Festival Trials Day, Cheltenham Racecourse - Saturday 26th January 2019

Frodon proved his stamina-doubting critics wrong and earned a crack at the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup at The Festival in March when taking the Grade 2 Betbright Trial Costwolds Chase under another stellar ride by Bryony Frost for trainer Paul Nicholls.

Sent off at 9/4, the seven year old produced a superb front running display to defeat Elegant Escape by 1 length, holding on dourly as the latter tried to bring his forte of staying on when others had cried enough into play, just failing as the leader stuck on in terrier like fashion.

Before the race many had doubted his ability to stay the 3 mile 1 furlong trip, having played most of his trade at the intermediate distances, such as his success last month in the 2 mile 5 furlong Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, and his brave second to Baron Alco in November in the BetVictor Gold Cup over the same trip. Nicholls had said before the race that he was confident he would stay, but if he didn’t then the Ryanair would be his target for the Festival in March.

From flagfall he got straight into the lead and into a good rhythm, measuring his fences and jumping with fluency, pinging the ditch first time around.

All the competitors jumped well on their circuit of Prestbury Park, the Nicky Henderson trained and Munir & Souede owned pair of Valtor and Terrefort were settled at the back just off the pace. At the top of the hill second time around Valtor and Minella Rocco both began to feel the pinch, both dropping off. Alysson Monterg however was outrunning his outsider odds by running a huge race in second as the pace lifted approaching the home turn. Elegant Escape dropped off a little to fourth as Frodon kicked on for home approaching the second last.

Over 2 out Frodon led by 3 lengths to Terrefort and Daryl Jacob, Alysson Monterg just vstarting to backpedal at this stage. Elegant Escape went into third approaching the last, where another classic leap by Frodon left him and Bryony Frost 3 lengths up. Elegant Escape became the main danger as Terrefort’s stamina ebbed away and he flew up the Cheltenham hill to launch his attempt for victory, but just failed as the leaders held on for a length success.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls noted that “Frodon is such a genuine horse. He just got a little tired from the back of the last today and it was a bit of a combination of idling and tiredness.”

"I was slightly nervous. It is so hard training them when they have had a tough time to give them a break and try to get them back fit enough to win like today.

"Whatever he has done today, he is going to improve for the run just because he has had a break. This has proved to us that he stays and I would say that we have to go for the Gold Cup with him.”

Winning rider Bryony Frost commented that “Frodon is so brave, the whole heart is in there for you. We needed the last two jumps - we were getting tired, the spitting rain was getting into the ground and he was giving weight to all of them. Me and him out there is the best buzz you could ever live for.”

"I am the mad woman - he knows what he is doing and I just sit there and steer. Mr and Mrs Vogt (owners) - the day that they kept me on Frodon after I lost my claim, that's just loyalty beyond words. This is what I strive for - what I live for!

"We wanted to ride him exactly the same because we don't want to be holding him up. He has answered every question. If anything, he pricked his ears coming up the home straight. The crowd started roaring and I knew someone was chasing me down. My voice got very loud on Frodon and I started telling him to come on and get a wiggle on. Luckily, he did!

"It’s mad - I have got a ride in the Gold Cup maybe. That would be a dream and who dares to dream - sometimes fortune favours the brave. But I have got to get there first and he has to get there in March.

"Everyone here is unbelievable I cannot thank them enough for their support down the chute. I told him, this is all for you mate!

Rest Of The Action

It was a Joseph O’Brien 1-2 as Fakir D’Oudairies made a very impressive performance in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial under jockey JJ Slevin, taking apart the field to score by 13 lengths from stablemate Fine Brunello.

Sent off at 4/1, he took the lead at the top of the hill and quickly put distance between him and his rivals coming down it and shot clear towards the last, maintaining the gallop all the way to the line, and in the process shooting up to the head of the market for the JCB Triumph Hurdle in March at The Festival.

Adjali, second in the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow to Quel Destin, was third, with Our Power having to settle for fourth.

Speaking after the race, the winning rider commented that the winner "had a good win at Cork the last day and has obviously come on for it. He has loads of experience from his time in France and that was a good performance.”

"It's a G2 and we didn't hang around - we went a nice, even gallop”. “He stuck at it very well - I didn't realise I had won by so far, but he did it very well”.

“None of Joseph's four-year-olds have run against each other, so we don't know what we have. There are plenty of them at home and hopefully it will be an exciting few months ahead.”

There was an unfortunate sting in the tail for the winning rider, as he was suspended for 2 days after the race for using his whip on the winner when clearly winning, the stewards at the course deciding that the action from the jockey was unnecessary in the circumstances.

It wouldn’t be Cheltenham without a locally trained winner, and Kildisart made sure this meeting had at least one native of the county was in the winner’s enclosure when taking the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase under Daryl Jacob for trainer Ben Pauling.

Sent off at 9/2 he reeled in the long time leader Highway One O One, who was jumping for fun and with aplomb in front, to score by two lengths.

From flagfall Highway One O One was always prominent, jumping well, whilst First Drift hit the first 2 of the contest. He opened up a 6 length lead going down the side, giving jockey Tom Cannon a great spin.

Coming down the hill the challengers were trying to mount an effort, but over 3 out Enola Gay blundered, and Azzerti went into the back of him and became unbalanced, which resulted in him and Richard Johnson departing the contest with what looked a heavy fall, but both were none the worse afterwards.

Kildisart managed to get alongside the long time leader over 2 out, Spiritofthegames sat just in behind as they went over it. Over the last Kildisart made the gap open to two lengths, and held that all the way to the line, with Spiritofthegames just failing to overhaul Highway One O One, in the process having to settle for third.

Ben Pauling commented: "Kildisart is by no means the finished article, but he is an amazing horse. He almost looked as though he was flat out early doors and then he comes there travelling towards the end, which is really nice to see.

"He is going the right way, which is really good to see. I would be hopeful that there would be more to come as he is a work in progress but each day is a good day at the moment with this horse, so we are happy. Daryl gave the horse and impeccable ride, which was great.”

"Kildisart will probably be back here in March for something. He was rated 141 and I wouldn't have thought that he would go up any more than 4lb, so he will probably go for the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase in March if stays in the 0-145 bracket.

"He has an entry in the JLT Novices' Chase as well and I will have to discuss that with Anthony Bromley (advisor to Simon Munir and Isaac Souede). He is a nice horse."

Daryl Jacob added his views afterwards that "Kildisart is a progressing horse who has done it nicely there again.

"We wanted a bit of course form today, just to see whether he would handle the track or would be better off going to Aintree, and he has proved that he handles it. There are a few more options for him now.

"It's a different track to what he encountered before and it's all a good part of his learning.

"I thought Tom (Cannon) went a nice, even gallop from the front - myself and Harry Skelton were having a nice chat the whole way down the back straight - and it rode like a good race."

Siruh Du Lac put in a great exhibition of jumping, coupled with dogged determination and endless resolve under Lizzie Kelly to take the Spectra Cyber Security Solutions Trophy Handicap Chase, overhauling the efforts of Janika, who was attempting to give Daryl Jacob and Messers Munir and Souede a quickfire double.

Taking up the lead over the second, he would not lie down and let Janika win the race, sticking his neck out to secure victory for trainer Nick Williams.

Last year’s winner Ballyhill began to mount an effort coming down the hill and approaching the bend for home, Janika stalking the pair closely in behind. Twobig leaps kept Siruh Du Lac in the lead, and when tackled by Janika at the last would not lie down and accept the runners up spot, battling back to score by a head, with Ballyhill taking third place.

Devon-based trainer Nick Williams commented: "I thought that this might a step too far as we had been going for lesser races at lesser tracks, but we felt that Siruh Du Lac was ready to take on an open handicap.

"He is a hugely impressive jumper, he always has been, but I didn't think that we would get back up. It was a huge relief and we have won a few races here by very tight margins.

"We will have to see how he is before deciding whether to come back here in March. He needs a gap between his races. We have given him six weeks before running here today and it's seven until The Festival, so we will have a look at it."

Winning jockey Lizzie Kelly said "Siruh Du Lac is a lot of fun because his jumping is brilliant. He was so good that we sent him chasing at four and he is formidable.

"Today was the first day that he has actually been headed in a finish but he has come back and really dug deep. I was really impressed. This is the hardest race he has had and, every time he runs, he runs a good race.”

There was a tragic postscript to the race as it was revealed afterwards that Casse Tete broke a leg coming down the hill on the approach to 3 out, and was humanely put down.

Birchdale took advantage of a last flight fall by favourite Brewin’Upastorm to run out the winner of the Ballymore Novices Hurdle, albeit somewhat cozily in the circumstances.

Having looked to be under the more urgent pressure from jockey Barry Geraghty approaching the last, he was handed the race when the leader went into the top of the hurdle and took what looked for himself and Richard Johnson a very heavy fall, but thankfully both horse and rider were up safely and none the worse for it, though trainer Olly Murphy did report that Richard was very angry afterwards, possibly noting that he thought he had plenty more horse underneath him up to the mishap.

Earlier on in the contest it was market leader who had disputed the lead over the first with Buster Valentine before edging a 1 length lead over the second. Birchdale and recent Cheltenham winner Jarvey’s Plate disputed third, with The Wolf bringing up the rear.

Coming down the hill Brewin’Upastorm and Richard Johnson shook off the attentions of all but Birchdale, who was sent after him as they turned for home. Both the leaders approaching the last had jumped fluently throughout the 2 and a half mile contest, and had easily put distance between themselves and the rest of the field, spearheaded by Buster Valentine, who was coming into the race unbeaten beforehand.

After being left in front Birchdale was only kept up to his work by Barry to score a wide margin victory, with Buster Valentine beating Jarvey’s Plate for the runner up spot, and The Wolf trailing home in last.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson said: "You never like to see that and it was going to be a good race. I am sure that both jockeys will say that they would have won - you can take that for granted!

"Birchdale is only a baby but is doing his job nicely. The form of his Warwick win has worked out well but I thought that he was just a bit green throughout the race today - he was on and off it a little bit but jumped very well.

"I was originally going to come here with Champ but there was no point as he didn't need another race. They are both really Ballymore horses and it was really sorting the pack out a little bit. I do like this horse a lot but it was only the second hurdle race of his life, so he will have learned a lot today."

Barry Geraghty added: "We will never know who would have won, but I think there wouldn't have been a lot in it.

"I was getting there on a baby, who lacked experience, but I was getting there. I was happy enough and coming with a good challenge, but it was simplified anyway.

"It was only his second racecourse run, but he did everything you would like through the race. Dickie (Richard Johnson) brought a good gallop and was finding us out - we knew that we were in a good battle and we were going to have to work hard to beat him.”

Paisley Park made it 4 wins from 4 this season, and cemented his place as the leading British trained runner for the Stayers Hurdle at The Festival in March by producing a classy performance to take the Galliard Homes Cleeve Hurdle under jockey Aidan Coleman for trainer Emma Lavelle.

The 10/3 Favourite has already given Emma Lavelle Graded success this season in the form of the Grade 1 JLT Hurdle at Ascot in December, and duly delivered another big prize when taking this Grade 2 contest in decisive fashion from West Approach and Black Op, who was returning from a less than fruitful period over fences.

Lil Rockerfeller and Sam Spinner took the field along for the majority of the 3 mile trip, the latter jumping far better than when at Ascot recently, and set a fair clip as the field progressed along the journey. Coming down the hill for the second and final time the favourite was nudged into contention by Aidan Coleman to move up and take closer order as the pace lifted. There was pretty much 4 in line as they went over the second last, West Approach and Black Op joining the two leaders as they began to freewheel towards the home turn.

Entering the home straight Paisley Park was no better than sixth, but he scythed his way through the field to take up the running towards the last, jumping it fluently and careering away up the hill to score by 12 lengths.

Emma Lavelle said of her stable star: "It was amazing. Paisley Park was so impressive and I couldn't be more thrilled for everybody - it's exciting, really exciting.

"Last year was definitely about getting over all of that and getting stronger with another summer of grass.

"My husband Barry (Fenton) has been riding him every day and he has done an amazing job because he has instilled so much confidence in the horse, who has just got better and better. Paisley Park has just got so much more professional about it.

"Andrew Gemmell (owner) is such a massive supporter of racing and us in particular. It couldn't happen to a nicer person. He is a humbling man and I am thrilled for him."

Winning jockey Aidan Coleman commented "I know this horse really well but, coming down the hill to two out, I thought 'Jeez, what is going on here?'

"He does travel a little bit behind the bridle, which is why he finishes his races so well, but I have given him a squeeze coming off the bend.”

"I knew as soon I had done it that it was the biggest mistake I could have made because I was there literally a furlong too soon. You could see his ears were pricked the whole way up the run-in and it was a good job that he kept going and got me out of trouble."

Winning owner Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind from birth, commented: "I can't believe it - it's fantastic and has surpassed my expectations!”

"After his first couple of runs, Paisley Park was seriously ill and it was touch and go whether he would survive.”

"It's only 47 days until the Stayers' Hurdle and we cannot wait!”

The finale of the meeting was taken by another locally trained horse, this time in the form of Benny’s Bridge, who scored for Fergal O’Brien and jockey Paddy Brennan in the Steel Plate And Sections Handicap Hurdle.

Defeat looked more likely than victory entering the straight and coming over the last, as he turned in in 6th place, approximately 15 lengths off the pace and jumped it in 4th place, before making serious headway to overhaul Flash The Steel and score by 2 ¾ lengths in an expertly timed ride by his jockey.

Words by Tom Williams, with additional winning connections interviews by Cheltenham Racecourse.