Newbury Saturday

DJELO (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch), sent off a heavily supported 6/4 favourite, proved his stamina for three miles with an impressive win in the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday, coming smoothly from off the pace to lead two from home and staying on well to beat the frustrating Hitman (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) by three and a half lengths.

Djelo had fewer questions to answer than most and enhanced his Ryanair claims with the way he put the race to bed, while Hitman was adding to a long list of placed efforts in similar races, this being the third year in a row he has finished second in the Denman Chase and the 10th time in his chasing career that he’s been runner-up.

Disappointment

Bravemansgame must have been a bigger disappointment to Paul Nicholls, however, getting the run of things in front but finishing 10 lengths behind Djelo in third and looking now to have run his course at the highest level.

Bravemansgame – wearing a first-time tongue tie – and veteran Sam Brown set modest fractions until the home straight. Both were readily brushed aside when the winner went for home, and the emphasis on speed certainly suited Djelo, whose biggest win prior to this had come over two and a half miles in the Peterborough Chase, and who was tackling three miles for the first time in his career.

King George pending

Williams said: “I would say he will go to the Ryanair now. It has already been discussed in the last two minutes that he is a King George horse for next season.

“He will go straight to Cheltenham on the back of that.

“We didn’t want him to be too keen, so Charlie dropped him right in and he settled beautifully.

“That is a milestone for both of us as it put Pete [Davies] second in the owners’ table and that put us past a million pounds in prize money for the season.”

MASTER Chewy (Nigel/Sam Twiston-Davies) gained a thrilling win in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase to the delight of those who held dockets on him at an SP of 11/1. Stablemate Matata (J J Slevin) attempted to make all the running and still held an advantage at the final fence despite showing a tendency to lug left throughout the contest.

That trait meant that Slevin had to drag Matata around the water jump and that manoeuvre allowed both Master Chewy and Libberty Hunter (Evan Williams/Adam Wedge) – staying wider on the track - to throw down strong challenges on the run-in, with the former prevailing by a length and a quarter from Libberty Hunter in second.

Matata was beaten only two lengths in third and would surely have gone close if keeping straight.

The race was arguably more interesting in the unfortunate absence of the injured Sir Gino, although the fact that he was around 2/5 before being withdrawn suggests this may not be the most informative trial for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. In saying that, it wasn’t hard to be positive about the first three for different reasons, and Matata’s habit of leaning left rarely in evidence at Cheltenham, where he’s yet to run a bad race.

He is a little too headstrong to stay beyond two miles on a galloping track, but Cheltenham suits and he remains capable of running well at big odds.

Master Chewy, on the other hand, tends to find himself a little on his head in a fast-run race at this trip and promises to stay further. It was no surprise to hear the winning trainer suggesting sending him to the Ryanair.

Supportive

“The owners have been very supportive as they have had to be patient,” he added.

“They are the yard sponsor, and they are superstars. They had a terrible time with I Like To Move It, but that was pretty exciting.

“Matata will go for the Champion Chase. He ran his heart out at Windsor and that has probably come a few weeks too soon. We have four or five weeks until the next one, so it is onwards and upwards.”

The well-backed 9/2 second-favourite Joyeuse (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) provided owner J.P. McManus with a fourth win in the William Hill Hurdle formerly known as the ‘Schweppes’ since 2010 (he’s also owned five runners-up in that period) and a sixth win in the valuable sponsored handicap run more recently as the Betfair Hurdle for trainer Nicky Henderson.

Joyeuse was seen travelling best of all early in the straight and this normally competitive handicap was over as a contest the second de Boinville let out an inch or two of rein, with the lightly raced seven-year-old sprinting to a facile success over gallant topweight Lump Sum (Sam Thomas/Dylan Johnston). The winning margin was eight lengths.

“Joyeuse jumped and travelled well,” said Henderson.

“And you’d have to say she was in the perfect position throughout. That’s only the fourth hurdle race of her life, so it’s not easy. She can’t run in a Cheltenham handicap because she’s not had enough runs, so where we go now, we’ll think about on another day.”

Warwick Saturday

L’EAU Du Sud (Dan/Harry Skelton) kept his Arkle hopes alive when taking the Unibet Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick on Saturday.

Racing in the silks of the late John Hales, the 1/5 favourite was expected to record an easy success, and that’s how it looked likely to play out approaching the final fence where he held a clear lead over Rubaud (Paul Nicholls/Lorcan Williams), but he needed to be kept firmly up to his work to hold on, with the runner-up closing rapidly at the line to be beaten just a length.

There was a surprise in the Unibet Mares’ Hurdle with the Willie Mullins-trained favourite Gala Marceau blundering at the penultimate flight when holding every chance and longtime leader You Wear It Well capsizing at the last when challenged by Royale Margaux (Tom Symonds/Ben Poste). That left rank outsider Sunday Soldier (Graeme MacPherson & David Killahena/Richie McLernon) to finish second to the 12/1 winner.

Around the Tracks

There was plenty of Irish interest at Exeter on Sunday with Willie Mullins and Gavin Cromwell going head-to-head in the Agatha Christie Mares’ Novices’ Chase with Cromwell’s Only By Night (Keith Donoghue) faring best after the pair had battled from some way out. The winner – returned at 10/11 in the ring - scored by only a length, but finished 16 lengths ahead of Fun Fun Fun, and would almost certainly have won more easily but for doing too much too soon.

The listed novice hurdle on the card – won by Fun Fun Fun and Willie Mullins a year ago – produced an above-average winner in the shape of Fingle Bridge (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen) who dug deep to outstay odds-on favourite Regent’s Stroll (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden). The 7/1 winner holds an entry in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle next month, but Murphy has previously stated that Fingle Bridge “wouldn’t be going anywhere near Cheltenham” due to his pronounced knee action, and the strapping son of Flemensfirth certainly hits the ground with some force.

At Ayr on Tuesday, only four turned out for the bumper, but two of those were trained by Stuart Crawford and he saddled the first and second despite the pair being friendless in the market, with newcomer Royal Hillsborough (Sean Flanagan) beating stablemate My My My Delilah, with the pair returned at 6/1 and 28/1 respectively. The winner is bred for stamina being a Conduit half-sister to staying chasers Perfect Candidate and Hidden Horizons, the latter an Ulster National winner for Crawford.