Weekend Review on the Road to Cheltenham
With three weeks to go until the Cheltenham Festival, this weekend was arguably one of the last chances for racing fans to catch a glimpse of potential Cheltenham entrants before the greatest show on Earth at Prestbury Park in March.
Here’s the verdict from this weekend’s action.
Card delivers right on Cue
You could not help but be impressed with Cue Card’s performance to win his second Grade One Ascot Chase at the Berkshire venue on Saturday.
Under Paddy Brennan, the son of King’s Theatre went hammer and tongs with long-time leader Royal Regatta down the back straight and flew past him after the second-last to fairly bolt up by an eased down 15-lengths.
This was Cue Card at his scintillating best, blitzing his rivals with exuberant jumping and an electrifying and potent turn of foot.
However, on ratings he should have been and proved to be much better than his inferior rivals. A bigger tests awaits in National Hunt’s Blue Riband Gold Cup, but this over a trip probably too short for him nowadays, something I never thought I would say, a perfect pipe-opener before it.
Cue Card showed his old zest and looked like the horse we all know and love and who simply couldn’t go the same pace as Thistlecrack round Kempton’s flat three-miles.
He loves Cheltenham and will enjoy the undulations there far more than he did at Kempton despite being a King George winner in his own right. After falling three fences from home in last year’s Gold Cup, here’s hoping he can be there at the finish this time around.
Yanworth scrambles home
In a stark dichotomy from Cue Card, Alan King’s Yanworth was far from impressive in the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
Never jumping particularly well despite the addition of cheek-pieces, Yanworth managed to get to the front after jumping the last under an all-action Geraghty ride.
Going to the second-last Geraghty was pretty content with the seven-year-old but again Yanworth’s experience over further looks to limit his automatic acceleration as it was his stamina-laden qualities which helped him get over the line on Saturday.
It was far from impressive with King’s charge jumping big at his fences but Wincanton is a sharp track and it was evident that it did not play to his qualities.
Yanworth will enjoy going back to a big open track like Cheltenham but his jumping is a real issue. He needs to be much slicker if he is to win a Champion Hurdle and Barry Geraghty now has a very difficult choice to make over whether to ride Buveur D’Air or Yanworth in the Champion Hurdle next month.
Other Performances
Most Celebrated’s Triumph Hurdle credentials took a massive blow and arguably look in tatters as he was well beaten by Tom Symonds’ impressive Don Bersy who has now won three starts over hurdles. He again impressed with his hurdling ability and looks a thorouh stayer and a willing parter who is ready to battle all the way to the line. He is a novice hurdler to keep an eye on.
Beyond Conceit did his Cheltenham Festival hopes no harm with a gutsy success at Ascot on Saturday. He got to the front in the last strides after looking outpaced turning for home and he looks a horse who will appreciate a step up in trip once more. The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is a possibilty but moving up another two furlongs from Saturday’s race for the Neptune looks perfect and he is a living each-way player.
Jezki disappoints
Over in Ireland, 2014 Champion Hurdle winner Jezki and Sun Bets’ Stayers Hurdle fancy was a disappointing second to Tombstone in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle over two-miles.
Never travelling with any real zest at the business end of the race he was a well-beaten four lengths second to the winner. Whilst the bounce factor could perhaps be blamed that was a really poor performance from Harrington’s charge who should not have been too inconvenienced by the heavy ground
Whether he now goes for the Stayers’ or the Champion Hurdle is not known but he will need to improve markedly to get involved in either race.
The Worlds End and Wonderful Charm enhanced their credibility for the Festival with authoritative wins at Haydock.
Tom George’s The Worlds End is progressing nicely through the novice hurdling ranks and salmmed the field in this Albert Bartlett trial by nine-lengths under Adrian Heskin in the Grade Two contest.
Wonderful Charm was a seriously classy horse on his day and he looks to be enjoying running in Hunter Chase’s. He was far too good for his opponents at Haydock on Saturday will Will Biddick always travelling kindly without asking his mount a question to be merely pushed out to win y one and three-quarter lengths. He will have a great chance in the Foxhunters.