Thistlecrack © Photo Healy Racing
Fans of jumps racing have been rejoicing over the past month with the return of some of the stars of the sport to the track and although the action will ramp up another notch in November, there has still been plenty to take in during the first few weeks of the ‘proper’ National Hunt season in the UK.
Most the National Hunt trainers have spent the month of October doing a rain dance in the hope of soft ground but even with that in mind, we have seen our fair share of impressive displays to scribble into the notebook.
The Chepstow Jumps Festival once again gave the winter a jump start at the beginning of the month with the Welsh track attracting some top trainers and jockeys. Paul Nicholls dominated the meeting in terms of winners with his Fred Winter hero, Diego Du Charmill, perhaps the most impressive victor sent out from Ditcheat. The Champion Trainer could now aim his Cheltenham Festival winner at the Greatwood Hurdle next month and he remains a most progressive type to follow.
Rock The Kasbah won what looked like a hot novice chase at Chepstow for Philip Hobbs and he could be among the better middle distance novice chasers on these shores this winter, whilst Grade 1 winning novice hurdler Ballyoptic was another to take the eye at the jumps festival. His defeat of Bellshill at Aintree last term was a taking one and he looked very good again as he won over an inadequate trip, and giving weight away, on seasonal debut at the Welsh track. Connections have already suggested that a World Hurdle campaign is on the agenda for Ballyoptic and with that ante-post market for that race looking murky to say the least, he could well prove to be among the best of the British contingent for that contest come the spring.
Racing fans poured into Cheltenham as they hosted their first meeting of the season and it didn’t disappoint with two days of thrilling action at Prestbury Park.
Shantou VilageThere was a good mixture of action with young horses like Thomas Campbell, Wholestone and Marracudja making favourable impressions as well as more experienced horses like Fox Norton and Shantou Village also claiming wins. The latter two formed an exciting double for Neil Mulholland at Cheltenham with Fox Norton galloping all over the field on handicap debut and hopes remain high he can turn up with an outside chance in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Shantou Village was a Grade 2 winner as a novice hurdler and his win at Cheltenham was his second on the bounce over fences as he continues to be a horse to follow. Aside from one jumping mistake, the 6YO travelled like the best in the race before showing plenty of heart up the hill and his future could lay anywhere with quotes for the JLT Novices Chase, the RSA Chase and the National Hunt Chase all forthcoming in the wake of this latest win.
Dan Skelton continues to make waves in the sport and he unleashed one of his stable stars at Aintree on Old Roan Chase day. A Warwick bumper winner, Robin Roe smashed up the field to win the 2m4f maiden hurdle by 12 lengths on his rules debut over obstacles and quotes of around 20/1 for the Neptune in March look more than fair for a horse who clearly has more to come.
Somewhat surprisingly, the eyes of the racing world once again fell on Chepstow as World Hurdle winner Thistlecrack made his eagerly awaiting chasing debut on a murky Tuesday afternoon at the Welsh track recently. A bumper crowd was treated to one of the stars of the sport making his first steps on the road to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and although he didn’t beat too much on the day, it was hard not to be impressed by the Colin Tizzard trained in-mate. His jumping drew gasps of delight from the assembled crowd and connections were clearly delighted with the display with the Open Meeting at Cheltenham next month expected to be the next stop on the agenda for one of the hottest properties in the sport.
Thistlecrack is looking to emulate Coneygree and win the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a novice and this was an encouraging beginning with the bookmakers trimming him into a best price of 5/1 in the minutes after his Chepstow success.
Follow all the UK National Hunt action at www.jumpsracing.co.uk
