THE Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial was renamed this year in honour of four-time winner The New One, and it was appropriate that this year’s race was won in thrilling style by that popular gelding’s erstwhile stable companion Ballyandy, who provided Sam Twiston-Davies with the second of two unlikely wins, justifying a late move which saw him start at 5/2.
A peck at the penultimate hurdle when challenging seemed to cost the winner his chance, and when Pentland Hills (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) took over from the front-running Cornerstone Lad (Micky Hammond/Henry Brooke) at the last, the race looked as good as over.
No sooner had the Triumph Hurdle hero gone a length clear, however, than he began to paddle in front, and although clinging on to a decreasing lead all the way to the line, the nod just favoured Ballyandy who had made relentless ground from the final hurdle.
The margin was a nose, with three-quarters of a length back to the rallying Cornerstone Lad. Darasso was last having looked decidedly ring-rusty.
Technique
Pentland Hills was conceding weight to the winner, but receiving 3lb from Cornerstone Lad, and this was hardly a convincing trial for the Champion Hurdle, but the runner-up has a slick technique and a high cruising speed, so may be seen to better effect granted a fast pace on better ground. That said, his current odds for Cheltenham do not reflect the improvement he needs to find to be competitive, and Henderson’s recent Triumph winners Zaynar, Peace And Co and Soldatino are ample evidence that top juveniles do not always make the transition to the senior leagues.
The winning rider had earlier landed the Rossington Main Hurdle on board Stolen Silver (to give father Nigel a double), but the form looks a little suspect, with favourite Thebannerkingrebel travelling best when making a last flight mistake.
That saw him passed by Edwardstone, only for that rival to hang across to the far rail, hampering the favourite and giving a second bite of the cherry to Stolen Silver, who seemed to get a second wind having looked well held after the third last, and he got up close home to win by a neck.
ANTHONY Honeyball had a disappointing 2018/19 season with his horses sick at a crucial point, but he is making up for lost time.
Sam Brown (Aidan Coleman) built on the promise of his chase debut by slamming Knight In Dubai by 15 lengths in the Grade 2 Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices’ Chase.
The winner, a 9/4 chance, had the measure of favourite Windsor Avenue when that rival fell heavily at the second last, and has been beaten only once in a career which started with a defeat of Lalor in a Wincanton bumper almost three years ago.
The son of Black Sam Bellamy spent more than two years on the sidelines after winning his novice hurdle at Plumpton, but has returned with all his ability intact.
He has the class to contend at a higher level, but testing ground looks the key to him, and although he appeared in the entries released for the RSA and National Hunt Chase on Thursday, his trainer made it clear that he would bypass the Cheltenham Festival in favour of Punchestown or Aintree should conditions not be in his favour in the Cotswolds.
SUE Smith has her string in top form after a barren autumn, and stable stalwart Vintage Clouds (Danny Cook) was out on his own in the valuable Peter Marsh Chase, running out a seven-length winner from Definitely Red and Geronimo who fought out a good finish for second, but never looked like overhauling the winner.
Vintage Clouds hit the front at the eighth fence, and was in command at the top of the home straight.
This would normally get connections excited about the Grand National, but Smith admits that the grey seems to hate Aintree, having fallen at the first in last year’s marathon and putting up an alarming performance in the Becher. The Scottish National now seems his primary target.