Kempton Saturday
RUBAUD (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) had to dig in to win the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on Saturday, proving his stamina for two and a half miles, as he beat Boombawn (Dan/Harry Skelton) by a length.
Second to Arkle fancy L’Eau Du Sud at Warwick on his previous outing, Rubaud was made to work hard with Imperial Saint ensuring that the 5/4 favourite could find no easy rhythm in front and drawing a couple of errors as a result. Despite that, it was Imperial Saint who cracked first, with Rubaud battling back tenaciously, having been headed at the 10th and, while hard pressed by both Boombawn and Mark of Gold in the straight, he showed real grit to maintain his advantage, thereby giving Paul Nicholls a remarkable 14th win in the Pendil.
This was a third win of the season for Rubaud, who won over hurdles here in the autumn before landing the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.
Cobden was seen to maximum effect on the winner, pressing forward on the inside to maintain his position, despite some less-than-fluent jumping from Rubaud; the rider explained his tactics when interviewed on ITV, saying: “When you have one come across you and you’ve got one on your outside penning you in, it’s normally race over, so I was probably a bit more aggressive just to keep him in there.
“Turning in, I managed to sit up on him for five strides, just to try and get a bit of air into him. I thought he was very tough over the last three, boxed on well and really stuck his neck out; there’s lots to build on.
“The only doubt I had was if the run was too soon from Warwick. That was the only question in my mind that might stop him, but good horses just win, don’t they?”
Rubaud will now be aimed for a crack at the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at the Aintree Grand National Festival.
Tripoli wins at a price
The Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle was won by the improving Tripoli Flyer (Fergal O’Brien/Jonathan Burke), but at some cost, as the racecourse vet reported that the winner bled from the nose after the race, and that must put any bid for the Supreme at Cheltenham in jeopardy.
A winner at Musselburgh early in the month, Tripoli Flyer faced tougher rivals here, but the 5/2 shot travelled well off the pace and picked up strongly in the straight to beat market rival Miami Magic (Stuart Edmunds/Charlie Hammond) by seven and a half lengths.
The runner-up had previously been beaten by a much smaller margin in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, so it’s not hard to argue that the winner should be considered a leading domestic hope for Cheltenham honours. Clearly breaking a blood vessel here didn’t stop him producing a career best, but it does temper confidence for his next outing.
ONE impressive winner who looks likely to sidestep Cheltenham is Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle winner Mambonumberfive (Ben Pauling/Ben Jones), who impressed in physique and demeanour at least as much as he did by winning an Adonis weakened by the non-declaration of Nicky Henderson’s classy duo, Lulamba and Palladium. Despite their absence, Mambonumberfive was allowed to start at 10/1, having failed to fire on his British debut at Cheltenham.
He improved markedly on that run to beat Scottish Triumph Hurdle winner St Pancras (Toby Lawes/Kevin Brogan) by a length and a quarter, overcoming some sloppy early jumping to hit the front at the penultimate flight and withhold the renewed challenge of the runner-up with a degree of comfort.
Mambonumberfive was acquired from France in slightly unusual circumstances. Placed twice without winning for Francois Nicolle, when racing in the colours of Lynne MacLennan, he was sold for €450,000 to join the Pauling stable and now races in the colours of MAL Bloodstock, which represents the racing interests of MacLennan and husband Angus in the UK. His sales price, then, might be open to interpretation, but his promise is tangible, and it’s no surprise that a horse of his size failed to win as a three-year-old last spring.
“He is 17 hands and I would say he is [a] chaser two years down the line,” said the winning trainer on ITV. “He didn’t jump very well over the first three or four, [but] going down the back straight, the penny dropped with him and he then jumped and travelled well. He is a brute of a horse and maybe wasn’t tuned up for Cheltenham, but that run has put him perfect for today.”
Thomas in dominant form
No trainer is in better form right now than Sam Thomas, and he completed an across-the-card double on Saturday, which included the win of 11/2 chance Katate Dori under Charlie Deutsch in the Ladbrokes Trophy (formerly the Racing Post Chase). The improving seven-year-old ploughed relentlessly to a 15-length success over favourite Hyland (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville), with Thomas’s other runner, Our Power, third under Dylan Johnston in a race where over half the runners pulled up on ground much more testing than forecast.
Around the Tracks
AT Fontwell on Sunday, Nemean Lion (Kerry Lee/Richard Patrick) continued his lucrative season by adding the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle to his haul of wins, getting up late to deny Sam Thomas’s Steel Ally (Dylan Johnston) by a neck at odds of 2/1. The winner had previously won at Hereford and in a conditions hurdle at Windsor.
“Nemean Lion loves racing and loves a fight,” beamed Kerry Lee in the aftermath of his latest battle.
“I thought it was one of the most tactically astute rides I’ve ever seen a horse given and it’s testament to Richard knowing the horse so well, having ridden him for most of his career. He knew the opposition well and rode the race accordingly.
“He’s a super horse, who goes so well on this ground,” added Lee. “I think this gives me three possibilities - we might look at Auteuil, Fairyhouse and then there’s of course the option of a Grade 1 at Aintree, whether over two and a half miles or three.
“He’s had a hard race, so we’ll have to see how he is in a couple of weeks.”
Knockanore lands Eider gamble
The Eider Chase at Newcastle may not have the cachet of old, but marathon handicaps always prove popular with punters, and those who backed the lowly-weighted Knockanore (Freddie Mitchell) from 50/1 into an SP of 16/1 on Saturday would have been delighted with their day’s work.
The Ryan Potter-trained eight-year-old only made his chase debut in the autumn and was racing beyond a bare three miles for the first time, but that didn’t detract from Potter’s confidence and the gelding backed up his optimism by putting 16 lengths between himself and runner-up O’Connell in the closing stages. He holds an entry in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter.