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: Clondaw Kaempfer

With the rain softened ground ruling out Overturn for his second start over fences and a lack of fitness ruling out Peddlers Cross for his seasonal reappearance in the Ascot Hurdle, Donald McCain was left without his two biggest guns for a weekend he likes to target with the cream of his crop. He did, however, unleash some of his exciting younger prospects, including Baltimoar and Super Duty, and none were more exciting than Clondaw Kaempfer on Friday in Haydock’s two mile Listed Novices’ Hurdle.

This attractive four-year-old son of Oscar began his life in the point-to-point fields where he was placed twice, finishing third to another exciting Supreme prospect in Sizing Rio on the first occasion at Bennettsbridge, and he was narrowly beaten on the second at Maralin where he apparently struggled in the testing conditions. He was then sent, by his trainer at the time Colin Bowe, to Fairyhouse for their valuable Tattersalls Ireland Sales Bumper. Held up in rear from the off, he travelled strongly thorough race and tracked Snake Eyes, a disappointing second on hurdling debut today, on the outside. Snake Eyes, ridden more prominently, got first run and it took Clondaw Kaempfer a while to get on terms but eventually he stayed on past Henderson’s inmate and comfortably held off The Liquidator, subsequently bought by David Pipe, who ran well in unsuitable conditions in the listed bumper during Cheltenham’s Open Meeting. This understandably left the impression that Clondaw Kaempfer would be suited by longer trips over hurdles, while the way he travelled and picked up smartly to circle the field and follow Snake Eyes into the straight also indicated abundant pace. This was a highly appealing combination and there was no shortage of interest at Cheltenham’s April sale, eventually being knocked down to Donald McCain for £130,000.

At the start of the season McCain suggested that Clondaw Kaempfer would be a strong stayer and consequently headed to Aintree for his hurdling debut over 2½ miles. It was very soft ground that day and after the race it was revealed that McCain had almost pulled his horse out as he believed this bay gelding might struggle in the conditions, in fact the opposite was true.

It was only a four runner event at Aintree but there did seem to be a major rival in the shape of Funny Star, for Paul Nicholls, who had won a big field hurdle race at Auteuil on his only previous start. They were taken along at an appropriately slow pace given the conditions and the two main protagonists sat together, tracking the front pair. Clondaw Kaempfer was a little fresh and keen early, but this was of little concern and he was soon travelling with ease. His jumping slick throughout, with a couple of notably exuberant leaps, and his jockey, Jason Maguire, looked full of confidence rounding the home turn, even prepared to let the field slightly get away from him. Then after the second last he gently nudged his mount and the response was immediate as he smoothly loomed up alongside the leader before stretching clear after the last in striking fashion, marking him out as a high class animal. He was barely tested in this race but it did at least prove that he handled bad ground which was important as McCain had no qualms about stepping him up in class for his next run in similarly testing conditions.

                                                                                                                                                            

Donald McCain had entered Clondaw Kaempfer in the fixed brush novices’ hurdle on Friday as well as the two mile listed event over the standard obstacles and prior to this weekend there was little talk of him being a potential Supreme horse. The ground, as it was at Haydock, persuaded connections to take in the two mile event and it paid off, with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle now looking a distinct possibility.

Again a small field but this time, over a shorter trip, the pace was noticeably quicker and Clondaw Kaempfer quickly settled into a nice rhythm on the inside. Once more his hurdling was fluid and quick, looking the likeliest winner from some way out with perhaps the most impressive part of the race coming on entry to the final straight. He was briefly asked by Maguire to move through a gap into a share of the lead and he responded instantly, before coming quickly back, hard on the bridle. Finally asked to go and win the race at the second last, he quickened up well putting a gap between him and the second Lienosus. A slow jump out to the right at the last cost him most of the ground he had taken out of the second between the last two hurdles, and the strong staying Lienosus looked a threat as Clondaw Kaempfer drifted right. He seemed to be tiring in the soft to heavy ground, however, Donald McCain’s charge picked up smartly again, in the end winning emphatically by 3¾ lengths from a well regarded and well backed second, who was also receiving 6lbs. Lienosus had shown smart form over further at Chepstow, on his first run for Evan Williams, in the Persian War where he finished behind the hugely exciting French import Wonderful Charm. He is a prospect worth following, particularly back over further as he lacked the speed of Clondaw Kaempfer, and crucially pulled 22 lengths clear of the third, impressive Exeter scorer, Landscape who seemingly had his ideal conditions.

The significant distance back to Landscape is the first point to note when considering Clondaw Kaempfer for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as, prior to his impressive win at Exeter, he had finished 14½ lengths behind another contender for Cheltenham’s curtain raiser, Court Minstrel. Yet on Friday he was some 26 lengths behind Clondaw Kaempfer and while testing ground can accentuate winning distances, those conditions were supposed to favour Landscape more than the quicker ground he faced at Cheltenham. His trainer, Paul Nicholls, was also keen to point out that his jumping had improved since then. As a result, this performance from Clondaw Kaempfer must be thought of as a significant Supreme trial.

He beat, what looks, a useful field comfortably and demonstrated, once again, his ability to quicken twice in a race while at the same time proving his tenacity in battle. The Neptune, at this stage, does look the obvious race having finished full of running over 2m4f on soft ground at Aintree and the Neptune, despite being run over 2m5f, is a race for speed horses at the moment with likes of Simonsig and Peddlers Cross winning it in recent years. The presence of Peddlers Cross in its history may well sway McCain that direction, especially with Clondaw Kaempfer possessing so much speed alongside his unquestionable stamina. It is this speed, though, which could encourage Donald McCain to go down the two mile route and if the ground came up soft in March, not unthinkable anymore with the incessant rain in this country, I am confident the Supreme is the race he would chose. His current odds of 16/1 for the race are not unreasonable if one is willing to take a chance and, who knows, as Donald McCain has more time with him Clondaw Kaempfer might become a faster horse. This son of Oscar will likely be even better on good/good to soft ground and under these conditions the longer trip will appeal to connections but the Neptune may also be the tougher race with last season’s top bumper performers, Champagne Fever, Don Cossack, The New One etc. all targeting that race. There are so many factors to consider when making this decision, including his other novices, such as Corrin Wood who ran so well in the aforementioned fixed brush race over the longer trip, and Donald McCain will probably make the right one. Even if he made the wrong decision it might not matter as Clondaw Kaempfer has already indicated that he could have the potential to win either race.

Supreme Novices Update: Opus Energy Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) review

The third race of Cheltenham’s Open Meeting 2012 had, since the entry stage, looked like a key pointer to the upcoming novice hurdle events over two miles with most of the entries promising much either, last season, the start of this season, or both. Once the declarations had been made it appeared we were in prospect for a highly informative clash that was bound to have a significant bearing on the, all important, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2013.

There is no doubt we saw a group of high class novice hurdlers that, in all likelihood, will make up into horses capable of challenging in March, but whether we learned the respective merits of the runners in this race is another matter. The main problem, that had been alluded to beforehand, was a lack of pace. The race was full of horses in need of the experience or with concerns over their ability to settle; therefore nearly every runner’s ideal conditions were a fast run race in which they could settle in behind, receiving cover. As a result, nothing wanted to make the running leaving the bizarre situation where the tapes went up and it was nearly 15 seconds before the race actually began.

With Dodging Bullets having already had one season over hurdles and bearing in mind his convincing victory at the track last time, Ruby Walsh was reluctantly willing to set the pace on him. Walsh took the field along at a very sedate pace leaving a number in behind pulling for their heads, most notably Duke Of Navan who nearly pulled his way to the front rounding the first bend out of the home straight. Dodging Bullets settled well enough in front, largely jumped well, and, after Walsh bunched the field up one final time coming down the hill, he quickened smartly using all the advantage he had gained through the race to best effect, consequently running out a 1½ length winner. If there was going to be any danger to him it would have been following his mistake at the last but it lost him little, if any, ground and he was in fact quicker over the obstacle than the second.

There was strong support for Paul Nicholls’ charge before Friday’s race but I had question marks over him. He had won an extremely weak race at the previous Cheltenham meeting and he was up against high class horses here, from the flat and bumpers, for example, Court Minstrel who had won more decisively in a stronger race on the same day at Cheltenham’s October meeting. Although, on the back of Dodging Bullet’s first season over hurdles he had every right to be favourite, particularly when one reflected on his run in the Triumph Hurdle. With this win under his belt over seemingly decent opposition he should look a very appealing prospect for the Supreme, especially with his trainer showing so much faith in him that he is being considered for the Christmas Hurdle. The way the race panned out is just as likely to have inconvenienced Dodging Bullets as any other horse in the race and this is the point his connections and supporters will focus on going forward as he won in spite of the race being unsuitable. I take the view that in the end this was a farce of a race which was far less informative than it promised to be. I failed to see enough from the winner to dispel the doubts I previously held and would be willing to look past him at this stage for the 2013 Supreme Novices.

I was far more taken with the performances of the second and third, both of whom I would rather have on my side going forward. Second behind Dodging Bullets was River Maigue, who was making his hurdling debut in this Grade 2. This is hugely significant primarily because it shows the high esteem in which he is held by trainer Nicky Henderson, who has any number of high class novice hurdlers in his care, including My Tent Or Yours who was entered in this race at the five day stage. River Maigue, an impressive point-to-point winner, started his career for Nicky Henderson in one of last season’s best bumpers at Ascot where he was beaten into third by Royal Guardsman and Atlantic Roller, having pulled hard for most of the race. He then went on to the bumper at Ayr on Scottish Grand National day which Nicky Henderson had won for the previous two years, once with Sprinter Sacre, and River Maigue was impressive having again been keen early on, this time picking up well when asked. I was taken by this performance and he was one of the novice hurdle prospects I was most excited by this season and all my enthusiasm for him is intact after Friday, despite getting beaten.

As the horse had had issues settling early on in the past Barry Geraghty was keen to find him cover at Cheltenham once the race finally started. He settled River Maigue as well as he could in behind Magic Star up the straight before pulling himself alongside Magic Star on the exit of the first bend. The Zagreb gelding kept taking himself forward until he was nearly alongside Dodging Bullets before a slow jump at the fourth intervened. Geraghty was happy enough to give the front runner a three length lead and it was only a prodigious leap at the third last which took him alongside Ruby Walsh’s mount. Another sound jump two out put him there with a winning chance but on approach to the final turn he couldn’t match the instant acceleration from the flat bred, race fit, experienced rival, thereby losing the ground he had made up at the third last. He was quickly shoved along to regain the ground but could only stay on up the hill with the easy lead handed to the winner proving crucial.

Also crucial was River Maigue’s lack of fitness. This was his first run of the season and he is entitled to come on for it but in the paddock he certainly looked as if he was carrying some excess weight, Henderson suggested afterwards that his bay gelding had done a little too well over the summer. With this run under his, hopefully looser, belt he should improve considerably and I would not be in the least surprised were he to reverse the form with the winner even without the 7lb weight concession he received here. River Maigue is a horse with class and should prove himself very smart in a strongly run two miles. He jumps and travels so well that he could make up into a serious contender for the Supreme but as a convincing winner of his point-to-point over three miles he could also be even better over further. As an individual, he is well made with enough scope to make a high class chaser and the way he jumps his hurdles suggests this could be where we eventually see him at his very best, he does remind me very much of Finian’s Rainbow.

In third behind Dodging Bullets was the hard luck story of the race, Court Minstrel. If the race had panned out slightly differently, even off this ultra slow pace, I suspect he would have won and he comes out with a huge amount of credit. Evan Williams’ excitable son of Court Cave came into the race off the back of a striking victory over course and distance in October and the form of that race has worked out reasonably well with the second and sixth winning since, while fourth, fifth and seventh have been placed. Court Minstrel has been an excessively free-going sort throughout his time with Evan Williams and it would appear that he must be dropped out in rear in order to settle. These tactics resulted in him being most inconvenienced by the farcical nature of the contest, yet it was not just the ground he had to make up and the lack of a decent gallop which cost him here. Having managed to settle well in behind, Court Minstrel jumped fluently through the race and his rider, Paul Maloney, guided him into contention approaching the last. Unfortunately for him Magic Spear just jumped across in front, leaving him unsighted at the final hurdle, causing a mistake and a collision which cost Paul Maloney’s mount ground, momentum (just as he was quickening) and, crucially, race position. Court Minstrel then had to recover and it took him a few strides to organise himself, but once he did he flew up the hill passing Magic Spear and Duke Of Navan in the process. Without such interference I am confident that he would have been at worst second. With all his attributes and a new found maturity, in that he has finally learnt to settle, Court Minstrel looks tailor-made for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and if forced to have an antepost bet on something from Friday’s race it would be on him.

Tominator

Of the rest of the field behind Dodging Bullets, Duke Of Navan shaped the best, finishing just half-a-length behind Court Minstrel. He had strong bumper form, including behind River Maigue where, just like on Friday, he pulled himself to the front rounding the first bend. If he learns to settle he can put in more high class displays akin to his hurdling debut. Joint second favourite for this Supreme trial was Tominator. A talented stayer on the flat, he started his hurdling career at Bangor where he won decisively but his hurdling was far from fluent as was the case here. He also had a fast pace to run at that day ,set up by a stablemate, and he looks one for handicaps over further as his jumping inadequacies will find him out at this level.