Magic lights up for Harrington

MAGIC Of Light (Jessica Harrington/Robbie Power) reprised their 2019 win in the Grade 2 mares’ hurdle on this card, and defied a surprising drift in the market – to 5/2 second favourite – to do so, looking as good as ever in the process.

Like runner-up Sensulano (Noel Williams/Paddy Brennan), she was reverting to hurdles after a win in a listed chase, and while she looked a little rusty when winning at Newbury, this was much more like it from last year’s Grand National runner-up.

She handed the runner-up 6lb and a four and three-quarter-length beating, with Long Walk third and race favourite Papagana back in third, another three-quarters of a length behind.

All roads presumably lead back to Aintree in April for the winner.

IT’S unusual, and refreshing, not to hear what race at Cheltenham in March is to be the next target for every pattern race winner in the jumps season, but that’s how it was after 8/1 shot Thomas Darby (Olly Murphy/Richard Johnson) had made a successful return to hurdles in the Grade 3 Ascot handicap hurdle.

He proved the only one able to live with the pace set by the front-running Song For Someone, who was given a fine attacking ride by 5lb claimer James Nixon for his boss, Tom Symonds, and ran with great credit to be beaten a length, with the others well held.

Performance

The winner produced a smart performance to defy top weight having had his nascent chasing career shelved. Plenty were keen to talk about the Champion Hurdle for last year’s Supreme runner-up but his trainer nominated the Aintree Hurdle as his main spring target, pointing out that he saw out the extended two-mile, three-furlong trip well, and would seem to be suited by the intermediate distance.