Arguably, the horse to take from this weekend with the
Supreme in mind didn’t even run. The form of My Tent Or Yours’ commanding win
at Ascot was comprehensively boosted by Taquin Du Seuil on Friday when he took
the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at Sandown with consummate ease. The price of My
Tent Or Yours for the Supreme collapsed after the event and considering how
poorly he jumped against Taquin Du Seuil, one could be forgiven for holding sky
high expectations for Nicky Henderson’s charge once he gets his act together.
Taquin Du Seuil won on Friday over two-and-a-half miles, he appreciated the
soft ground and must be thought of more as a Neptune Investment Management
Novices' Hurdle horse. His trainer, Jonjo O’Neil, was not ruling the Supreme
out, however, and he may have a difficult decision to make come March.
Another trainer likely to have some tough decisions to make
in March is Willie Mullins. He has a host of novice hurdlers capable of running
over trips between two and three miles and this weekend we saw another one join
the ranks at Navan in the shape of Un Atout.
Un Atout arrived at Willie Mullins’ yard with a tall
reputation and he was sent off at 2/7 on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Naas.
With Patrick Mullins in the saddle he settled comfortably in front with just the
outsider of seven, Foxland, for company. Unsurprisingly, Foxland dropped away
relatively early and it was then left to main market rival, Directors Forum, to
challenge, but while Mullins sat motionless, content with his mount cruising
along, the rider on Directors Forum was hard at work on the final bend and
eventually dropped away too, leaving Emily O to give chase. She may have got
within four lengths but then at the two furlong pole Mullins nudged him forward
and Un Atout stretched clear in a dominant, destructive manner, finishing 24
lengths ahead of the runner-up. This performance in early January was, to my
eyes, the most impressive bumper display of last season. Willie Mullins had
hoped to run him in one more bumper but he suffered muscle problems and was
sensibly put away with a campaign over obstacles in mind.
For anyone who had seen his bumper, Un Atout’s hurdling
debut at Navan on Saturday was highly anticipated. Over two miles, like his
bumper, he was again happy to settle in front. This time, with Davy Russell on
board to dictate the pace, nothing in the race was willing to challenge him for
the lead, and he managed to grab a four length advantage. The pace was steady
and a number in behind fought for their heads, while Un Atout was left alone able
to have a clear sight of his hurdles. He jumped the first quickly but then
skied the second and at the fifth he just clipped the top yet he was still
sharp over it. He cleared the fourth last in style, making the ideal shape
while once again being swift through the air. Russell let the field close up on
the approach to the straight with the horse in second moving onto his tail.
Then at the third last Un Atout got in too close and as Davy Russell shook him
up to just get away from the flight after the sticky jump, Un Atout accelerated,
quickly re-extending the lead. Russell sat straight back up and barely moved
again as he was able to maintain the four length advantage right to the line
with Fickle Fortune finishing well for second.
The most striking thing about this run was the ease with
which Un Atout did it. There appeared to be so little effort involved for the
horse, seemingly cantering from start to finish. While he does have room for
improvement in his jumping Davy Russell’s mount was actually quite nimble over
his hurdles, picking his legs up quickly when in close. He may not have put in
the exuberant leaps stablemate Champagne Fever is capable of but he didn’t cede
ground to his pursuers and was in fact deceptively fast from one side of the hurdle
to another. I am sure as he gains experience his jumping will become an asset,
or as they say in French; ‘un atout’.
Often when a heavily odds-on shot readily wins a maiden
hurdle there is little of note in behind, only once upped in class can we
really see how good he or she is. At Navan, Un Atout did what was expected of
him, cruising to victory from an inferior field with a rise in class, no doubt,
imminent. On this occasion, though, there were at least two very useful bumper
performers with potential to be high class novice hurdlers in against him and
they were dismissed with contempt. Noel Meade's Fickle Fortune, in receipt of 7lbs from Un
Atout, had looked so exciting when winning her bumper and has been unlucky not
to win since. Her problem has always been her inability to settle, but she is a
pacey individual who will make her mark over hurdles and she finished a very
decent second here. Some Article, purchased by J.P. McManus after convincingly winning the Goffs Land
Rover Bumper at the Punchestown Festival, is also expected to make a very useful
novice hurdler. While he was keen through the race, Some Article was essentially
outclassed by Willie Mullins’ charge, unable to pick up as the leader sauntered
away on the bridle. Un Atout was a level above this opposition on Saturday, he
is already an exceptional prospect.
Whether he will win the Supreme is another matter as
immediately after Saturday’s race Mullins described Un Atout as a stayer. This
suggests a preference for stepping up in trip meaning that the Neptune could be
the long term target. Nothing he has shown so far indicates a lack of speed for
two miles, he has barely come off the bridle in two starts over the trip,
conversely he will clearly have no issue over further having finished full of
running each time and he is closely related to Sir Des Champs, who is out of Un
Atout’s half-sister (both are by Robin Des Champs). He is very likely to be
just as effective at both trips, the more important factor might be the other
potential runners for the owners and the trainer. Willie Mullins’ main hope for
the Neptune at this stage is Champagne Fever, he surely had his final run at
two miles over hurdles last time, so unless he goes all the way up to three
miles Mullins will have to aim Un Atout at the Supreme to avoid a clash. He did
run both Sous Les Cieux and Make Your Mark in the Neptune last year so maybe he
won’t mind having more than one runner, the real complication is the owners.
They did have two runners in the Supreme last season thus it could be
irrelevant but with Don Cossack they have another serious Neptune candidate and
I would be very surprised if Gigginstown Stud were not keen to keep him and Un
Atout apart. There has been talk of Don Cossack missing Cheltenham altogether
with connections’ eyes firmly on chasing next season, leaving the path open for
a Un Atout to have a tilt at the Neptune, but I find it hard to believe that Gordon
Elliot would skip the meeting with his very best unless the ground was fast.
With such an inexperienced horse, like Un Atout, there will of
course be doubts and there are certainly question marks over his suitability for the Cheltenham Festival. For instance, a minor concern is that we don’t know
how he’ll cope being in and around horses during a race yet or whether he needs
to be in front. I suspect connections have a huge amount of confidence in the horse and they have merely kept things simple in races they expect to win, such is his ability tactics should be immaterial. Another concern is that Un Atout has so far only run in testing conditions
apparently relishing them each time, but as a close relative of Sir Des Champs
one would expect him to handle the prevailing ground in March and he isn’t a
heavy topped horse in the mould of Bog Warrior or Don Cossack. He will probably
improve for the quicker ground and if his season turns out how I anticipate
then he will head to Cheltenham as Ireland’s best novice hurdler.
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