Challow Hurdle among options for Make Good The Grade 1 MansionBet Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury is just one of a number of options that John McConnell is considering for Make Good following an impressive win at Cheltenham earlier this month. The dual-purpose gelding was snapped up for 14,000 at the Horses-in-Training Sale in Doncaster last year and recorded his third win on the Flat, and first for current connections, in a 1m6f handicap at Navan in October. However, the switch to hurdles has really reaped dividends with a wide-margin win off a mark of 119 in a Gowran novice handicap last month followed by the successful step up to Grade 2 company at Cheltenham. Make Good was a relatively unconsidered 12/1 chance for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle but under a patient ride from Richard Johnson, stormed up the hill to beat Pats Fancy by seven lengths. McConnell said, “I’m thinking about running Make Good in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury on December 29. He’s rated 144 over there now so where do you go with him? “He’s taken the trip to Cheltenham well. He’s very professional and it didn’t take anything out of him - he’s a little trooper. If he doesn’t go to Newbury he could go for the Pertemps Qualifier in Leopardstown. “We don’t have to run at Christmas and might wait for the 2m6f Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival and there is also a stayers novice hurdle at the Trials weekend in Musselburgh in February. There is loads of different options.” The two-day International meeting at Cheltenham proved a real triumph for Rockview Stables with Some Neck also coming out on top in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase. The nine-year-old grey gelding joined McConnell from Willie Mullins earlier this year and, after filling third spot behind Neverushacon over the banks at Punchestown, stayed on strongly under a strong drive from Ben Harvey to peg back Defi Des Carres in the final stride of the 3m6f event. “Some Neck could go back to Punchestown or we might go for something like the Eider Chase before Cheltenham. We’ll end up back at Cheltenham in March for the cross-country race.” The Stamullen trainer expects to be light on runners at home over the Christmas period adding, “I won’t have too many jumpers to run around Christmas and early next year. A lot of them are out at the moment and I’ll aim at the spring with them.”
