Supreme Novices Update: Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (grade 1) review

On Sunday we witnessed the strongest race meeting of the season so far at Fairyhouse. Three grade 1s, a grade 3 juvenile hurdle, two intriguing handicaps and a highly competitive bumper; this was a day where the emphasis was firmly on quality over quantity. Unfortunately, due to the injudicious carving up of Newbury’s, once great, showpiece card, the same could not be said for Hennessy Gold Cup day.

To no one’s surprise, Willie Mullins dominated the racing at Fairyhouse winning two of the grade 1s and the bumper with an exciting recruit, Outlander. The only grade 1 that eluded him was the first, the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, a race he took last year with the ill-fated Sous Les Cieux. After Ruby Walsh had ridden his second grade 1 winner, on Zaidpour, he was interviewed about his successful day and, notably, he suggested that prior to the racing he felt his best chance of a winner was Champagne Fever. This was understandable as he was the shortest price of Walsh’s three rides (the only favourite amongst them) and he had been last season’s best bumper horse in Britain and Ireland. When he won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, under Patrick Mullins, he had also comfortably accounted for Sunday’s main rival, Jezki. The only real concern for Ruby Walsh and the connections of Champagne Fever was the trip. This gangly grey son of Stowaway was never going to be a Supreme Novices Hurdle horse, he won his Champion bumper through stamina and guts, and nothing about him suggested he would be at his best at two miles over hurdles. What he had shown was class and a high cruising speed, so it was hoped that on the soft ground he could get away with it. Champagne Fever is a relentless galloper but he lacks a turn of foot and that proved crucial in Sunday’s outcome.

Ruby Walsh set off in front on Champagne Fever, the same tactics had been employed on each of his four previous (winning) starts including his hurdling debut over two miles at Cork, and he took the small field along at a reasonable pace, clearly intent on avoiding a sprint to the line. Champagne travelled comfortably in front for much of the way, jumping with exuberance, looking every inch the chaser he promises to be. As Ruby Walsh tried to increase the pace, however, his jumping started to falter, Mullins had suggested he might be ‘a bit novicey’ having only had one run over obstacles, and while he was trying to stretch the field he was hampered by slow leaps at the last three hurdles. Walsh kept asking his mount for more and more effort and Champagne Fever kept finding as he always had done in the past, but at the second last Jezki was still, seemingly, cruising on the bridle with Geraghty just biding his time. As the pair crossed the last in front, Geraghty played his hand, drawing clear of Champagne Fever who had no answer to the change of pace. To his credit he kept battling to the line and was giving the winner three pounds but on this evidence it is difficult to envisage a scenario where Champagne Fever could reverse the form with Jezki at two miles over hurdles, barring heavy ground bordering on unraceable.

There were excuses for Champagne Fever’s defeat put up by Willie Mullins, including the track at Fairyhouse being difficult for front-runners and this was relatively close to his hurdling debut, yet it is hard to watch the race and draw any conclusion other than he needs further to be seen at his best (preferably over fences but that will have to wait, sadly). As someone who holds Champagne Fever in the highest regard, I was disappointed to see him beaten at Fairyhouse. Immediately after the race I struggled to believe that was as good as he is, I felt it was possibly a flat performance and the presence of Zuzka just a length behind confirmed this for me. On reflection this theory was short-sighted and underestimates Jezki who had looked so impressive over hurdles up to this point. Champagne Fever had his own way in front and he wasn’t pressed for the lead, but as the pace quickened his jumping suffered suggesting at a two mile pace his hurdling is not quite quick enough. He did manage to see off almost the entire field before the last but as he maintained his impressive, if not spectacular pace, Jezki, who had looked a speed horse his entire career, accelerated in the fashion of a real Supreme Novice.

Jezki, for trainer Jessica Harrington, had looked a high class novice hurdler already this season. There was a doubt about the worth of the form of his last run, where powered to victory on the bridle, until the second, Un Beau Matin, beat a decent field, including dual Royal Ascot winner Simenon, comfortably on his next start. That in isolation, then, was quite a performance from this four-year-old son of Milan, but he received a further boost when Ally Cascade, second to Jezki on their hurdling debuts, came out and beat a well touted Mullins runner in a maiden hurdle on Friday. Ally Cascade succumbed to Jezki’s turn of foot, much in the way Champagne Fever did.

Barry Geraghty settled Jezki on the inside from the off on Sunday. There was no sign of him being keen with Geraghty happy to be left in fourth upon jumping the first, no more than four lengths off the primary target Champagne Fever. There was, though, cause for concern at the second flight as Geraghty pulled his mount out to get a better view of the hurdle and Jezki jumped left over it losing ground on those ahead. He did the same at the third, this time looking even more awkward before a mistake at the fourth. His natural pace was enough to maintain the desired position but once again he jumped left at the fifth and he even jumped the last two flights slightly left. His jumping, therefore, was far from accomplished. Had Champagne Fever taken the last three flights fluently Jezki may have been in trouble, but while this display leaves a doubt in the back of one’s mind, I would not be overly concerned as this was his first run right-handed. Back on a left-handed course we will surely see significant improvement and this must make his performance more meritorious as he was able to win a grade 1, defeating a strong field in the process, despite jumping left nearly throughout.

Connections of Jezki have made clear their expectation that he would be even more impressive on better ground despite three convincing victories in testing conditions. Thus, his ideal race would be on a left-handed course on good or good to soft ground, the circumstances he would likely face in the Supreme. His form was already solid enough to be considered a top novice prospect, but in defeating Champagne Fever he has shown form that will be hard to match in the two mile novice hurdling division, especially as Willie Mullins’ charge will no doubt run over further from now on. After the race most bookmakers cut Jezki into 10/1 favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, Ladbrokes were on their own in offering 14/1 which was a crazy price on the back of that performance. I would have him no bigger than 8/1 favourite for the Festival curtain raiser and any bookmaker offering double figures, most of them still are, is being generous. There will have to be some special performances in the next few months, from the likes of Waaheb and My Tent Or Yours, to shift him from his position at the head of the market.

For those against Jezki there is one run to cling to from his career so far, his only run at Cheltenham. He finished eighth in the Champion Bumper, nearly twelve lengths behind Champagne Fever, but he shaped well there, just lacking for stamina. He is also improving with experience and as a four-year-old he must be strengthening up all the time. That run would be of little concern to me, particularly as he did seem to handle the track and it was a very similar run in the race to that of last season’s Supreme winner Cinders And Ashes. Winners of that Champion Bumper have a poor record in the Supreme as it generally requires a different type of horse to win each race, the bumper is often a test of stamina where as the Supreme is more a test of speed, a test Jezki will excel at.

Of those in behind Jezki and Champagne Fever on Sunday, Zuzka evidently shaped the best finishing just a length behind her stablemate in third. She stayed on well at the finish, having travelled up to the leaders two out, just lacking the class of the front two. She can only find weaker races than this and will take some beating next time out, and there is no reason to think that she won’t handle a step up in trip. A horse who needs a step up in trip is Minsk who finished a respectable fourth. Very useful on the flat, he was a talking horse last year, but on his hurdling debut failed to deliver and then missed the rest of the season. He came back over hurdles last month with a dominant display over two-and-a-half-miles and it was assumed a drop back in trip would not bother him. In fact, he simply lacked the speed to stay in the race from two out and his trainer, Dessie Hughes, has already stated that his next target will be back over further. Some distance adrift of the first four was Clonbanan Lad. He does not appear up to this level and it may be the case that he needs the heavy ground. 

Supreme Novices Update: Jezki and Sizing Rio

It is back to Ireland for this update as in Britain the one novice hurdler who had looked capable of developing into a Supreme Novices’ horse was beaten, showing signs of immaturity and waywardness in the process. Mr Mole has significant potential but the fierce hold he took and his tendency to hang left late in races leave him with questions to answer. Far more amenable this weekend was Jezki, who ran out an ultra-impressive winner of the Grade 3 hurdle for four-year-olds at Naas.

Jezki ended last season as one of Ireland’s best bumper horses, winning twice and only beaten in the notably competitive Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. Jessica Harrington’s four-year-old son of Milan started his career in January in a warm looking bumper where he faced an odds shot trained by Dermot Weld, Silver Concorde, and a well regarded newcomer trained by Noel Meade, Ned Buntline. Jezki, understandably, took a while to settle on his race debut, eventually dropping back to the rear with his rider in search of cover. As the runners entered the home straight, he circled the field, finding himself in a battle with Ned Buntline. The race was in doubt for a moment but a useful looking turn of foot saw him home, winning cosily in the end. Ned Buntline ran again for the first time in another bumper on Saturday, on the same card as Jezki, and he slaughtered his field thereby adding further merit to the debut performance of Jessica Harrington’s charge.

This run promised much for the future and on his next start in March, Jezki proved he had learnt from his initial experience, winning very easily, looking a high class animal in the process. Here he displayed his inherent speed, travelling smoothly through the race before cruising to victory from his stablemate The Big Easy, a gelding destined for chasing. There was little of note behind but this style of victory put him into the picture for the Cheltenham bumper and whilst it was just ten days later, Jezki had hardly had a race so there was every reason to go.

Jezki was very keen as the tapes went up at Cheltenham but he was soon settled in rear of mid-division. He maintained his position well through the race, moving comfortably into contention coming down the hill before his effort flattened out. Whether this was down to a lack of stamina, having looked a speed horse up until then, or a lack of experience, having only had the two races, this was still an encouraging run, eventually finishing eighth. The loss of his unbeaten tag may have been disappointing but it did not take away from his promising first season and a successful career over hurdles was in prospect.

After a pipe-opener on the flat, where Jezki finished fifth behind the likes of Go Native and Glam Gerry, Jessica Harrington’s charge began his hurdling career over two miles at Naas (29th October). There looked to be one serious rival beforehand and so it proved with impressive bumper scorer Ally Cascade, another for Noel Meade, fighting out the finish with Jezki, leaving the rest a distance behind. The race was run at a steady gallop with Jezki always travelling sweetly. His jockey, Barry Geraghty decided to track Ally Cascade until the two were clear and Jezki’s turn of speed saw him swoop by while the runner up merely plugged on. On the evidence of this run the front two look high class recruits, with Jezki’s pace proving the difference, and Ally Cascade may well become high achieving novice hurdler once upped in trip.

On his first start over hurdles, Jezki travelled well, jumped neatly and displayed his potent turn of foot. This was all again on display at the weekend on his first foray into graded company. In this early season test for four-year-olds, Jezki moved smartly through the race before pulling away after the last for an emphatic eight length win. Even when messed about at the final two flights by the runner up, Un Beau Matin, Jezki jumped quickly, displaying a sure-footedness that can only hold him in good stead for the future. The form in behind Jezki though is very questionable as his main market-rivals ran no race at all and he was getting nearly a stone from the fourth placed runner, favourite, Hisaabaat. Un Beau Matin had also not shown a great deal in his two starts since arriving from France. It was almost certainly a career best from Gordon Elliott’s son of Sagamix and it may be unwise to underestimate him in similar events for such a talented trainer, while at the same time, I wouldn’t be overly keen to back him to confirm the form with those in behind.

There are significant doubts over the strength of this race and Jezki will have to show significant improvement to be considered as a potential Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, but what is so appealing about Jezki is that, in all likelihood, he will do. For a horse with so much natural speed he has been excelling on ground that would surely not see him to best effect and in winning a graded race by eight lengths on the bridle he has performed in the style of a high class hurdler. The real test will come when he makes the leap into Grade 1 company in the Royal Bond. If he shows up well there, and there is no reason to think he is not capable, then he becomes a real contender for the top honours come March. Even if he is beaten, Jezki is not necessarily one to give up on as the prevailing ground in Ireland will always blunt his speed to an extent, a situation which he is unlikely to face at Cheltenham.

I have already discussed Sizing Rio here on the back of his debut over hurdles, in which he looked an exciting prospect. A rise in class was expected for Henry De Bromhead’s charge and on Sunday at Navan he took this rise firmly in his stride. Sent off the 4/5 favourite, Sizing Rio, who may require a decent pace to run at, took up the running from the third flight. He again showed his enthusiasm for jumping with one particularly special, race sealing leap at the last. He jumps in the style of a chaser and his trainer suggested that is where his future lies. 

This was not the saunter to victory that his hurdling debut was and, jockey, Andrew Lynch had to shake him up to see off the attentions of Ted Veale but as soon as it was needed he found what was required on the run-in. Ted Veale was a very useful horse in bumpers and his victories in a maiden flat race and two subsequent hurdle races marked him out as a classy individual for Tony Martin. Just the heavy ground over an inadequate trip next time saw him disappoint. Some may be concerned that Sizing Rio only narrowly defeated Ted Veale but he is an underrated novice hurdler and the winner’s superiority over the runner-up and the rest of the field is probably far greater than it seemed here and he is still in the Supreme picture.

It is a slight worry however, in terms of Supreme Novice aspirations, that Sizing Rio’s trainer sees him as a “big raw four-year-old” as he may be willing to skip the punishing test of the Cheltenham Festival at this stage with the ultimate aim of returning there for tests over fences. There is still plenty of time for connections to decide which direction to go in and the intention now is to take a break until a Christmas. A much bigger worry is Sizing Rio’s dislike for travelling around left-handed bends. It was plain to see during Sunday’s race that Andrew Lynch was struggling to manoeuvre this scopey gelding around the turns and with Cheltenham in mind, it is hard to envisage a scenario where a horse with these problems could compete. Sizing Rio appears to be an extremely talented novice who jumps fluently, consistently making ground at his hurdles, but until there are signs that he is over his dislike for left-handed turns or they make Cheltenham right-handed, he has to be viewed with a considerable degree of caution.