Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase (Grade 1)

HIGHLIGHT of the Trials Day card at Cheltenham on Saturday last was the rearranged Clarence House Chase, and once again Niall Houlihan and Editeur Du Gite (Gary Moore) played the hare who wouldn’t be caught, just as he did when unfancied for the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton in December.

The 14/1 shot was given a superb ride by Houlihan, setting a fair pace, and then quickening from the front to give chasing duo Edwardstone (Alan King/Tom Cannon) and Energumene (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) work to do to run him down.

It was Edwardstone who managed to thrown down the challenge after Energumene lost his chance with a bad mistake at the last fence, and the Arkle winner edged ahead on the run-in, only for Editeur Du Gite to rally and reclaim top spot by a head.

Edwardstone shaped like just the best horse on the day, but he was ridden with an eye on beating Energumene, with Cannon holding him up in rear, and while that cannot be criticised as a tactic in the grand scheme, Niall Houlihan on the winner was able to steal a few lengths before Edwardstone was asked for his effort and, in getting on terms, the runner-up could find no more as the winner gamely dug in.

The winner was supplemented for the race after the initial abandonment, and he’s now picked up two big pots this winter after an eye-catching return under negative tactics.

He has a chance in the Champion Chase, but others will now be aware of his ability to slip his field, and are likely to keep him on a short leash.

Edwardstone needs no excuses, while Energumene was not as well-suited by waiting tactics here as he was in the Champion Chase.

Talk of the white-painted fences putting him off is best ignored, and while he should bounce back in March, his 2022 form has taken a couple of knocks recently, and he may need a career best to follow up last year’s success.

HE’s blotted his copybook a couple of times since a thrilling Grade 1 win at Aintree last term, but Ahoy Senor gave Lucinda Russell something to smile about when winning the Cotswold Chase in the week that her father Peter – a part-owner of the gelding – passed away at the age of 95.

Peter, a renowned whisky broker and distiller, set Lucinda on the path to success as a racehorse trainer, and remained her greatest supporter, so it must have been a proud moment to bring Ahoy Senor back to his best to achieve victory on the biggest stage under a determined ride from regular pilot Derek Fox.

Allowed to go off at 13/2 after a rather flat effort in the King George, Ahoy Senor showed the form that made him a big Gold Cup fancy – despite again not convincing entirely with his fencing – to beat Sounds Russian (Ruth Jefferson/Sean Quinlan) by a length and a half.

The runner-up jumped and travelled well, and looked the likeliest winner when Quinlan kicked on at the third last.

He still ran a race of distinction, but by committing early, his rider gave Fox a target to aim at, and Ahoy Senor stayed on powerfully from the last to take the Grade 2 prize, with Noble Yeats (Emmet Mullins/Sean Bowen) staying on well for a two and a half-length third having been outpaced.

Disappointment of the race was Betfair Chase winner Protektorat, who couldn’t repeat that form here. His most impressive wins have come straight after wind surgery, and he has something to prove, having looked a leading Gold Cup candidate after Haydock.

Cleeve Hurdle – Gold Who?

The Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle looked fairly open, but few considered French raider Gold Tweet (Gabriel Leenders/Johnny Charron) as a likely winner, so his success at 14/1 must have saved bookmakers a small fortune.

Even the trainer dismissed his charge in public, but the six-year-old gelding travelled smoothly throughout and, when asked to pounce on long-time leader Dashel Drasher (Jeremy Scott/Rex Dingle), did not disappoint, quickening to lead after the last to score by a comfortable three lengths, with Paisley Park (Emma Lavelle/Aidan Coleman) a further six and a half lengths back in third.

The winner is hard to weigh up, having won just once from seven attempts in graded company in France, and his best efforts to date in his homeland have come over fences.

On the other hand, he had never raced over three miles before and seemed to relish both the trip and the way the race was run, so there are some ground for believing this significant improvement in form.

Dashel Drasher is the ultimate benchmark horse, and he again seemed to run up to his best, outsprinted rather than outstayed from the last under a well-judged ride, while Paisley Park travelled better than he had on his previous starts this season, but failed to find as much as expected off the bridle. He’s reliant on a strong gallop to show his best these days.

Triumph Trial

Winner of the recently downgraded Finale Hurdle at Chepstow on his previous start, Joseph O’Brien’s Comfort Zone paid a compliment to Lossiemouth, the only horse to beat him over timber, by landing the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial (registered as the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle).

Jonjo O’Neill chose to stick to the inside on the 2/1 favourite as Paddy Brennan charted a wide course on Scriptwriter (Milton Harris), and that may have made the difference, with only three-parts of a length between the pair at the line.

Brennan’s move has certainly won races at Cheltenham and is a tactic he uses regularly, but Harris believes that Scriptwriter needs to be covered up for a late run, and seeing so much daylight may have been a negative here.

In addition, the jockey seemed to get unbalanced after the last and, all told, it’s a ride he’d dearly love to have again. Luckily for him, he can do just that in the Triumph Hurdle next month, with the pair due to clash again.

Hosie in heaven

Syd Hosie, due to train in partnership with Gay Kelleway in future, gained a first win as a trainer at Cheltenham in the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, as Rock My Way (Tom Scudamore) outstayed Pembroke (Dan/Harry Skelton) to win by a length and a half in the race registered as the Classic Novices’ Hurdle.

He was paying a compliment to Weveallbeencaught, who had beaten the five-year-old over course and distance on New Year’s Day. Rock My Way had been a 66/1 shot that day, but started 13/2 up in grade here, such was the promise of that display.

Rest of card

Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden were in double form as Il Ridoto and Stage Star took handicap chases, and both put themselves in the reckoning for the Festival with impressive displays.

Another with a March date here is Back On The Lash, who took the Cross-Country Handicap Chase for Martin Keighley and Sean Bowen, while Bowen celebrated a century of winners at Ayr on Monday.

Doncaster Saturday S

AT Doncaster the former Champion Hurdle winner Epatante (1/3) had little difficulty in winning the Grade 2 Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle over two miles and half a furlong. She came away from her field after the last to win by six and a half lengths from Salsada and Martello Sky. She still has two options at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle or the Mares’ Hurdle.

In the Grade 2 MND Association Race For Research Lightning Novices’ Chase over two miles and half a furlong Ann Hamilton’s Tommy’s Oscar and regular rider Danny McMenamin proved too strong for the favourite Boothill.

The Grade 2 Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle over three miles and half a furlong saw another win for the north of England when the Donald McCain-trained Maximilian (13/2) and Brian Hughes proved a length too strong for the favourite Stay Away Fay.