Ascot Saturday

Betfair Ascot Chase (Grade 1)

IT was a day for course specialists at Ascot on Saturday, with Pic d’Orhy (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) registering his fifth course win, and his second in the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase when again making virtually all to beat market rival Corbetts Cross (Emmet Mullins/Mark Walsh) and Blue Lord (Willie Mullins/JJ Slevin) by 10 lengths and two and three quarter lengths.

Ousted for favouritism by the runner-up as the field lined up at the start, Pic d’Orhy was allowed to start at a generous 9/5 and although hounded by several rivals going into the opening fence, he soon got the upper hand and outjumped his rivals to win handsomely.

Corbetts Cross failed to jump with the same fluency as the winner but chased the winner throughout the final mile, albeit unable to throw down a serious challenge.

Blue Lord jumped well on the whole but failed to see the race out thoroughly, having travelled at least as well as Corbetts Cross until between the last two fences.

The disappointment of the race was L’Homme Presse, who made a bad early mistake which seemed to affect his confidence, skying the next fence, and pulled up some way from home by Charlie Deutsch.

Speaking on ITV Racing, Paul Nicholls - saddling his first Grade 1 winner since Pic d’Orhy’s success 12 months earlier - said: “We all have peaks and troughs, and it hasn’t gone right since Christmas for us for various reasons and you’ve just got to keep believing in the horses and what you do.

“I knew Pic d’Orhy was right today, and he looked great and just put them to the sword. I’d say that’s probably a career best run from him, and he’s ten. A large number of the horses haven’t been right since we vaccinated them at Christmas, but we’re on top of that now. You can’t just push things - you have to be patient.

“I’ve got a great team at home, the horses are still running well and winning but not as much as I’d like, but spring’s coming along, and we’ve got plenty of nice horses to run.”

Reynoldstown Novices’

The Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase, sponsored by Ebony Horse Club, was won by The Changing Man (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell), with the eight-year-old belatedly shedding his maiden status over fences after several fine efforts in defeat.

Runner-up in the Rehearsal Chase and the Great Yorkshire Chase this winter, the second-season chaser put his experience to good use in winning by a wide margin after favourite Jingko Blue unseated at the third fence.

That left the 7/2 chance to saunter home from Leave Of Absence (Anthony Honeyball/Rex Dingle) with Peaky Boy last to finish.

Joe Tizzard said afterwards that the winner could go for the Brown Advisory, but he’s also entered in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and raised 2lb to a mark of 140, that race would look a more realistic target for a novice who has plenty of experience.

Wincanton Saturday

Kingwell Hurdle (Grade 2)

GOLDEN Ace (Jeremy Scott/Lorcan Williams) bounced back to form to get the better of a tussle with Burdett Road (James Owen/Sam Twiston-Davies) by three-parts of a length in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton on Saturday.

Winner of the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, Golden Ace has looked a non-stayer in two tries over two and a half miles this season but returned to form back at two miles on a day when her trainer landed a treble to get his own season firmly back on track.

Golden Ace was outpaced at halfway but ran on strongly to tackle Burdett Road at the penultimate hurdle, where the latter made a crucial mistake.

That seemed to swing the contest, and although Burdett Road kept battling, Golden Ace was always just the stronger from that point.

“It’s a bit of a relief, to be honest, because I wasn’t really happy the whole way round,” said Williams on Racing TV. “Her jumping was only okay, she wasn’t really travelling, I knew the better ground was wide, but I didn’t want to be there.

“She was very tough. It hasn’t always been plain sailing this season, she hasn’t been 100% and I think there’s still some improvement to come out of her, but I was amazed just how tough she was at the end.

“She had to really grind it out.”

Haydock Saturday

BEAUPORT (Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Bellamy) looked to have plenty of his rivals in trouble when establishing a significant early lead in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle, but it was 6/1 shot Gwennie May Boy (Dan Skelton/Charlie Todd) who revelled most in the conditions, travelling notably well in the chasing pack and picking up impressively when asked in the straight to get the better of the longtime leader, winning comfortably by seven and a half lengths from Beauport with the others never in the hunt.

Not entered in the Stayers’ Hurdle, Gwennie May Boy is in the Pertemps Final, but a 10lb rise for this easy win – while clearly fair enough – means that connections may have blown a favourable handicap mark.

Grand National Trial

It was a case of righting wrongs for Sean Quinlan and Famous Bridge (Nicky Richards) in the Grand National Trial, with the pair travelling well when parting company in last year’s renewal of the three-and-a-half-mile contest but making no mistake this time as the 6/1 shot led two out and found plenty when challenged at the final fence to win by three lengths from Apple Away (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox).

Unfortunately, Famous Bridge won’t make the cut for Aintree with no penalty to take him higher in the weights and he’s likely to be aimed at the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April instead.

Battle Born shows stamina

The Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle was weakened by a number of withdrawals but saw a promising winner in the shape of Battle Born Lad (Mark Walford/Jamie Hamilton), who scored on his first try beyond two miles and just his second start over hurdles. The son of Califet was sent off at an SP of 7/2 and he made all and jumped well on the whole to beat favourite and River Don runner-up Moon Rocket (Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls/Tom Bellamy) by five and a half lengths. He is not entered for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham next month but has plenty about him physically and is an athletic sort who may be of interest in the Sefton at Aintree in April.