MoonRacer enhances reputation with Trial win Moon Racer convincingly upheld form with Ballyandy when successful in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham. The two Champion Bumper heroes clashed on their first starts over hurdles at Perth in September, with Moon Racer winning the argument by three-quarters of a length. But this time Ballyandy could only finish a staying-on third in the Grade Two over two miles. Mirsaale made most of the running, with Moon Racer and Ballyandy second and third respectively for a long way. Moon Racer and Tom Scudamore then ranged up alongside the front-runner at the second-last and never looked like getting beaten from there on in. Mirsaale creditably stuck on for second, beaten two and a quarter lengths by the impressive 9-4 scorer. Scudamore said: "When it all comes right it looks good. Fortunately, I had a very, very talented partner." Pipe said: " It was a great performance. Both him and Ballyandy are good horses and we thought he'd improved from Perth. "He only does just enough, but Scu (Scudamore) was always confident. "He's very deceiving. You'd think he'd want further, but he's got a great turn of foot. "He's very much one to look forward to. He might come back here in December if there's a race. "I think he might be better on better ground. "He'll have an entry in the Champion Hurdle. Why not?" Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said Ballyandy had fleetingly struggled with his breathing when he came back from the track. The Naunton handler said: "He was a bit short of oxygen (after the race) and had a bit of a wobble. "Sometimes in the excitement they forget to breathe after races. But he's 100 per cent now and has gone home." Of Ballyandy's performance, Twiston-Davies added: "He got in a whole load of trouble and there was no gallop, but that's life."
