BLACKJACK Magic (Rex Dingle) spoiled a near-perfect afternoon for Paul Nicholls as he got the better of Threeunderthrufive (Harry Cobden) and Frodon (Bryony Frost) to claim the 62nd Badger Beer Handicap Chase, and in doing so provided the first leg of a double for Dingle and trainer Anthony Honeyball, who took the mares’ handicap hurdle an hour later with Good Luck Charm.
The best-fancied of a quartet of runners in the race for Honeyball, Blackjack Magic was gambled into 5/1 having been a 14/1 shot on Friday morning, and was always well positioned, joining The Big Breakaway early on the final circuit and taking over before the home turn.
At that point, only favourite Threeunderthrufive looked like posing a challenge, and they matched strides up the home straight until a better jump at the last saw the eight-year-old take command to register a three-length success, with Frodon and Frost, last year’s race winners, 14 lengths adrift of the front two in third.
Honeyball said: “We thought we’d let him take his chance and have a round of jumping and that is what we have done. He wasn’t really targeted like Sam Brown and Forward Plan, who were always coming here - he was just an afterthought.
“The race at Uttoxeter must have worked out quite well and I think people were climbing on the back of that - he is obviously one to catch fresh, but he looked big and burly to me.”
Threeunderthrufive has just 10st 6lb in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, and Nicholls confirmed that he’s likely to take his chance, with Frodon again aiming for Kempton on St Stephens Day assuming the ground isn’t too soft.
RUBAUD was the anchor leg of a four-timer for Paul Nicholls and a treble for stable jockey Harry Cobden at Wincanton on Saturday as he cruised to victory in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle.
Sent off the overwhelming 1/2 favourite, Rubaud shrugged aside the challenge of Hansard (Gary/Jamie Moore) to win by four and a half lengths having raced in the van from flagfall.
Rubaud was following up his reappearance win in listed company at Kempton and Nicholls is not fighting shy of taking on the unstoppable force that is Constitution Hill, with a clash in the Christmas Hurdle on the cards, and his campaign will be geared around having another crack at Nicky Henderson’s star at Cheltenham in March.
“He is just improving rapidly,” said Nicholls. “He goes a gallop, he jumps, and he quickens. He sprinted away from the back of the last there and you wouldn’t know what is in the tank. We like improving horses like that.
“The plan is to go to the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day then come back here for the Kingwell after Christmas. When they start improving, you don’t know where they will end up and the Christmas Hurdle will give us a marker where we are.
“Someone has got to take Constitution Hill on. We will go there and if we finished second, we will be delighted. He will be a lovely two-mile chaser next season. We will just pick our races this season with him.”
KNAPPERS Hill was an apposite winner of the “Rising Stars” Novices’ Chase at Wincanton, carrying the two-tome green colours of the late Paul Barber to Grade 2 success on what was the owner’s local track.
The silks are now registered to Barber’s sons Giles and Chris, while Paul Vogt – owner of Frodon – also shares in the seven-year-old, who was foot-perfect as he improved on his chase debut form to beat Lady Adare (Harry Fry/Jonathan Burke) by four and a quarter lengths.
Nicholls said: “It is great that all of Paul’s family are here today. Paul would have been proud of that. He has been so good to me, and I’ve missed him a lot this year. He left a big hole in my life. This has been the target, to try to win this.”
Nicholls suggested Newbury’s John Francome Novices’ Chase on December 1st as a possible next port of call for Knappers Hill, who will continue to race in the Barber colours for the remainder of the season.
Aintree Saturday
GESSKILLE (Greenall and Guerriero/Henry Brooke) produced an exhilarating front-running display to land the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, beating last year’s third Percussion (Laura Morgan/Gavin Sheehan) by two lengths.
Runner-up in this race and the Becher Chase last winter, Gesskille lost his form in the spring, but seemed to benefit from the fitting of blinkers when scoring at Auteuil in September and was wearing the headgear again here.
Greenall said: “Courses like here and Auteuil seem to suit him – just the once round; he seems to get a bit sick of a tighter track and not enjoy it so much. He was quite sour when we first got him – he’s by Network and they can be a bit tricky, and they start racing quite young in France.
“After finishing agonisingly close last year, winning this is more like a relief, really. The blinkers have definitely improved him. He needs to go up a bit more in the handicap to get into the Grand National, but he could be a contender.”
West Balboa (Dan/Harry Skelton) was the other notable performer on show at Aintree, with the seven-year-old mare following up her win at the Grand National meeting by taking the two-and-a-half-mile conditions hurdle by 12 lengths from 2021 winner Brewin’upastorm.
She has done her winning in handicaps previously but a success at pattern level is surely on the cards for this doughty stayer.
“I’m not sure where we’ll go next,” said Dan Skelton. “She’ll get an entry in the Long Walk and see what the opposition looks like and also the Relkeel on New Year’s Day.
“We’d like to get her to Cheltenham this year and I’m confident she’ll be a more comfortable horse at three miles in the spring.”
Newcastle Saturday
BRIAN Ellison saddled Onesmoothoperator (Ben Robinson) to provide the Malton trainer with his third November Handicap, but his first at his beloved Newcastle, after the event was moved from Doncaster due to a waterlogged track.
Robinson produced the winner from off the pace, grabbing the stands rail in the straight and getting the better of Struth (Charlie Johnston/Joe Fanning) to win by a neck at an SP of 15/2.
The switch of venues was a major positive for the gelding’s chance, given all three of his wins have now come on Tapeta and he has no soft-ground form to speak of.
Ellison said: “We weren’t even going to run him in it until it got switched to here, we were going to take him to Sedgefield for a novice hurdle!
“He likes it here, though; he needs them to go a strong gallop and he got a brilliant ride. He made his move around the top bend and you know you have to be up the rail.
“More than likely we’ll still go hurdling but he must have good ground. He’s an absolutely brilliant jumper.”
THERE were two listed races also transferred from Doncaster, and it was a case of going back to basics for both winners. Mukaddamah (Roger Varian/Jim Crowley) took the mile and a quarter Gillies Fillies’ Stakes at 6/1, thereby gaining her first win since debut, and her second win from as many starts on Tapeta, while the Wentworth Stakes went the way of Tacarib Bay (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey).
The 8/1 winner was dropping back to six furlongs for the first time since making a winning racecourse bow at Haydock in May 2021.