At the awkward distance of two-and-a-quarter miles, the
Deloitte Novice Hurdle is the natural intermediary between Cheltenham’s Supreme
and Neptune novice contests. Participants in a quandary about the ideal
destination for their runners can have their minds made up by how the horse
shapes, does speed or stamina take precedence?
This year’s renewal appears to have split two of the Supreme’s
main protagonists as defeat for antepost favourite (before the race) has swayed
The Tullow Tank’s connections in favour of a tilt at the longer race and
success for Willie Mullins’ Vautour
has secured his place in the Festival curtain raiser.
Ruby Walsh, back on board Vautour having been elsewhere for
his narrow victory at Punchestown, surmised that nothing in the Deloitte was
willing to set the pace. A void was present and he filled it, in exemplary
style. Connections had already come to the conclusion that Vautour was a strong
galloper, thus given this opportunity Walsh was more than willing to take it.
On this occasion, able to avoid the inconvenience caused by a
pacesetter akin to that at Punchestown, Vautour set
out at a relatively steady pace, before gradually increasing it from ten
furlongs out. All bar the favourite (The Tullow Tank) were then seen off as
Ruby Walsh asked his mount to quicken decisively from the second last. Both Vautour’s
French starts were over this extended trip and he saw it out strongly. The
Tullow Tank threw down his challenge which, given his history of finding off
the bridle, looked threatening as he closed the gap to three lengths in the
home straight but that was as close as he could manage with Vautour showing no
signs of tiring.
Such an immaculate ride from Ruby Walsh may lead some to
question whether Vautour is as superior to The Tullow Tank as this result
suggests. The Robin Des Champs gelding certainly made the most of his
unchallenged lead yet he could not have executed these tactics and won so
impressively without exhibiting the attributes of a top class novice hurdler.
Vautour proved he stayed further than two miles, often necessary to win a hard
fought, soundly run Supreme. He displayed tremendous speed to quicken away from
this field and that asset found the second, a dual Grade 1 winner over two
miles, wanting.
Willie Mullins believes in order to have success over two
miles at Cheltenham slick jumping is of paramount importance. This was in
evidence on Sunday and based on this performance his jumping should be of huge benefit
at Cheltenham. Vautour was exceptional over his hurdles on Sunday, meeting each
flight, bar one (the fourth last), on a perfect stride. Gaining ground
throughout, he put pressure on his rivals and gave himself an easy time as he
used the minimum effort to maximum effect. Just a five-year-old, Vautour has scope
to progress between now and March while his reputation suggests he could be
even better than he looked on Sunday. He has all the necessary qualities to win
a Supreme and deserves to head the betting. Vautour does make the most
convincing case of any novice targeting the race but I would not suggest it was
convincing enough to take the 4/1 generally available at this stage.
No one could deny he was given an easy lead and the tempo of
the race did not suit his chief danger The
Tullow Tank who was dropped in. Despite winning those two Grade 1s his
speed was not his forte, when the emphasis was placed on stamina he ground it
out. Such a relentless style is made for a Cheltenham contest but in order to
stay within striking distance of the speedier types the jumping must be quick
and accurate. Losing ground and momentum is terminal against the best
performers over two miles and this looks to have cost Philip Fenton’s ‘Tank’ at
Leopardstown.
Jumping had never been the reason for The Tullow Tank’s
success, it had never been electric, but it hadn’t held him back this season
either until the Deloitte. He is seen in the long term as an exciting prospect
over fences (not unlike Vautour in fairness) and early on his jumping was very
much in the mould of an embryonic chaser. He somewhat skied the first, got in
tight at the third, and then was unable to match the leader at the next two as
Vautour extended his lead. The fourth last was his biggest mistake of the race
as he hit the flight and landed on all fours. In response to that he jumped too
high at the third last and was particularly slow away from it.
Danny Mullins was left further back than ideal on this strapping
son of Oscar but he didn’t panic. The situation was graver at the penultimate
obstacle where The Tullow Tank left his hind legs in the hurdle just as Ruby
Walsh asked his mount for the telling injection of pace. He was at his best
over the last once asked for everything by his rider. The damage had been done
though, finally a Willie Mullins trained novice was not for catching.
Philip Fenton suggested afterwards that his charge may not
have been at his absolute best. That is possible though it was not a run to be
dejected over and were his jumping to sharpen up off the likely stronger pace
in the Supreme there would be reason to hope for a reversal of form. I would
still aim him at the two mile event as I suspect Faugheen will be even harder
to overturn than Vautour and the shorter race often suits stayers, especially
those with multiple Grade 1 wins over the trip. Understandably, connections
seem to be leaning towards the other option over two-miles-and-five-furlongs.
They will be hoping for further improvement for another step up in trip (he had
only raced over two miles prior to Sunday) and given the hurdling issues
exposed at Leopardstown, rather than school him intensely and hope for greater
fluency, the Neptune could prove more suitable as he will be allowed more time
in the air over his obstacles. Whichever route connections choose The Tullow
Tank will be a leading place contender, whether he quite has that extra spark
to win is doubtful.
__________
Exeter’s listed novices’ hurdle on Sunday often has a
bearing on the Supreme. It is ideally placed for certain horses to have their
final prep run before the main event. Incessant rain naturally gave the ground
an exhausting quality, contributing to the relatively poor field, but the going
is usually testing on this day and the race was a disappointingly drab affair. The
winner Vibrato Valtat was an almost effortless winner from Tiqris, who already
had solid novice hurdle form, and they both have enviable futures. However,
neither of them or any of the five that took part are entered in the Supreme
and one can only hope that next year the Plymouth Novices’ Hurdle can regain
its place as a key Supreme trial.
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