Steel Puts Rivals To The Sword In Silver Trophy

Good morning all,

At long last, we have some new raceday coverage to report on! After a long dry spell, we are back with a report from the Jumps Season Opener at Chepstow last Saturday! Hope you all enjoy!

Steel Puts Rivals To The Sword In Silver Trophy

Flash The Steel benefitted from a step up in both trip and class to land the Cotswold Stone Supplies Ltd Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle for the trainer and jockey combination of brothers Dan and Harry Skelton.

Sent off at odds of 16/1 after a 5 month break following his gallant 5th at Sandown at the end of April to Getaway Trump, who is himself a leading fancy for big novices chases in the coming months, he took the rise in class in his stride to win by 2 lengths to Champagne Court, with Imperial Aura a further two lengths behind.

Imperial Aura, The Knot is Tied, Remastered and Chic Name all bowled along at the head of affairs on the run to the first in what turned out to be a fast pace, the leaders keen to stretch the field down the home straight and over the first 3 flights. Nearly 40 lengths separated first to last going into the stable bend, with Alrightjack heading the remainders.

Going down the back the field began to bunch up as the pace slightly weakened to a more acceptable level. The early exertions were too much for The Knot Is Tied, who went backwards rapidly leaving the back straight, before being pulled up by last season’s Champion Conditional Bryony Frost.

Indefatigable began to move along the outside before the bend to try and take closer order at the leaders, and following him through was Flash The Steel, moving up stylishly under Harry Skelton, always travelling well.

At three out Indefatigable and Imperial Aura attempted to press on for home, with Champagne Court, Flash The Steel and Alrightjack going after them. Ballyandy was pitching in behind but was never closer. Imperial Aura flattened two out as Flash The Steel came alongsides to challenge.

On the long run to the last Champagne Court and Flash The Steel galloped on remorselessly, the latter rising two lengths ahead at the hurdle. It wasn’t the fluentest of jumps but it kept him ahead, and he ground out the victory as Champagne Court rallied gamely but could never be nearer than 2 lengths. Imperial Aura stayed on for third, the error at 2 out more than likely blowing his chances for a top 2 finish.

Rest of the action

Fergal O’Brien loves a good party, especially if cake is involved, and it was his Jarveys Plate who upset the apple cart and spoiled it all for favourite backers as he reeled in the 4/5F Reserve Tank in the Low Cost Vans Novices Chase, triumphing for his delighted owners The YesNoWaitSorries.

Running for the Robert Mottram Memorial Trophy in this Listed affair, jockey Paddy Brennan had him settled in the rear of the trio who went to post, content to let rivals Reserve Tank and the Paul Nicholls trained Posh Trish bowl along in front in this 2 and a half mile contest, where all contenders were making their chase debuts.

Posh Trish went into the lead at the start and jumped boldly all the way round, where approaching the home straight Jarveys Plate looked the most unlikely of winners as he was the first to come under a more sustained effort. Posh Trish dropped to third after 3 out, where Reserve Tank went into the lead and favourite backers let out a roar as he made his way to two out.

It was clear that Jarveys had not read the script however, finding plenty for pressure and sweeping up to join the favourite over the last. Where he flew the last, the favourite fluffed his lines and lost momentum over it, and only managing to find himself at one pace as his challenger flew away to score by four and a half lengths, sending his supporters over the moon in the process.

A return to his best success over hurdles looks likely, with an entry in the Steel Plate & Sections Novices Chase at Cheltenham’s November Meeting being mooted as his next port of call. It will be interesting to see where the other two vanquished rivals head to next, perhaps a rematch will be in store?

Nordano had made a seamless transition to juvenile hurdling at Huntingdon 10 days previously, and swiftly followed up in smooth style when taking the Champion Hats Juvenile Hurdle under champion conditional Bryony Frost.

A striking son of Jukebox Jury, he made all under the Festival winning jockey to score by 3 lengths to Catch The Cuban and Repetitio, hurdling fluently and giving the indication he will make some chaser in years to come.

Coming down the home straight the well touted favourite Sir Psycho joined the leader at 3 out and looked set to pounce, but the leader would not lie down and responded to his jockeys urgings, neatly jumping the last two hurdles. Sir Psycho tried vainly to respond to his rider’s every drive, but ultimately couldn’t keep tabs on the leader and started to drop away from contention. Whereas his rivals one by one came and faded,

Nordano stayed on resolutely to win by 3 lengths a shade cosily, giving the impression there is more to come. A trip to Cheltenham’s November Meeting for the Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle may well await for him.

Tom O’Brien returned to the scene of one of his greatest victories when partnering the Ian Williams trained Speed Company to success in the Gent Transport And Warehousing 45th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle.

Forever entwined as the rider of last season’s Welsh National hero Elegant Escape, he timed his run perfectly to quicken clear of Quoi De Neuf and Highest Sun and score by 4 and a half lengths.

River Bray shifted right handed as the tapes went up, but led from Howling Milan over the first, with the leader remaining keen heading into the country and throwing his head around as the field made the long climb up the hill. Louis Vac Pouch was content enough to sit a few lengths off the back as the field went along their journey.

River Bray attempted to stretch the field out leaving the back straight, but Quoi De Neuf and Howling Milan quickly caught up on the turn for home, just as Speed Company made eye catching progress heading towards 2 out. Crooks Peak tried to go on at the far side but cracked heading to the last as Speed Company made rattling progress to score very comfortably and decisively, sealing his victory with a great and accurate leap at the last and powerfully easing away under a confident ride.

Aside from a sixth in the Welsh National, last season was a right off for the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Ballyoptic, but he made sure he started this season off on a much better start with victory in the Native River Handicap Chase under the trainer’s son Sam.

Winless since the 2018 Towton Novices Chase at Wetherby, he put that right with a stellar display of front running and accurate jumping, in a performance that brought class to the fore and left his rivals toiling in his wake.

Ballyoptic took up the running, leading from Lil Rockerfeller and Drinks Interval following behind. Royal Vacation missed the first and dropped off the tail end a little, but was more cautious as they went over the second and swung out of the back.

Fluent jumps from all meant hardly any change in proceedings as they headed down the home straight and into the back. At the eight Ballyoptic led, Captain Chaos brought up the rear and all the other 5 jumped the fence in unison. Sam and Ballyoptic upped the ante and lifted the pace as Royal Vacation fluffed the last down the back, with Lil Rockerfeller in there pitching too.

Drinks Interval faded at 5 out as Ballyoptic and Lil Rockerfeller went on as one to the final ditch of 4 out and 3 out. Ballyoptic got away faster from the latter and opened up a 5 length lead over 2 out, staying on stoutly towards the last. He flew the last, winging it and staying on powerfully to score by 9 lengths from a gallant Lil Rockerfeller and Relentless Dreamer, with Cloth Cap a further 19 lengths behind in fourth. Whether he goes for a second crack at the Welsh National remains to be seen, but wherever he goes next should mean he is a force to be reckoned with.

The Bay Birch caused somewhat of an upset when taking the John Ayres Memorial Handicap Chase at odds of 20/1 for trainer Matt Sheppard and jockey Sean Bowen.

Always travelling strongly, the mare saw off a field filled with classy handicappers, and a few that are touted as Graded class, such as the Kim Bailey trained Charbel, who incidentally was last year’s winner of the contest.

At flagfall Activial, the first of the greys in the field, went straight into the lead, closely followed by The Bay Birch, who was keen not to let the leader get too far away. All the field negotiated the first 5 fences well and proceeded to head into the country running well within themselves. Aintree My Dream clearly felt that the pace was too slow and pulled his way to the lead as the field took the bend and went up the steep hill.

The first error came at the 7th as Doitforthevillage fluffed his way over it, brushing through the top and forcing jockey Paddy Brennan to sit tight. Charbel tried to move up towards the last going down the back but made an error at two of his fences and was forced onto the back foot very quickly.

Aintree My Dream and The Bay Birch were both sent for home by their respective jockeys entering the home stretch, and approaching the final ditch of four out it was clear that the latter had stolen a march on the field and was cruising the better of anyone, and this notion was labelled further when approaching 3 out she had seen off the challengers apart from Theo, Activial and Caid Du Lin, who had made stealthy progress through the field in an attempt to chase down the mare.

Ultimately however it was a vain attempt as The Bay Birch kept up the gallop relentlessly, and albeit for a slight mishap at the last, jumped beautifully to score by a comfortable 2 and three quarter lengths to Caid Du Lin, Activial and Theo. Potentially a tilt at the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham in a couple of weeks time is on the cards for the mare.

The final race on the card was the “Chris & Lisa’s Big Birthday Bash” Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, which was a fiercely contested affair, with 12 runners heading to post. It turned into a very close finish for the winning honours, with victory going to the David Pipe trained Make Me A Believer, ridden by David Noonan. He battled on gamely and with grim determination when challenged to defeat Everglow by a neck, with a further neck to Kilbrook, who was making his debut for Jonjo O’Neill and who had plenty of work to do with two and a half furlongs mile to run, but stayed on eye-catchingly for third. It was a further 3 and a quarter lengths back to fourth, meaning the front trio may well have some decent potential between them looming towards the future. Surely a Listed or Graded Bumper at major winter meetings awaits them.