Hobbs and champion jockey Richard Johnson combined to record a winner in the Cheltenham Club Handicap Chase with Ozzie The Oscar.
Having led most of the way, he was joined and just headed at the last by Bun Doran and Paddy Brennan, who were bidding to follow up last month’s success at the course. Ozzie however wouldn’t give in, and fought back tenaciously to win going away by 3 ½ lengths.
Given this performance, it would be imagined that instead of going for a handicap in the spring such as the Grand Annual at The Festival or the Red Rum at Aintree, perhaps connections should look at something akin to the Clarence House Chase next month, so see if he could be a live outsider for the Championship Races over the minimum trip.
Rockpoint was a maiden heading into the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle, but he dropped that tag in taking fashion under Tom Scudamore for trainer Colin Tizzard and owners John and Heather Snook.
The step up to 3 miles and a galloping track did wonders for him as he stayed on much the better in gruelling conditions to score by 2¾ from Lisnagar Oscar and Rocco.
Always prominent and jumping well, he was ridden with more authority by Tom Scudamore after his second over 3 miles at Newbury earlier in the month, showing much needed grit and determination to win.
His victory has drawn some similarities with not only a stablemate but also the same owner’s Thistlecrack, who improved for the step up to 3 miles in the Sefton Novices Hurdle in April 2015, and the rest from there is history, as we all know how good he is. Last year’s winner and another stablemate Kilbricken Storm went on to win the main race at The Festival, and this fellow has already established himself towards the head of the market for that race, so it remains to be seen whether or not he can follow up in his hoofprints and also go towards emulating his high class stablemates.
Brain Power may have come right back to form when taking the Unibet International Hurdle, but his victory was outshone by the announcement that a stalwart of the jumping game, and winner of 3 International Hurdles himself, The New One, had been retired after the race.
In a contest where Brain Power stayed on mightily in gruelling, atrocious conditions to finally score a prize owner Michael Buckley and trainer Nicky Henderson have always believed he could.
The New One had tried to run the sting out of his rivals, but was swamped by the field coming down the hill and into the home straight. Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies decided to pull him up before the last, bringing him back into the parade ring for one last lap of honour to rousing applause and appreciation before a legend of the winter game and a hero to him headed off into retirement.
Thanks very much for reading, hope you enjoyed this one! Report from New Year's Day coming up soon!
Cheers,
Tom
