FOR a long way Parlour Games (40) looked as though he was going to be an easy winner of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

He’d been held up at the back then cruised into contention early in the straight. However, he ended up having to be driven out to score in a three-way battle in the closing stages.

My ratings say this was a very decent performance but I wouldn’t be tempted by the 12/1 you can get about Parlour Games for the Neptune.

My main concern in this regard would be soundness. There are a couple of big gaps in Parlour Games’ career, both preceded by races in which he flopped.

I’d be pretty sure the breaks in Parlour Games’ record were due to leg trouble. I say this because he’s lost all three times that he’s run on ground faster than good to soft since switching to the jumps and ran very badly on fast ground in the Galway Hurdle.

Horses hit their legs harder on the downhill sections of undulating courses like Galway. The combination of the likely fast ground and the prolonged downhill gradient in the Neptune are very off putting.

Runner-up Vyta Du Roc (40) is a big, tall, three mile plus chasing type who has a habit of finding plenty after getting under pressure early. That happened again here and he just went under.

To date Vyta Du Rock has won all three times that he’s run on tracks with steep uphill finishes and only won a maiden hurdle from four tries on flatter courses.

Clearly he will be well suited to Cheltenham. At this stage I’d favour the three mile Albert Bartlett over the Neptune which is run over the same two miles and five furlongs as the Challow.

Third-placed Blaklion (39) set a strong pace and kept on really well when headed running up to the last. His physique is that of a horse who will stay longer than three miles and do well over fences. Indeed he’s already run in four point-to-points.

He ran away with the big trial for the Albert Bartlett over three miles at Cheltenham on his previous start. Clearly he needs to go back up to that distance and ranks as a big player for the Albert Bartlett in March.

I liked the way fourth placed One Track Mind (38) kept on so well for fourth. He actually moved rather well until the final 100 yards or so. He’s lightly raced and a future three mile chaser in all probability.