Cheltenham Friday

STUMPTOWN (Gavin Cromwell/Keith Donoghue) has made a bright start to racing over banks, winning the Risk of Thunder Chase at Punchestown last month.

He made it three wins on the bounce in this discipline when beating Mister Coffey (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) and 2023 winner Latenightpass (Tom Ellis/Gina Andrews) by a length, and three and a quarter lengths in a fascinating renewal of the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham on Friday.

Escaria Ten jumped well in front for much of the way and still held the lead as they rejoined the racecourse proper but was passed by Latenightpass between the last two stuffed hurdles as Donoghue kept a tight hold of the strong-travelling Stumptown.

The winner eased to the front well after the last ,before a final challenge came from Mister Coffey, but while the margin was small, Stumptown appeared to have a fair bit to spare and it will be interesting to see what the handicapper does to him after this win.

He looks a strong candidate for the corresponding race in March, and by extension, for the Grand National.

Novices’ Hurdle

The card began with an intriguing British EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle in which Country Mile (Dan/Harry Skelton) provided a winner for the recent Eyecatchers column, with the son of Ocovango noted as likely to be better on ground less testing than when a good second in the Grade 2 Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock last time.

Sent off at a generous 5/1 in a four-runner field, he travelled well held up behind Palacio, who was sent into a clear lead on the first circuit.

The runners grouped up on the run to the last, but it was Country Mile who found most to win by seven and a half lengths from Wingmen (Gordon Elliott/Sam Ewing), with odds-on favourite That’s Nice finding little when asked and eased off by Nico de Boinville to finish last of the quartet.

DAVID Pipe’s King Turgeon (Jack Tudor) was due to contest the abandoned Becher Chase at Aintree last weekend but was rerouted to the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. He showed himself in top form by winning this three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap chase, thereby fuelling a dream that the bold-jumping grey could be a live Grand National candidate come the spring.

A bold jumper, King Turgeon attempted to make all the running but looked beaten when dropping to third at the penultimate fence as Chianti Classico and Our Power went on, only to show himself to have stamina and courage in adundance as he rallied to regain the lead up the final climb when Tudor switched him wide.

The 9/4 second favourite was receiving weight from the pair he closed down, but it was a very likeable performance from him to stay on so well in registering a three-length win over Our Power (Sam Thomas/Dylan Johnston), with topweight Chianti Classico (Kim Bailey/Ciaran Gethings) weakening late, having travelled best of all until his impost told.

Pipe said: “He has put in a career best there. He is only six years old, and he is by Turgeon, and they are slow to come to hand. It was fantastic as both horse and jockey were very good. The couple of mistakes he made, which we didn’t expect, probably helped him a little bit.

“It is a galloping track here and the ground is riding slow enough. He has battled on really well and he has obviously matured again through the summer. He has always been a very good jumper and my plan was to win the Grand Sefton at Aintree which he did, and everything after that was a bonus.

“We will have to look at different plans again as he is going to go up in the weights and he could be a Grand National horse one day.”

Novices’ Chase

The novice chase on the card featured the expensive purchase Caldwell Potter, who took the eye marching around the parade ring, but the 11/10 favourite raced rather too keenly in front and was already beaten when a mistake at the last cost him any chance of a place, with the race falling to chasing debutant Jango Baie (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville), who was always close up behind the favourite and jumped impeccably to make an impressive start. Sent off the subject of support at 7/4, he looked a decent prospect as he powered clear of Springwell Bay (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill/Jonjo Jr) to win by six and a half lengths.

Jango Baie was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles last term, having won the inaugural running of the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s new Boxing Day fixture, and he was a huge eyecatcher when second at Aintree in April having been hampered twice at crucial stages.

Ironically, it was the falling Springwell Bay who probably denied Jango Baie victory at Aintree, so in a way he was exacting revenge for that luckless defeat, and he is sure to make his mark at the highest level if he can build on this start over the larger obstacles.