Before the race this looked an informative Supreme Novices trial with a number towards the top of the antepost lists, including three grade 1 winners. After the race it looks more like a Neptune Investments/Albert Bartlett novices hurdle trial if it’s to have any bearing on the Cheltenham Festival at all.
Largely unconsidered for the Leopardstown contest and almost entirely unconsidered for the Championship Novice events at the Festival, Benefficient, at odds of 50/1, caused a shock by winning the Deloitte Novices Hurdle over 2m2f. The outsider of the seven runner field set off boldly in front and, thanks to a neat tactical ride from Bryan Cooper, was never headed. Jumping soundly throughout Tony Martin’s charge always looked comfortable and he quickened smartly from the second last creating an unassailable lead in the process.
After a wholly unsuccessful hurdling debut over two miles, he was stepped up in trip an extra four furlongs at Navan. Front-running tactics were employed and he lost his maiden tag in style, defeating the well regarded 1/2 favourite Knockgraffon King by eight lengths. Then, last time out, over a trip over another 2 furlongs further at Thurles more of the same was expected as he was sent off favourite. On this occasion Benefficient ran as if something was amiss, finishing pulled up in a race won by, the admittedly smart, Folsom Blue. After the race he scoped dirty and in hindsight, evidently too much emphasis was placed on this lacklustre display and, as a result, he was severely underestimated in the market for the Deloitte.
While this son of Beneficial deserved his victory, it is hard not to come to the conclusion that the result would have been different were the race to be run again. Tactics were all important and I struggle to envisage him pulling off something similar at Cheltenham, particularly in his probable target the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle. He is clearly at home over a trip further than two miles hence I would be stunned to discover that the Supreme was on his agenda.
Where Bryan Cooper on Benefficient won the tactical battle, Ruby Walsh on Sous Les Cieux lost it. He held Sous Les Cieux back in last place from the off and he was not helped by the relatively slow jumping from his mount early on. He struggled to get into a threatening position for most of the way until just as Walsh made his move Sous Les Cieux made a race defining error as his momentum was lost, leaving the eventual winner too far clear. Sous Les Cieux stayed on strongly up the straight and was gaining ground on the leader all the way to the line but a second grade 1 victory never looked on the cards.
I have written before of my liking for this horse but I have never been convinced that two miles was his trip. He won his maiden over two-and-a-half miles very impressively and then he was dropped down to the minimum trip in the grade 1 Royal Bond which he also won well. This showed he had the necessary speed for two miles but I felt that a positive ride from Ruby Walsh had won him the day. He picked the pace up from the front runner early in the straight and used his stamina to best effect comfortably holding off the speedy Galileo’s Choice. At Leopardstown, on his next start, he was tried again in a small field grade 1 over two miles (the Future Champions Novice Hurdle) and this time he was in front from the off. Unfortunately for connections he was too keen and folded tamely in a race that seemed all wrong, the form is probably worth ignoring when considering the major novice hurdles in the spring. Most people were content in putting a line through that performance and as such he was sent off favourite on Sunday.
The extra two furlongs were expected to suit and he ran a far better race using tactics far removed from his previous foray to Leopardstown. Had he jumped the second last with any fluency he probably would have won and he may still have been a live candidate for the Supreme but the manner in which he finished on Sunday suggests this is a horse that will surely thrive for a return over further in the Neptune. Ideally I hope Willie Mullins will decide to step the stamina filled Boston Bob up in trip as well and target him at the eminently winnable Albert Bartlett on Gold Cup day, paving the way for Sous Les Cieux to take on Fingal Bay. The current best price available for this son of Saints Des Saints (16/1) is reasonable as I can’t see him going for any other race at Cheltenham and it has the propensity to dramatically shorten were Mullins to do the right thing and run Boston Bob in the Albert Bartlett. If there is a horse to come out of the Deloitte and challenge at Cheltenham it is Sous Les Cieux but it won’t be in the Supreme Novices.
Another horse bound to improve for a step up in trip was the third on Sunday, Il Fenomeno. This Italian bred son of Denon ran a huge race in the circumstances and is a gelding I had underrated up to this point. In his second season as a novice, Noel Meade’s charge has improved beyond all recognition and his grade 3 win over stablemate Dylan Ross in November set a decent level of form. In the Royal Bond next time he patently lacked the pace for two miles and, as he showed in the Deloitte as well, he lacks the pace of Sous Les Cieux. Il Fenomeno’s run on Sunday suggests to me that a significant step up in trip is required. He put his head down and battled all the way up the run in and even with a final flight blunder he held off a challenge from Lord Windermere. Sadly his only festival entry is in the Supreme and I now doubt whether he will turn up at Cheltenham at all.
Prior to the race Lord Windermere did not look to have the class to win this grade 1 and it showed as he was well placed throughout but lacked the finishing speed of Benefficient, the stamina of Sous Le Cieux and the battling qualities of Il Fenomeno. Finishing fourth was no disgrace and like most of the field he will benefit from a step up in trip but he was exposed as being below top class here and a trip to Cheltenham would surprise me. Of the rest, Burn And Turn was outclassed and finished last but is capable of winning decent races back at her level. The two major disappointments of the race were both previous grade 1 winners. Cash And Go and Captain Conan had both won races where the form is questionable and doubts over their credibility as Supreme Novice candidates were well founded.
Cash And Go had won the Future Champions Novice Hurdle, the race in which Sous Les Cieux disappointed, but I suspect all bar the winner ran below form. Even Edward O’Grady’s charge jumped poorly in winning that grade 1. He had excuses on Sunday, as he was found to be lame and scoped badly post race, so it is possible to put a line through that run but even judged on his grade 1 win he is not a horse I would consider for the Festival curtain raiser.
Captain Conan had been gift-wrapped his grade 1 victory by Colour Squadron in the Tolworth at Sandown. Had Colour Squadron been able to stay on a reasonably straight course he would have won relatively comfortably and the shocking run of Prospect Wells also leaves further question marks surrounding the strength of the form. Nicky Henderson’s French import travelled well through the Deloitte but emptied alarmingly quickly. Inexperience may have cost him and it would not be a surprise if there were excuses akin to those of Cash And Go but as his trainer had suggested before the race Captain Conan is next year’s horse and will in all probability miss Cheltenham. He may well flourish over fences and be serious contender for the 2013 festival but this year Henderson has far better prospects for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
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