Supreme Novices Update: Minella Foru & Very Wood

To lose their chance at Festival glory in the most exciting race of them all (arguably) on the day before the race must have been agonising for the connections of Melodic Rendezvous. His season had been carefully orchestrated by Jeremy Scott and he was among the leading contenders for the Supreme until fate intervened. Last season, despite not getting the opportunity to prove me right or wrong, I suspect I was guilty of underrating Melodic Rendezvous. The horses he beat often appeared to have valid excuses and I struggled to get too excited about him but in reality he was a rapidly progressing novice set to peak for Cheltenham. His performance at Wincanton on Saturday certainly gave an indication of what he might have achieved had he made it to the start. Defeating a fully fit Far West in that manner was hugely impressive and I will try not to underestimate him in future. This season, Minella Foru might fit into the same mould as Melodic Rendezvous in that he is easy to underrate and excuses for his main rival on Sunday were evident for all to see.   

Minella Foru began his hurdling career in good style at Listowel, having previously taken the eye of point-to-point followers at Lemonfield, yet despite Eddie Harty not hiding the regard in which he is held the four-year-old was still trumped in the Navan market on Sunday by Gigginstown’s exciting prospect, Very Wood. The pace set by the market leader was ponderous at best, but Minella Foru dealt with it well. He was keen but not in a way that would prove detrimental to his chances, while his jumping was little short of ideal for a two mile novice hurdler. There was barely a semblance of a mistake, so swift over the obstacles; he hurdled with a fluency that was all the more striking given the leader’s antics. As the pace quickened from the third last, Minella Foru responded willingly to his rider AP McCoy’s urgings, picking up well to reach and pass Very Wood. This performance showed off plenty of Minella Foru’s assets, particularly his speed which will serve him well as he steps up in class but as a contest the race was somewhat unsatisfactory and his superiority over the second, at the line, could be misleading.

Very Wood was among a batch of point-to-pointers who were trained by Gordon Elliott before being sent elsewhere for their novice hurdle careers. Following a narrow defeat in his first point-to-point, Very Wood took his second in style defeating Champagne Tara, a bumper winner for Jonjo O’Neill since, by four lengths. Before losing him for this season, Elliott ran him in a lucrative Punchestown Festival bumper in which he again ran out an easy winner. One could not help but look forward to his future over obstacles after that and, having moved to Noel Meade, he delivered what many expected on his hurdling debut at Galway. Davy Russell gradually wound the race up from the front pulling nicely clear of the second and a long way clear of the third. He shaped like a relentless galloper on this occasion with a step up in trip looking inevitable. Noel Meade clearly didn’t share that view, deciding instead to stick to two miles on Sunday. There was enough to take from his previous run to suggest he could remain successful over the minimum trip, assuming he could gallop his rivals into submission. Very Wood’s jumping around the right-handed Galway was adequate, with no causes for concern, and connections were confident of a smart performance.

If Minella Foru is a serious candidate for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle then going down a length-and-a-half was a smart performance for a horse like Very Wood who is a classic Gigginstown prospect, unlikely to reach his full potential until he sees three miles and fences. Very Wood and Minella Foru are different types of horses and the sprint for home would have suited the former far less than the latter. Davy Russell, making the running on Very Wood, had the opportunity to set a real test but his mount did very little to help their cause. He lugged right from the start, jumped out to the right at each hurdle, with varying degrees of severity, and even struggled to navigate some of the left-handed bends. He must have given away a significant amount of ground to his rivals and it is tempting to think that without the wayward tendencies or on a right-handed track, he would have come out on top. However, it also the case that Very Wood was better placed for the sprint finish, than the resulting winner, having had his own way out in front. While AP McCoy, renowned for his strength in a finish when necessary, was hardly all out to settle matters aboard Minella Foru.

Such was the farcical nature of the race it is difficult to draw too many conclusions about the respective merits of the front two. In terms of the Supreme, Very Wood was always more likely to excel over further and, now there appears to be a problem with left-handed tracks, connections may already be looking past Cheltenham to Punchestown for their long term targets. I am trying to keep an open mind with regards to Minella Foru. There is the slight possibility that Very Wood is exceptional and Minella Foru did well to beat him but if he wants to become a top two mile novice he would have to beat a stayer like Very Wood in this manner especially considering the circumstances. Eddie Harty has suggested that his next run will be in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle on December 1 or the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting. Either way we will learn more about his Supreme credentials then as he takes on the best available in Ireland. Despite his precise jumping and rare natural speed the likelihood of meeting rivals from higher profile yards means he may well be underestimated again.

Supreme Novices Update: My Tent Or Yours, Champagne Fever and Melodic Rendezvous

Betfair’s Super Saturday at Newbury lost some of its lustre with the decisions not to run Long Run or Simonsig in their respective prep races for the Festival. This left the card without a serious Arkle/Champion Chase contender and Silviniaco Conti with a seemingly straightforward task in the Denman Chase. Racing is rarely as simple as that though and it delivered more than enough excitement to make up for Nicky Henderson’s cautiousness. Ironically it was Henderson’s own My Tent Or Yours who really lit up Saturday’s card and the whole weekend. Prior to the Betfair Hurdle My Tent Or Yours was a rare beast in that his Cheltenham target was inevitable, evident from a very early stage, well it was until he did that!

After his scintillating display on Saturday My Tent Or Yours is quite rightly being talked up as a Champion Hurdle horse and he would not be out of place in that field, rather a deserved leading contender. The one issue left with Nicky Henderson’s charge, having sorted out his jumping at Huntingdon, was his free-going nature. He had been over-exuberant and keen in each run so far, the concern being whether he could find enough off the bridle after using up so much energy in a race against higher quality opposition. This frailty was harshly exposed by The New One in last season’s exceptional renewal of the Aintree Bumper. My Tent Or Yours is a better, stronger individual now but this was still a minor worry in a ‘competitive’ race like the Betfair Hurdle. As such I expected him to be settled in rear and pick off the other runners one by one, much like he had tried and failed to do on his last visit to Newbury. Maybe in the knowledge that there were few, if any, horses involved willing to set the pace or maybe just with supreme confidence AP McCoy crossed the tape, near enough, in front. From then on it was McCoy’s mission to settle him, My Tent Or Yours still pulled against his rider but McCoy was able drop him back as they left the home straight for the first time. In a seemingly ideal position on the inside rail, McCoy was in search of cover all the way up the back straight, just making sure he could keep a lid on all the enthusiasm and speed underneath him. As the field entered the home straight My Tent Or Yours had moved up into fifth and as commentator Richard Hoiles pointed out it was plain to see that McCoy was intent on slipstreaming the mare, Swing Bowler, for as long as he could. As the leaders drew away from the third last My Tent Or Yours was still pulling as he latched right onto the tail of Swing Bowler, before moving out to jump the second last. At that moment there was only one horse catching the eye and it became a matter of how far. Finally let go by McCoy at the last, the Desert Prince gelding rapped the hurdle as his acceleration got the better of him before powering clear under hands and heels, eventually easing down to a five length victory.

There is little more that he could have done here, his jumping was neat and fast, particularly at the second where he was unsighted thereby forcing him in close to the hurdle but he was extraordinarily nimble over it, thanks in no small part, I am sure, to AP McCoy’s intensive schooling. My Tent Or Yours found plenty off the bridle, putting an eight or nine length gap on the field as he was let down, before being eased. Despite the steady pace set the form could not look much stronger, with nothing in there holding it down and three thoroughly progressive handicappers filling the places. Cotton Mill had been well fancied for this, primarily on the back of his run in the Neptune where he was travelling nearly as well as Simonsig at the second last before running out in spectacular fashion. His impressive performance here does make the decision to run Cotton Mill over three miles straight after his Cheltenham calamity seem somewhat perplexing and with connections' desire to avoid heavy ground at all costs, the rain, sleet and snow which greeted us at Newbury on Saturday can’t have benefitted him. Neither was the race run especially to suit as he would have preferred a stronger pace, he lacked the speed of the winner, but then most jumpers do, and arguably Swing Bowler before his stamina kicked in, finishing strongly into second. There is clearly more to come, even before taking into account that this was his first run for 302 days, and he is an exciting prospect wherever he goes. A trip to the Champion Hurdle would not be unthinkable and were My Tent Or Yours to revert to novice company he would be a fascinating barometer of the Betfair Hurdle form. This could well be one of the strongest handicap hurdles of the whole season and it must be wise to consider strongly the likes of Swing Bowler and Dark Lover for the County Hurdle, Village Vic for the Coral Cup and even Caid Du Berlais for the Fred Winter, having shown up well for a long way despite running wide and being out of the weights.

I am struggling to find any negatives around My Tent Or Yours' chances for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and he is a worthy favourite, having usurped fellow JP McManus purchase Jezki. Ominously for his rivals, My Tent Or Yours has shown that he handles testing conditions while he is likely to improve for a quicker surface. He just has so much pace and as I suggested after his last run there was nothing in the Betfair Hurdle that could live with him. The only question left for me about My Tent Or Yours is whether something like the completely unexposed Un Atout is better, although the question that might prove more pertinent in the lead up to the Cheltenham Festival is whether it is Un Atout’s fellow Closutton inmate Hurricane Fly who is better?

Also in the care of Willie Mullins in Closutton, County Carlow is last season’s Champion Bumper winner Champagne Fever. Every indication was that he was going to prove to be substantially better over further than two miles, especially his defeat to Jezki at the start of the season where it looked only a matter of time before he was stepped up in trip on his way to Cheltenham for either the Neptune or Albert Bartlett novice hurdles. Yet on his first run over two-and-a-half miles he ran deplorably although that was down to a respiratory tract infection discovered subsequently. Understandably Willie Mullins gave him a reasonable break to recover from his illness and it was only after apparently impressing in a piece of work that the trainer decided to run him in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown) on Saturday instead of the aforementioned Un Atout. This was over two miles and two furlongs and was assumed to be Champagne Fever’s prep for the Neptune, especially with the presence of Pique Sous and Mozoltov, alongside Un Atout, as Supreme Novice contenders. Such is the owner’s strength in the novice hurdle divisions, however, he already has leading fancies in the Neptune and Albert Bartlett. With the desire to have a runner in each Festival race, Champagne Fever’s winning form over two miles at Cheltenham and his proximity to long time Supreme Favourite Jezki on just his second start over hurdles, it is hard to argue Rich Ricci’s decision isn’t justified.

During Saturday’s race the fall, at the second, of main rival Waaheb handed Champagne Fever a relatively straightforward task, assuming he was none the worse for his previous infection. Under an aggressive ride from new pilot Paul Townend, this willing son of Stowaway set a tempo likely to expose any weakness in his opposition and bring his strength, stamina, to the fore. Aside from a not insignificant mistake at the first his jumping was accomplished and if he is to try similar tactics in the Supreme his jumping will need to be absolutely foot perfect. Here it nearly was as he took lengths out of his challengers at most obstacles, there is a special chaser in there waiting to get out and it is a shame we didn’t see him over fences this season. All bar Bright New Dawn were left toiling in behind Champagne Fever, whose prodigious galloping was too much for the rest to handle. Bright New Dawn did look a serious danger in on the run up to the last, having travelled sweetly with the guidance of Davy Russell, but the victory was sealed by the gangly grey with another fluent leap at the final flight, as he was always going to outstay his Dessie Hughes trained opponent.

Ruby Walsh has a very tough decision to make as he has the option of riding Dodging Bullets, for Paul Nicholls, and Pique Sous, Mozoltov and now Champagne Fever, for Willie Mullins, in the Supreme. I would suggest he rides Champagne Fever as there is no doubt in my mind that he is the best horse in that foursome, the worry would be whether he will be effective enough over the minimum trip. The Neptune looks made for him but with the presence of the inimitable Pont Alexandre, the Supreme it will have to be. Whether he can reverse early season form with Jezki is highly doubtful and Bright New Dawn gave that horse another boost having been eight lengths behind in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle. There is also the matter of whether Champagne Fever can hold off a number of far speedier types as he is sent for home, but such is his class I suspect there is every chance that he can hold off enough to be right there at the last and whatever happens it will be a tantalising spectacle.

On Sunday, we saw a highly anticipated clash between two more horses that, earlier in the season, I had expected to go down the Neptune novices hurdle route. Melodic Rendezvous and Puffin Billy were both comfortable winners on their last start, winning a grade 1 and a grade 2 respectively. Both are extremely well regarded by connections and both sets were convinced they were going to win at Exeter. Despite Melodic Rendezvous being the grade 1 winner it was Puffin Billy who was sent off the odds on favourite. Oliver Sherwood’s son of Heron Island had looked awesome in two bumpers and two novice hurdles to date, showing a combination of pace and power that marked him out as a danger to all with Cheltenham on the horizon, yet it was the locally trained (to Exeter) Melodic Rendezvous who came out comprehensively on top.

Nick Schofield was under the impression that Puffin Billy was more of a stayer than his mount Melodic Rendezvous. Believing he could beat him for speed Schofield tracked Puffin Billy nearly throughout the contest, only making his challenge at the last. The torrential rain in the morning had left the ground bordering on bottomless but both of the main protagonists in this five runner affair had experience on this sort of surface, as a result it was not expected to inconvenience either and it is hard to say it did. Melodic Rendezvous again jumped well throughout, he is a natural hurdler, and Puffin Billy seemingly improved his hurdling technique but one serious blunder two out probably sealed his fate. At the last the two were side by side but Leighton Aspell had been hard at Puffin Billy for most of the straight whilst Nick Schofield had been motionless on Melodic Rendezvous. Once asked he quickened away instantly, leaving the struggling Puffin Billy for dead. On the face of it this was an exciting performance from a progressive novice and he has definitely improved physically through the season (compared to when I saw him at Cheltenham anyway) but the manner in which Puffin Billy made such hard work of it from so far out suggested that there was something amiss with him and he was later discovered to be lame, thus explaining the lack of correlation between how he had run up until then and how he ran on Sunday.

It is far from ideal for Puffin Billy and his connections’ Cheltenham aspirations to run such a lacklustre race so near to the Festival but it would be wrong to judge him on this performance and he is still a hugely promising horse. It would also, therefore, be wrong to draw too many hard and fast conclusions about the winner Melodic Rendezvous. What I can reiterate is that he jumps well and he clearly has a dangerous turn of foot but he is yet to show me that he has the star potential that will be necessary to win this season’s Supreme. I was concerned after his grade 1 win that I could be underestimating him, and that is still the case but it is just too easy to knock the Tolworth form, while he was lucky in my opinion to win at Cheltenham and on hurdling debut he was defeated by Mr Mole who has just won a minor handicap off a mark of 126. Now, that fails to tell the whole story as Mr Mole is another promising sort who won emphatically but that has to be a concern for Melodic Rendezvous supporters, especially as it was on the quickest ground he has faced over hurdles. Were Cheltenham to be heavy I think he would suddenly become an interesting player but I expect he will struggle on a sounder surface against the calibre of opposition expected at the Festival.

Following Sunday’s win bookmakers shortened up Melodic Rendezvous into 8/1 generally for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. This was an overreaction especially as his only rival in the listed race was pronounced lame soon after. With a foot problem diagnosed and confirmed later this race at Exeter was an uninformative contest. It should not have affected his price to such an extent, I see him as a 12/1 shot at best especially when there are murmurings that he could switch to the Neptune on quicker ground.

Supreme Novices Update: Tolworth Hurdle review

Underestimation is something I am far less guilty of than overestimation. I can easily get too excited about a horse that impresses, go overboard with a taking performance, but it is more unusual for me to be overly negative about a horse with major Cheltenham Festival pretensions. Last season, while he was a solid horse with strong bumper form and a sequence of relatively impressive wins over hurdles, I couldn’t believe Cinders And Ashes would be good enough to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. There was no reason to think he was incapable of making the frame, I just assumed, from what I had seen, that there would be a couple of classier candidates able to see him off up the Cheltenham hill. This season I appear to be in a similar situation with Melodic Rendezvous as, so far, he has done little to put one off expecting a big show in March, but I can’t see him having the pace or the class to take the main prize, whether that be the Supreme or the Neptune.

On Saturday, Melodic Rendezvous took the step up to grade 1 company over hurdles in his stride, running out a convincing winner of the Tolworth Hurdle. His grade 1 bumper form augured well but his starting price and position in the market (only third favourite) suggested that many, including myself, were expecting a different outcome. When discussing Melodic Rendezvous’ last race I had been very positive about runner up, Royal Boy. With the extra experience from that first run over hurdles behind him I had expected the form to be reversed with Jeremy Scott’s charge, and that seemed to be the general consensus seeing as Royal Boy started the 5/2 favourite. However, Melodic Rendezvous never looked in much danger of defeat on Saturday, with Royal Boy a well beaten third. Receiving a nice lead from Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old, Melodic Rendezvous settled comfortably in about fourth for most of the journey. His jumping was slick and economical, there was no semblance of an error and this is clearly a strength especially when one compares his jumping to those around him in the Supreme market. As Royal Boy weakened rapidly, he picked up well between the final two obstacles and from the half furlong pole Nick Schofield asked him to pull away from Pendra and the Where Or When gelding responded in good style. There is much to like about Melodic Rendezvous, he is tough, has a willing attitude, he clearly stays well and it is hard to argue that he wasn’t comfortably the best horse at Sandown. The question is whether that is hugely significant in terms of the Supreme Novices hurdle.

In the run up to Saturday’s race, the Tolworth looked a reasonably strong renewal and if Court Minstrel and Royal Boy had, in my view, ran anywhere near their previous levels of form then it would be hard to knock such a performance but I am quite convinced they did not. Melodic Rendezvous’ previous runs were not strong enough in form terms to suggest he was a Cheltenham Festival winner in waiting, particularly his debut run over hurdles where he finished behind Mr Mole. He is definitely improving, some would say rapidly, but even having won this grade 1 he is still yet to show me enough to suggest he is the Cheltenham candidate that his lofty antepost market positions suggest.

In second at Sandown was Pendra, admittedly four-and-a-half-lengths away, who has not shown enough to mark him out as a serious grade 1 contender. Since he ran away with his bumper Charlie Longsdon’s five-year-old has advertised his novice hurdle credentials with two wins from two starts, both at Plumpton, but his run prior to the Tolworth Hurdle was a three-and-three-quarter-lengths defeat of Workbench, trained by Paul Nicholls. Pendra took his time in putting that race to bed and I am sure Nicholls would have Workbench way down his novice hurdle pecking order.

Pendra already looks the sort who will improve for further, having attempted to make the running on Saturday in order to make use of his apparent stamina, and his ideal trip will surely prove to be nearer three miles than two. He was not simply brushed aside by Melodic Rendezvous either as, aided by Noel Fehily’s urgings, Pendra battled for much of the run in, whereas one would expect a serious candidate for Cheltenham to dismiss this future chaser with more authority than the winner did. It is fair to say the ground was extremely testing at Sandown and that would have contributed to Pendra’s performance while hampering the efforts of a classier Melodic Rendezvous. The emphasis became far more on stamina and that points to a step up in trip for Melodic Rendezvous but his impressive trainer, Jeremy Scott, is aiming more towards the Supreme having proved effective not only over two miles, but also at Cheltenham.

If Melodic Rendezvous does improve for the better ground one assumes he will face in March, as his trainer and jockey have stated on numerous occasions, then it is possible that we are a distance away from seeing his true ability. His record suggests that he handles testing ground, in fact he may well thrive on it having run so well behind Champagne Fever at Punchestown on, near enough, waterlogged ground. In two grade ones on heavy ground he has finished second and first while his only defeat over hurdles to date was on good-to-soft ground. He might just be the horse to look to in a heavy ground Supreme, these are the only conditions in which I could entertain backing him, but this would also encourage some of those contemplating the Neptune to drop down in trip, providing Melodic Rendezvous with an even tougher test. As nice as it is to see a different trainer competing with the National Hunt juggernauts, I am yet to see the zip and class necessary to get me excited about his Cheltenham prospects but then I felt exactly the same way about Cinders And Ashes last season.

For many the disappointment of Saturday’s race was Poet. There was a widely held belief that Poet was ultra impressive on his hurdling debut and that his flat class would inevitably result in him becoming a high class hurdler. I thought he was all out at Newbury to defeat, the subsequently beaten, Veloce and there was this myth about his ‘brilliant’ jumping, which looked no more than adequate to me. Poet ran as well as I expected he would on Saturday and, while this was an admirably ambitious target, if he is to make a mark over hurdles it will have to be at a much lower level.

The disappointment of the race for me in the Tolworth was the aforementioned favourite, Royal Boy. Last time, at Cheltenham, he was just trapped in behind the rest of the field just as the pace quickened. Once he found his passage up the rail Royal Boy was running down Melodic Rendezvous all the way to the line. It looked as if inexperience and a slight lack of pace cost him. A grade 1 on his second start under rules was always going to be a tall order but he had looked so promising at Cheltenham it was hoped, and in my case expected, that he would reverse the placings with Melodic Rendezvous. Unfortunately for his supporters, the exuberant jumping display was nowhere to be found. Conscious that he had been found wanting for pace at the death last time, Geraghty (on board Royal Boy) set out to be handy, if not make the running, in order to ensure that he was in the ideal position were it to turn into a sprint, having been left behind on debut. For a horse in need of the experience this tactic plainly backfired as he was still rather green while his jumping was abominable, losing ground at nearly every hurdle before he capitulated after second last. He still finished third, gaining invaluable experience, and in future with different tactics employed, preferably over further, he could still be a potent force in novice hurdles.

The final word goes to Court Minstrel who had the best form coming into Saturday’s race, having been impressive on his first start at Cheltenham and unlucky on his second behind Dodging Bullets and River Maigue. There were concerns expressed by his trainer, Evan Williams, that he may not handle the heavy ground and these concerns were borne out. He again travelled strongly through the race and came with a menacing run, along with the winner, on the approach to the second last but after being hemmed in for a few strides, his effort petered out tamely. A tired leap at the last nearly saw him come down, giving away third spot in the process. He is still a very useful novice hurdler, if not significantly better, and it would be folly to write him off just yet. His ideal conditions are relatively quick ground and a big field, until we see him face those he will be difficult to judge. Evan Williams seems to be favouring a go at a festival handicap in March and who could blame him? These defeats in unsuitable conditions can only land him on a very favourable mark.

Supreme Novices Update: Melodic Rendezvous, Pont Alexandre and Don Cossack

Last week felt somewhat light on potential Supreme Novice hurdlers, with, probably, the most informative race in that sphere coming at Cheltenham on Friday. Village Vic was made favourite primarily on the back of his useful looking second behind The New One at Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting in October and on the assumption that a drop back in trip in bad ground would see improvement from him. Unfortunately for connections, just like when behind Coneygree at Cheltenham’s Open meeting in November, Village Vic was a no show leaving those behind him in the market to fight it out.

On bumper form alone Melodic Rendezvous deserved to be favourite, following a saunter to victory round Chepstow he finished a good, but distant, second to Champagne Fever in Punchestown’s Champion Bumper, crucially, on heavy ground. It was also heavy ground at Cheltenham and there were doubts about most of his opponents in such testing conditions, yet it was still significantly less testing than Melodic Rendezvous had faced at Punchestown. It was strange then that his trainer, Jeremy Scott, made public his concerns over the ground and, although it could be put down to most trainers’ natural cautiousness, that must have contributed to him starting as big as 4/1, that, along with his previous start over hurdles at Exeter. There, he was seemingly beaten by a highly useful prospect in Mr Mole, but he was well beaten next time leaving some doubt over the form, despite the third winning on his next start. At Exeter it was over the same trip as at Cheltenham (2m1f) and he appeared to lack the pace of the winner there, suggesting a step up in trip may benefit him. After his win on Friday connections were of a similar mind, and while he did show pace at the weekend the gruelling conditions will have aided him as it brought out his stamina which, once the ground dries up, will more likely than not be used over trips in excess of two miles, with the expected Festival target at this stage being the Neptune. Were it to be soft in March Jeremy Scott and connections may change their minds but, while it is presumptive to judge the race at this stage, Friday’s contest does not look strong enough to suggest that Melodic Rendezvous deserves to be strongly considered as a major player for the Cheltenham Festival curtain raiser.

It may be harsh to take dim view of the race at this stage but the pace was muddling, with most of the field in relatively close proximity crossing the line. Melodic Rendezvous was quite impressive in the way he moved around and upsides those who had briefly denied him a clear run on approach to the last thus he certainly isn’t without considerable speed, but having been beaten for pace at Exeter it is hard to believe that the Cheltenham race was especially strong. Nick Schofield rode Melodic Rendezvous well on Friday, knowing he had a horse with enough class and experience the jockey brought his horse into the desired position when it necessitated, unlike the eye-catcher of the race, who chased him home in second, ROYAL BOY.

Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old was an easy winner of his point-to-point and joined the star trainer some time ago but a setback forced him out for the whole of last season. Friday was his hurdling debut after a significant layoff, and while he has everything in the looks department it was difficult to know what to expect from this son of Lavirco. After a couple of stuttering leaps he really took to hurdling, attacking the flights with precision, he was quick through the air and he demonstrated just what scope he has, pointing to his real future over the larger obstacles. He travelled strongly through the race but as Barry Geraghty took Royal Boy wide round the home turn, in order to find his favoured stands rail, he was slightly outpaced with a wall of horses in front of him and the Nigel Twiston-Davies runner, Imperial Leader, slowing down on the rail blocking his path through. Once the gap appeared after the last Geraghty went after Royal Boy and he picked up quickly, storming home but never looking like reaching the winner who was already clear, Melodic Rendezvous’ extra experience told.

Royal Boy is an exciting prospect on that evidence and for a winning pointer, much like River Maigue at Cheltenham’s November meeting, the slow pace and sprint up the hill would not have played to his strengths. It is possible that he will be seen to better effect over further but I felt he showed that he had enough toe through the race to suggest that a truly run two miles could suit him, once he gains more experience it could be dangerous to write him off in stronger races over that trip. Despite the winner being well thought of, for whom a fruitful hurdling campaign was expected, the horse to take from the race must be Nicky Henderson’s charge.

Back in third on Friday was Eduard, who having given six pounds to the front two ran a solid race however I am not convinced he ran to his best and there is more to come, possibly up in trip and on better ground. The other main protagonist, who was expected to run well, was Alan King’s flashy chestnut, Valdez, but sadly he was disappointing like Village Vic. Valdez seemed to travel well for a long way but was clearly running too free on that ground and he almost certainly failed to handle the testing conditions. While he may not have been up to this class in any case, Valdez has valuable races in him and Alan King should get back on track without too much difficulty.  

NAVAN

This blog has become almost exclusively about those horses and races that could have an impact on the Supreme Novices Hurdle but I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention the Navan Novice Hurdle (G1) on Sunday, a race likely to have far more impact on novice hurdles over three miles than two.

The race beforehand was all about Gordon Elliott’s star horse, Don Cossack. Very exciting in bumpers, this giant son of Sholokhov won nicely on hurdling debut, with the odd jumping blemish, and was expected to prove unbeatable over the longer trip with that experience behind him. However, he was comprehensively beaten by Pont Alexandre, an expensive French recruit for Rich Ricci and Willie Mullins, even before he, literally, fell in a hole after the last.

With Ruby Walsh, evidently full of confidence, on board Pont Alexandre set off in front and was never headed. He was brisk over his hurdles nearly throughout, with only a tendency to jump slightly right worth noting, though that is only a very minor concern. This was an impressive performance from a four-year-old in a Grade 1 on only his second hurdling start and first in Ireland. The most striking part of this display was the manner in which he drew away from the hyped-up Gigginstown gelding between two out and the last. Victory was sealed when he cleared the final flight and as Mullins said afterwards ‘he could still be anything.’ There is a chance he needs very soft ground, with him apparently only impressing at home once the ground became heavy but I wouldn’t get too caught up in that and while he should be fully effective in a race like the Neptune, at this moment in time, that looks like the novice event of the Festival. Pont Alexandre ran like a real stayer on Sunday and, despite Coneygree winning with something to spare again at Cheltenham on Saturday, the Albert Bartlett might be his for the taking. 

Don Cossack, known as “The Don” at home, disappointed. He is a big unit who has his own jumping technique, sadly for his supporters that technique is less than desirable and it wouldn’t be harsh to describe his as clumsy. It is too early to write him off, the esteem in which he’s held by his trainer is enough to justify giving him a few more chances, as was the imperious nature of his last three bumper runs. He still has untapped potential over hurdles but unless his jumping improves dramatically, Cheltenham aspirations will have to be put on hold for at least this season. Connections of Don Cossack have been keen to emphasise that they want to tread carefully with him as chasing will be his forte. That will be something to look forward to, but as the jumps season revolves around Cheltenham he could have a major problem when it comes to March, either over hurdles or fences, and that is a need for soft ground. I would be surprised if he acts on anything quicker, and even more surprised if his connections risked him on it.