When the 2004/5 jumps season began the main talking points surrounded the chasers. Would Best Mate make it 4 Gold Cups in a row, and could Well Chief disturb the supremacy of Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop over 2 miles? As things turned out it was the hurdlers that captured my imagination.
The big 5
I picked out 5 Irish hurdlers to follow at the outset and they dominated proceedings throughout a fascinating campaign, culminating in the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals.
In mid November, in the Morgiana hurdle at Punchestown, the market suggested that Back in Front and Mac’s Joy had the race between them. In the event though Noel Meade’s 10/1 shot Harchibald smoothly passed his rivals and won with the minimum of fuss.
This victory was very much a harbinger of things to come as Harchibald twice crossed the Irish Sea to make mincemeat of the best that England could offer without coming off the bridle. Firstly he beat Inglis Drever in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, drawing away after the last without Paul Carberry having to ask him a serious question. His next target was the Stan James Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. The veteran grey Rooster Booster abandoned his usual waiting game and stormed 25 lengths clear of his field. Few would have bet on Harchibald in running. He was still 20 lengths down turning for home but he gradually ate into the deficit and Paul Carberry calmly coaxed him into the lead after the last to complete a remarkable hat trick.
In between Harchibald’s visits to England, Back In Front had given his supporters plenty of encouragement when winning the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham in a good time with Inglis Drever and Rooster Booster in arrears. The Irish stranglehold on the coming Champion Hurdle gathered momentum.
While Harchibald was plundering the top English prize at Christmas, Mac’s Joy was winning a Grade 1 Hurdle at Punchestown with Brave Inca 2nd and reigning Champion Hurdler back in 3rd. The 3 clashed again a month later in a thrilling AIG Hurdle at Leopardstown. Entering the straight Mac’s Joy was going the best, with Brave Inca looking beaten. Mac’s Joy may have found himself in front a bit earlier than he would have liked and after the last Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace challenged him strongly on either side and he got home by the skin of his teeth, a short head and a head being the official margins. To the naked eye it looked as though he had lost it but the angle is deceptive.
Hardy Eustace the reigning champion, then warmed up for Cheltenham with a 25 lengths stroll at Gowran Park and the scene was set for the big five to clash in the Champion Hurdle.
The Champion Hurdle
On the day at Cheltenham we were treated to a thrilling encounter with an almost unreal climax. Hardy Eustace adopted his usual front running tactics but coming to the last he was joined by Brave Inca and Harchibald, the latter apparently cruising. Paul Carberry continued to sit motionless on Harchibald, seemingly able to pass the leader any time he wanted. 50 yards from the line Carberry started to push but Hardy Eustace would not be beaten and prevailed by a neck, with Brave Inca the same distance away in 3rd. Mac’s Joy was 5th and Back in Front 9th.
Battle rejoined
We were treated to yet another 3 way charge for the line at Punchestown in the Irish Champion Hurdle. Brave Inca had form figures for the season coming into the race of 22223F, with the F coming at Aintree when he had looked a likely winner. This was to be his day though. They came to the last with McCoy on Brave Inca challenged by Harchibald and Mac’s Joy. Once again Harchibald seemed full of running but it was a case of Brave Inca, the street fighter, out battling the prima donna. McCoy got Brave Inca home by a head with Mac’s Joy a length away in 3rd.
The magnificent Moscow Flyer
The anticipated three way fight for the Champion Chase really began with an outstanding renewal of the Tingle Creek in December. The charismatic Moscow Flyer extended his run of wins from completed runs to 16 with Azertyuiop just getting the better of Well Chief for second. Well Chief was the revelation of the race on only his 5th start over fences and marked himself down as the young pretender.
When Well Chief and Azertyuiop met again in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in mid February Paul Nicholl's horse set a fierce pace and with his accurate jumping put Well Chief in his place. The latter did not jump well enough early on and was always playing catch up.
In the end the big race at Cheltenham did not quite live up to expectations.
Azertyuiop blundered away his chance with a mistake at the water and although Well Chief battled gamely Moscow Flyer was simply too good. He then followed up with a facile victory at Aintree in the Melling Chase.
There was however a postscript to the story. The incredibly tight finish to the trainers championship meant that messrs Pipe and Nicholls brought out their big guns on the final day of the season at Sandown for the Betfred Celebration Chase. This time it was to be little Well Chief's day. Held up as usual by Timmy Murphy he did not look to be going as well as Azertyuiop but took the last economically and scampered clear up the run in.
This was actually Well Chief's second win of the season, his first coming in the Victor Chandler Chase at the end of January. It was one of the best weight carrying displays of the season as he was giving the runner up, Thisthatandtother 20 lbs. This was particularly meritorious as Well Chief is not really built for giving lumps of weight away.
Howard's hat trick
As usual I followed my A list horses through the season. I have already mentioned Harchibald, Mac's Joy and Well Chief as some of the success stories. Arcalis gave me a slightly surprising, but most welcome winner in the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival. Howard Johnson's grey had been a good servant for me on the flat when trained by Lynda Ramsden, and although he had won a couple of times over hurdles his last run before Cheltenham had been disappointing. This pushed his starting price up to a generous 20/1 in the Supreme Novices. He used his flat speed on the drying ground to fairly sprint up the hill in good style.
Arcalis's success in the Supreme Novices was the start of a remarkable week for Graham and Andrea Wylie, trainer Johnson and their jockey Graham Lee.
On day 2 No Refuge, like Arcalis a decent flat handicapper, gave Wylie his second winner of the meeting by taking the Royal and Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle. This gutsy little gelding has not been fluent on his previous run at Warwick when getting the better of Lady Zephyr and Bob Bob Bobbin but gave an improved display of hurdling to win at a nice price, 17/2. Even better was to come for the Wylies when the same combination took the Stayers Hurdle with Inglis Drever who beat the French ace Baracouda at odds of 5/1. I was particularly pleased with this trio of winners as I had also followed all 3 during their flat careers.
The novice chasers
There were some fair old tussles in the novice chase ranks where Paul Nicholl's My Will was one of my A list stars winning 5 times. After a couple of facile victories at long odds on he came up against another A lister, Fundementalist, and was put in his place finishing a fairly distant 3rd to the Nigel Twiston-Davies runner. He was then beaten at Windsor before hitting form in the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham where he had to battle to beat the only other finisher, another A lister El Vaquero. His next win was in another Grade 2 event where the first 4 places all went to horses from my list to follow. My Will only just held off a spirited late run from the fast finishing Ashley Brook with Contraband and Kadount filling the minor placings. These four met again in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival. This time, on good ground Contraband won, giving a good round of economical jumping, but second placed Ashley Brook only lost his winning chance with a clumsy landing after the last. My Will was 5th.
My Will is undoubtedly a tough customer. He ran twice after the Festival, finishing a decent second at Ayr in a Grade 2 chase at the Scottish National meet, and then coming out and winning at Perth just 4 days after the race at Ayr. This last success had much to do with Martin Pipe's frantic bid to fend off Paul Nicholl's team in the chase for the trainer's crown.
Ashley Brook had already won a couple of novice chases before the races mentioned above but his well deserved turn for glory was still to come. In the Maghull Novices Chase he made all the running and jumped his rivals silly. Contraband was well down the field this time and it was left to the Irish challenger War of Attrition to chase Ashley Brook home.
Another novice chase winner at the Cheltenham Festival was Trabolgan, A horse I have followed since his bumper days. He won his first start over fences at Lingfield beating Kadount but then got outbattled by Ollie Magern in The Feltham on Boxing Day before running poorly in heavy ground on his 3rd start. It was these two defeats that led to him starting at 5/1 for the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, but showing a high cruising speed and impressive jumping he beat his nearest rival Comply or Die by 3
lengths with Cornish Rebel in 3rd. Not the strongest renewal of the race but won in sparkling style by Nicky Henderson's chaser.
I have already mentioned Henrietta Knight's El Vaquero. He did well for me winning 2 of his 5 starts at 11/2 and 4/1. His best win was on his last outing in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown. He may have been an unlucky loser at Cheltenham at the beginning of December. He was upsides eventual winner Control Man and going just as well when he knuckled on landing and fell at the 4th last. He may yet progress further.
Kadount had form figures of 223141U2 and was a model of consistency. His best win came in February in the Kingmaker Novice Chase at Wincanton where he jumped and travelled beautifully throughout. He also ran a fine race in defeat on his final outing when chasing home Fota Island in a valuable handicap at Aintree.
The "Nationals"
Turning now to the staying chasers one of the stars of the early part of the season was Silver Birch (pictured below in yellow). He won 3 out of 3 before injury curtailed his season. After taking a small event at Newton Abbot he won the Becher Chase at Aintree fuelling speculation that he could be a Grand National prospect. He went on to win a very competitive Welsh National at Chepstow in heavy ground and was promptly installed as favourite for the big one at Aintree in April until a leg injury intervened.
Paul Nicholls found a more than adequate replacement though in Royal Auclair. He won the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton in November and was in the frame in his next 6 starts. A fine 3rd in the Hennessy was followed by a 2nd to Therealbandit at Cheltenham. He was 4th to Kicking King in The Gold Cup and defied the trends to carry 11 stone 11 into 2nd place in the Grand national. This was a wonderful effort conceding weight to all bar one of his rivals in rain softened ground which was not ideal for him.
Nicholls also had a fancied runner in the Scottish National with the talented but quirky Cornish Rebel, Best Mate's full brother. He had won 3 novice chases including a grade 2 at Newbury where he beat Distant Thunder. A couple of defeats at Cheltenham followed including a 3rd to Trabolgan but he headed for the Scottish National fancied by many in a race in which novices have a good record. He also carried the hopes of jockey Ruby Walsh of completing a remarkable four timer having already won the Welsh, Irish and English Nationals.
Cornish Rebel hasn't always looked straightforward, and though he hit the ninth quite hard, he travelled well and did everything right until the last 50 yards. Driven on the turn, he led just after the last, but his ears began to twitch, he idled and was caught. He's talented and ran a fine race, but turned victory into defeat in a few strides.
The extension of the Cheltenham Festival to 4 days meant some extra races, and one of these, The Daily Telegraph Trophy over 21 furlongs was tailor made for Thisthatandtother. He had been running consistently and had finished runner up on three consecutive occasions in big races at Cheltenham. Thisthatandtother deserved his success with Ruby Walsh just getting the better of Mick Fitzgerald on Fondmort in a thrilling struggle after the last. Thisthatandtother won at 9/2.
More novices
I had high hopes for Robert Alner's chaser Distant Thunder but things didn't quite work out in the first half of the season. He started off with form figures of 22242. These defeats were mainly in good company. For example he was 2nd to Comply or Die in the Rising Stars Novice Chase at Wincanton and to Cornish Rebel in a Grade 2 at Newbury. Distant Thunder finally got his head in front at Newbury in early February. He was held up by Andrew Thornton but was running all over his rivals from the home turn. He galloped clear to beat Sixo by 10 lengths. His season finished with another impressive win, this time in the Reynoldstown Novice Chase moved this year from Ascot to Lingfield. Once again exaggerated hold up tactics were employed successfully and Distant Thunder looks a rising star in the chasing ranks.
I enjoyed plenty of success following Paul Nicholl's chasers with My Will, Royal Auclair, Silver Birch, Cornish Rebel and Thisthatandtother all contributing. It was Nicholl's promising novice Kauto Star however that provided one of the season's most bizarre episodes and one of the biggest talking points.
Kauto Star was one of Nicholl's French imports and tipped by many as a potential star. He certainly looked the part on his English debut with an exhilarating win over the former top class hurdler Foreman, in a novice chase at Newbury. He then started at 2/11 in a 3 runner affair at Exeter. He seemed to have the race well in the bag before clipping the top of the second last and coming down. Ruby Walsh gathered him up remounted without irons and careered after the new leader. Running on strongly he just failed to get back up by a short head
Sadly this was to be the end of his season as he was found to be injured. A lively debate followed as to whether Walsh should have remounted the horse or not with opinions evenly divided.
Johnson chasing success
Howard Johnson's wins at Cheltenham came with his hurdlers. He has done really well with his ex flat handicappers, particularly those purchased out of Sir Mark Prescott's yard such as No Refuge and Inglis Drever. Another from the same source is the grey Coat of Honour whose best win came just after the end of the season in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock in the first week in May.
Johnson also had some success with his chasers. Grattan Lodge proved a profitable horse to follow. This one is a real Carlisle specialist and has now won their 6 times. He won both his starts there last season at evens and 6/1, the second coming in quite a valuable class C handicap. His only other run was in the Totesport Classic Chase at Warwick where he was pulled up. Jockey Graham Lee reported afterwards that the horse was not suited by the tacky ground. Although Grattan Lodge performed well the stable's star chaser is undoubtedly Lord Transcend.
Injury had restricted him to just one run in the 2003/4 season and he reappeared after a long absence in the Hennessy. He finished 4th after making much of the running and had some decent performers behind him. He fell next time in the Rowland Meyrick on Boxing Day but came good in spectacular fashion at Haydock in the Peter Marsh Chase where he galloped his rivals into the ground. Only the veteran First Gold could live with him and the two had the race between them from half way. Lord Transcend saw off his French rival to score emphatically by 10 lengths.
The Wetherby specialist
I had a few chasers from the Sue and Harvey Smith stable on my list to follow. Royal Emperor and Tipsy Mouse were largely disappointing but old favourite Mister McGoldrick gave us a run for our money as usual He won twice from 7 starts and as his wins came at 3/1 and 6/1 he would have paid to follow. His first win came in a handicap chase at Wetherby where a mighty leap at the last settled the issue. He obviously likes the Yorkshire track and his second win also came there in the Castleford Chase in the race where Well Chief was a faller. Mister McGoldrick invariably runs his race and can switch between hurdles and fences. He ran a fine race in defeat in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock when only worn down by the eventual winner Inglis Drever after the last.
I have not always had much luck following Martin Pipe. Last season though three chasers gave me some success. Contraband proved a smart novice chaser. He won a Grade 2 novice chase at Sandown in December and went on to win the Arkle at Cheltenham in March from Ashley Brook at 7/1. He then ran poorly behind that horse at Aintree but finished the season at Sandown with a 3rd behind Well Chief and Azertyuiop. Control Man won 3 novice chases in the first half of the season before rather losing his way while Therealbandit put in a cracking effort to beat Royal Auclair in the Mears Group Chase at Cheltenham in December (at 13/2 as well!). Therealbandit was mostly disappointing after this win.
In the first half of the season one of my most successful horses to follow was Colonel Frank. He was a fair hurdler but has turned into a much better chaser and ran up a hat trick of wins over fences. Wins at Sandown and Wincanton in November were followed by an all the way success in the Future Stars Chase at Sandown. The wins came at 5/1, 5/4 and 9/4. After a longish break he was a faller in the Racing Post Chase where his trainer reckoned the soft ground did not suit.
Kelami and Longshanks were a couple of chasers that won for me at good odds. The French trained Kelami had been knocking at the door and deserved his win in a competitive William Hill Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival. He is shown here going for home in the colours made famous by Amberleigh House.
He had previously been 4th in a valuable event at Warwick and had then run 3rd behind Forest Gunner in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock. At Cheltenham he beat 3 old Russellform favourites in Keen Leader, Irish Hussar and Chives to win at 8/1. He continued in fine form to finish 3rd in the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown on the last day of the season.
Kim Bailey's Longshanks gave us a 10/1 winner in a Kempton handicap on the last day in January.
Hirvine & Eric's Charm seemed to be having some sort of a personal battle at one stage of the season. At Folkstone in December Eric's Charm beat Hirvine, only for Hirvine to reverse the finishing positions a month later at Leicester. Hirvine then followed up that win in another novice chase, this time at Newcastle under an inspired ride from Richard Johnson. Reverting back to hurdles for his next run Hirvine was 2nd of 15 to an old Russellform favourite The Bajan Bandit at Haydock.
The Bajan Bandit is of course trained by Len Lungo. I included a few of Lungo's horses in my lists to follow but had limited success. Villon won 3 consecutive novice hurdles before being outclassed in the Supreme Novices at the Festival. Another Lungo horse, Brooklyn Breeze didn't quite live up to expectations. He had won on his chase debut in 2003/4 but then suffered an injury. This meant that he was not eligible for novice chases but lacked experience for handicaps. Lungo ran him over hurdles a couple of times initially before putting him back over fences. He was fancied by many in the Mildmay of Flete but didn't quite get home and came 4th. He went on to score on his last appearance of the season up at Ayr where he jumped and travelled well. He is reported to have a bit of a wind problem and may have a corrective operation in the Summer.
The Irish angle
I had 4 Irish chasers on my lists to follow, Nil Desperandum, Watson Lake , War of Attrition and Fota Island
I had high hopes for Nil Desperandum but he was largely disappointing. He was fancied by many for the Hennessy but failed to run any sort of race. He was niggled along early and failed to jump with any fluency and was pulled up. Other below par efforts followed until he came back to some sort of form by winning at Down Royal in March. His best performance though was his last run when he finished 6th in the Aintree Grand National.
Watson Lake and War of Attrition were both Irish fancies for the Arkle. Watson Lake had run up a hat trick of wins including a below par renewal of the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse while War of Attrition came to Cheltenham on the back of a couple of wins in small novice chases. War of Attrition had though finished runner up to Brave Inca in the Supreme Novices Hurdle in 2004. In the event the English dominated the Arkle with Watson Lake 4th and War of Attrition 7th. Watson Lake, a big old fashioned chaser ran well though in ground that was probably too lively. War of Attrition then went to Aintree and the Maghull Novices Chase where only the runaway winner Ashley Brook finished in front of him. War of Attrition and Watson Lake met again in the Punchestown Festival. Watson Lake appeared to have the race in the bag until a mistake at the second last knocked the stuffing out of him and War of Attrition came through to land the spoils.
A class horse on his day there was the suspicion that he was well handicapped in the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham. He had been 3rd in two Grade 1 hurdles and a mark of 130, albeit he was 2 pounds out of the handicap, looked potentially lenient. In the event he was always going well and pulled clear in good style under Paul Carberry to win at 7/1. A 12 lbs rise in the weights failed to anchor him at Aintree in the Grade 3 Red Rum handicap and he scored under AP McCoy beating Alan King's Kadount by a length.
Hurdlers to the rescue
My A list made a gain for me last season, and although some of the steeplechasers contributed it was the hurdlers that ensured a profitable season. Green Tango won at 7/1 early in the season but failed to sparkle after that while Tynedale, a half brother to Rule Supreme, gave me a 20/1 win in November in a novice chase at Newcastle, Although Tynedale didn't win again he was a model of consistency ending with form figures of 1232342. I have already mentioned Arcalis, another 20/1 winner, while Holland Park won twice at 10/1 towards the end of the season. This grey had looked set for a successful novice chase campaign but things didn't go according to plan. He had been jumping well on his chase debut at Lingfield in the race won by Trabolgan when he took a heavy fall 3 out. He didn't reappear for nearly 3 months when he again fell, this time at Exeter. He then reverted to hurdles where he won twice, first a handicap at Uttoxeter and then a listed race at Aintree. It will be interesting to see if he goes back over fences again next season.
Distant Prospect has always been a decent flat campaigner, winning the 2001 Cesarewitch. He only ran twice over hurdles last season winning once at 3/1 so making a profit for me. His win came in the Gerry Fielden Hurdle at Newbury, a good performance coming shortly after he had finished 2nd in the November Handicap at Doncaster on the flat. He was well fancied for the Coral Cup on his only other run over hurdles, but sweated up beforehand and finished down the field.
Patriarch Express was another hurdler that kept the flag flying for me during the season.
He ran pretty consistently throughout, winning 3 of his 6 starts. His successes included the Totesport Handicap at Haydock and the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham at the end of January at 6/1 and 8/1 respectively. The revamped Cleeve Hurdle attracted an extremely strong field, with all the likely principals for the Festival championship except Baracouda and Rule Supreme making for a cracking affair. In second place Korelo ran the race of his life coming from well back to get within a head of the winner.
Korelo had run an almost identical race earlier in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham, getting up on the line under Timmy Murphy to win by the narrowest of margins at 7/1.
Another horse that featured in the Cleeve was Nicky Richard's grey Monet's Garden.
Some chasers for next season
Monet's Garden started his season with a win in a Grade 2 event at Windsor, a race moved from Ascot. He was then a massive flop in his next race before putting up a reasonable effort in the Cleeve to finish 5th. Despite not always travelling or jumping too well he finished 2nd to Crystal D'Ainay in the Rendlesham at Kempton in late February where the soft ground would not have suited him before rounding of his season with a win in the Grade 2 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree at 11/2. A strapping individual he looks sure to make his mark in novice chases next season.
Henrietta Knight always has some nice chasing types in her string and one potential star in that category is Racing Demon. A bumper winner the previous season he won a couple of novice hurdles but his best display was when 2nd in the Royal & SunAlliance Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham. He went off at 14/1 in what looked a strong renewal and he looked all over the winner when taking the last in front but the flat speed of No Refuge proved decisive on the run in. Racing Demon has only had half a dozen runs and looks fine prospect.
Rebel Rhythm from Sue Smith's stable is another that should make a chaser. He won novice hurdles at Haydock in November and December and at Bangor in February. He also put up a good effort under top weight when 3rd in a valuable Novice Handicap at Sandown.
Keeping with the potential chasers I was impressed with Bob Bob Bobbin, a grey trained by Colin Tizzard. He won a bumper and a couple of novice hurdles. All the wins were at odds on so as a horse to follow he was not ideal. However he showed plenty of promise for the future and should make up into a decent chaser.
His best efforts came in defeat when far from disgraced in third behind No Refuge and Lady Zephyr in a Grade 2 Hurdle at Warwick and when 4th in the Spa Novices at The Festival. He is a proper prospect, tremendously exciting, and one who could reach the top rank over fences.
Lady Zephyr deserves a mention in her own right as she won 3 novice hurdles.
A stable to follow?
I have not always had much success following horses from Mary Reveley's stable. Son Keith has now taken over the yard and I had 3 horses from the stable on my list to follow, Rambling Minister, Hidden Bounty and Powder Creek.
Rambling Minster had been crying out for a trip and when stepped up to 3 miles won twice in handicaps at Newcastle. He was beaten on his three subsequent starts but ran better than his finishing position of 10th suggests on his last run in The Pertemps Final at Cheltenham as he was hampered but ran on strongly to be nearest at the finish.
Hidden Bounty won twice from his 7 starts. He won a beginners Chase on Newcastle of his debut over the larger obstacles and, after some indifferent efforts came back to win his last start at Kelso. Powder Creek has always been well thought of by connections and won a couple of handicap Chases at Newcastle and Kelso.
Stable under a cloud
Jonjo O'Neill had a pretty disastrous season with the stable under a cloud with a virus. Few of his horses were able to do themselves justice. One of the few that won for me was Olaso who had won a couple of times on the flat in his native Germany. He won a 25 runner maiden hurdle at Newbury in early Dec ember if impressive style. He was not able to build on that success in his next two runs although that may have had something to do with the general wellbeing of Jonjo's horses. One of the Jonjo O'Neill horses that impressed me was Exotic Dancer. He came with a bit of a reputation from France and ran with promise in the Gerry Feilden before falling at the last. He followed this with a cracking 2nd at Cheltenham in December but his best effort was when 3rd in the Aintree Hurdle with plenty of big names behind him, such as Mac's Joy and Rooster Booster. He looks an interesting prospect.
Mighty Man
One of the stars of my A list was Mighty Man, who is a half brother to Bourbon Manhattan. He is pictured below in the dark colours.
He has made an extremely encouraging start over hurdles winning all his 3 races. He had won a bumper by over 20 lengths in May and was clearly a horse of some potential. His 3rd win was his most impressive in a Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Aintree. He is on the small side and a bit "buzzy" but has a good attitude and is clearly going the right way.
Other multiple winners in my list to follow were Darkness (3 wins) and Blazing Liss a mare that ran up 4 wins in Ireland, moist notably the last which was a listed hurdle at Punchestown, while Mister Mustard ran up hat trick of wins, all at Fontwell under Tony McCoy.
Robert Alner is always a trainer to look out for, particularly his chasers. His Silver Inngot gave me wins at 10/1, 4/1 and 7/2 and generally ran consistently. After a win over hurdles the latter two victories were over fences. Only small races but he generally jumped well, stays and seems to handle any ground. I added a couple more of Alner's horses to my list to follow mid season, Duncliffe and The Listener. Duncliffe's inclusion soon paid dividends as he jumped his rivals ragged in a novice handicap chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and followed that up with a win at Leicester at the end of January. He disappointed slightly in his two subsequent runs and it is possible that he doesn't act on soft ground. The Listener won a couple of novice hurdles, beating Darkness at Plumpton in a slog in the mud. He is a brother to Fork Lightning and a half brother to Distant Thunder so his future will be over fences.
Some winners mean more than others. I was working in Edinburgh in October and popped in a bookies just in time to see the Hazlin Doors Beginners Chase an Ludlow! Not the strongest race on the calendar but I was interested in Latimer's Place. He had won the EBF Hurdles Final in March 2002 and after a couple of abortive efforts over fences had been off the track for nearly 2 years. I was pleased to see him prominent at Ludlow and he was still in contention but tiring when he fell at the penultimate fence. I kept an eye out for his next run and sure enough he won next time out, beating Inca Trail in a novice chase at Folkstone. He didn't run again though so presumably the injury problems that had plagued him still remain.
I have already talked about the ex flat horses that brought success to Howard Johnson. Another ex flat handicapper that did well over hurdles, was the James Fanshawe trained Prins Willem.
He had run 4th behind Arcalis in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham and confirmed that promise when winning a nice novice hurdle at Cheltenham the following month. The second that day, Alderburn waas a horse I followed with interest. He won a national hunt maiden hurdle at Windsor at 13/2 and had been 3rd behind a couple of decent types in Mount Clerigo and Secret Ploy at Wetherby in mid January.
Comply or Die figured in several races that I have already mentioned. A sound jumper he won 3 times, the best of these being in the Grade 2 Rising Stars novice chase at Wincanton where he beat Distant Thunder. He ran a big race in the Royal and Sunalliance chasing home Trabolgan. He was made 4/1 favourite for the Scottish National but appeared not to stay and was pulled up.
The day it all went right
It isn't every day of the week that your team wins 5.0 away from home. In fact, if you support Macclesfield Town it is a rare event indeed. The 26th of January was a red letter (or should that be blue letter) day when the Silkmen came away from Notts County with a 5.0 victory. The day got even better when I looked at the racing results because one of my list to follow, Supreme Leisure had come in at 14/1. This son of Supreme Leader is trained by Howard Johnson, but this time not owned by Graham Wylie. The race in question was a novice hurdle at Wetherby run in soft going. The horse disappointed next time out but won again in March at Sedgefield.
The day it all went wrong
One of the biggest priced winners from my list to follow was Burnt Out who was a surprise winner of a mares handicap hurdle at Gowran Park at 14/1 – but I forgot to mention her in my web site preview the day before!
I will finish of this review with a couple of old favourites. There can be few more popular horses in training than the front running Grey Abbey. Now an 11 year old he was better than ever, winning 3 of his 4 starts, with his only defeats a 58th in the Cheltenham Gold Cup where the ground would not have favoured him.
His first success came in a vintage renewal of the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby where he got the better of the 2004 Gold Cup runner up Sir Rembrandt in a wonderfully game performance.
Next he left Therealbandit and Royal Auclair in his wake when running away with the Pillar Property Chase Cheltenham, and after his 5th in the Gold Cup he rounded of the season by winning a Grade 2 at Aintree from First Gold. There is the possibility that this grand old chaser may now be retired. In some ways it would be nice to see him bow out while still at the top.
Talking of old friends, another to hit the headlines was Forest Gunner.
Having won the Foxhunters at Aintree the season before he returned to Liverpool to win the Grand Sefton with an exhibition round of jumping, fuelling speculation that he could be a Grand National horse. His win over an extended three and a half miles in the Red Square Vodka Chase at Haydock enhanced his claims. Could the trainers wife, Carrie Ford really become the first ever woman jockey to triumph in the National? In the event Forest Gunner and Mrs Ford were the most gallant of losers, finishing 5th behind Hedgehunter, having held every chance before just running out of petrol. His stamina was always going to be tested to the limit and he was simply outstayed in the end.
ahorse 