The last week has seen a number
of prospective Cheltenham bound novice hurdlers deliver credible performances.
While in this country we’ve been light on potential Supreme Novice Hurdlers,
Ireland has thrown up a few.
The highly anticipated hurdling
debut of the top class bumper horse Waaheb
came last Tuesday and he displayed all the attributes which made him such a
potent force in National Hunt flat races. In January 2011 he won his first
bumper, in February his second and in April his third. On each occasion he won easily
marking him out as Ireland’s best prospect in that sphere and it was almost
inevitable that, having previously been owned by trainer Dermot Weld’s son, he
would be purchased by JP McManus. In his colours he stepped up in class,
skipping the likely stamina test of the Cheltenham’s Champion Bumper, and took
in in the Punchestown Festival’s Champion I.N.H Flat Race. Waaheb was sent off
the 15/8 favourite and up until that point he had been vastly superior to those
he had faced, but this time he met his match in Lovethehigherlaw, who was
Willie Mullins’s best bumper horse that season. At the end of an epic battle up
Punchestown’s home straight Willie Mullins son of Presenting ultimately
outstayed Dermot Weld’s charge. The untimely demise of Lovethehigherlaw robbed
him of a bright future over obstacles and it was left to Waaheb give us a sense
of what might have been.
Almost immediately after the race
Waaheb was made favourite, in most antepost lists, for the 2012 Supreme Novices’
Hurdle, remaining in that position until it was sadly confirmed that injury had
ruled him out for the season. Seemingly unconcerned by his injury bookmakers
once again put him in as antepost favourite, before he jumped a hurdle in
public, for the 2013 version. Waaheb’s latent talent was there for all to see
in bumpers, the question was whether he could carry over this talent to the
hurdling game. The signs from his seasonal reappearance at Fairyhouse are
generally good.
Having settled well in last place
for Mark Walsh he took on the first flight and, almost certainly due to his
inexperience, he dived at it. This was, in reality, of little concern and
somewhat in response to that he ballooned the second. After these early
sighters he jumped efficiently, only jumping left when forced to by
Coldstonesober, never losing ground on the leaders. Unsurprisingly for a horse
that showed so much class in bumpers, Waaheb travelled strongly throughout and
as he picked off his opponents one by one there was never a question who the
winner would be. As he approached the last, upsides a couple of others, it
seemed a comfortable victory was on the cards. Following a decent final jump,
he was shaken up and put in a burst of acceleration taking him away from the
field posting an even more impressive performance than looked likely, winning
by six-and-a-half lengths. This performance showed that his injury and time off
has not dented his pace, pace that many of his subsequent rivals will lack. He
jumped well enough for a debut and there is little doubt that he will improve
significantly from this race. Whether he will show his true ability when stepped
up in grade later in the season on heavy ground is up for debate. What is not
up for debate is that he is a novice hurdler with abundant promise, and with
the anticipated progress from his debut he is one to be feared by all.
Just one race before Waaheb’s
hurdling debut was a maiden hurdle restricted to four-year-olds and it is
possible we saw another Supreme contender in that contest. This was a
performance that has gone under the radar due to its proximity to Waaheb’s
comeback, but it was no less impressive.
Sizing Rio began his career winning a
point-to-point at Bennettsbridge by three lengths. It is difficult to know what
he achieved there but, interestingly, in third that day was Clondaw Kaempfer who
went on to win a valuable and competitive Fairyhouse bumper before moving to
Donald McCain, for whom he won a novices’ hurdle impressively on Sunday.
On his first run under rules for
Henry De Bromhead and the Potts Family, Sizing Rio disappointed. He was fancied
to run well in a good four-year-old bumper at the Punchestown festival but he weakened
tamely. It was assumed that back over obstacles he would be a different proposition
and this was the case. He started second favourite behind Noel Meade’s Cops And
Robbers. Cops And Robbers had been useful on the flat for Sir Michael Stoute
(sold for £125,000) and had shaped well on his hurdling debut in Grade 3 so
this was no easy task.
Positioned in second for most of
the race, Sizing Rio jumped quickly and accurately, his technique improving as
the race progressed. He was tracked throughout by major market rival Cops And
Robbers and once tearaway leader Strategic Bid fell by the wayside it looked as
if this son of Heron Island might have severe competition from Noel Meade’s
charge. However, it soon became apparent that Sizing Rio was maintaining his
advantage over Cops And Robbers and the race was put beyond doubt as he quickened
around the home turn while the runner-up was struggling to keep him in sight.
The final winning distance was eighteen lengths and there was a further
eighteen back to the third. It may be argued that the form is weak but before
the race Cops And Robbers was thought of as good hurdling prospect and I have
no reason to doubt that, especially when one considers the fact that he has already won since, at Wexford on Sunday. There are few better in Ireland at producing
Cheltenham horses than Henry De Bromhead and in Sizing Rio, who barely came off
the bridle to achieve this demolition, jumping with alacrity and showing no
lack of pace, he could have another one.
At the end of
the last National Hunt season Pique Sous
would have been at the forefront of many people’s minds when considering
candidates for next (now this) season’s Supreme Novices. After a promising run on
debut, in the valuable sales bumper at Fairyhouse, in April 2011 he was not
seen out again until February of this year at Leopardstown. At Leopardstown he
won impressively, displaying a turn of foot rarely seen in Irish bumpers. He
then went to the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, supposedly, as Mullins’ best
chance in the race. While he cantered all over his stablemate and resulting
winner Champagne Fever, he was just outstayed and could manage only third.
Mullins was keen to get more experience into him and therefore ran him three
more times in National Hunt flat races during the summer, winning twice, before
commencing his hurdling campaign at Cork in late August.
There was little doubt beforehand
that Pique Sous would win on his hurdling debut and he was sent off at 1/3 but
racing is, of course, never that simple and he failed to hold off Ted Dolly
losing out by 2¾ lengths. He was far too free on that day pulling hard, giving
himself little chance to finish strongly. Some suggested it was his jumping
that let him down on this occasion and to a small extent I agree. It was
deliberate at times, early on, but it was not causing him to lose ground. The crucial
error came at the fourth last, where he severely pecked on landing, but this
was mainly due to a horse in front jumping across him leaving unsighted. This
clearly worried the son of Martaline as he ploughed through the next hurdle
before his jockey, Emmet Mullins, finally let him stride on and he jumped the
last beautifully. Unfortunately for connections, he just had nothing left to
fend off the fast finishing winner.
On Wednesday, Pique Sous came out
again at Thurles and connections were hoping he could redeem himself. The major
concern from his hurdling debut was his keenness and to counter this, a change
of tactics was employed by Ruby Walsh. Willie Mullins’ five-year-old was always
likely to benefit from his hurdling bow, but setting off in front definitely
made a difference. Pique Sous largely had an uncontested lead at Thurles and
until a mistake at the fourth last he held a 3 or length cushion allowing him
to settle in front. He was still keen enough through the race, although not to the
extent of his previous racecourse experience, but despite the one aforementioned
blunder he jumped noticeably well, thereby forcing his opposition to put in the
extra effort which ultimately told. Rounding the final bend the field were
closer than at any point during the race yet this time Pique Sous was able to
pull away from his pursuers, posting a five length victory in the process.
Willie Mullins pointed out after
the race that his is a horse that needs decent ground and he may be aimed at
the Open Meeting at Cheltenham in November. This will be a real test for him as
he will find it tougher to make all, if these are the tactics they employ
again, and if he runs too free again the higher class of opposition, along with
the stiff Cheltenham finish, could find him out. If Pique Sous does learn to
settle though, and allows himself to be dropped in and ridden for the speed he showed
in bumpers, he will be a force to be reckoned with. I do not share the concerns
of many about his jumping, as it looks to me like the faster they go the better
he jumps, and there aren’t too many slow Supremes.
