Naval powers into Classic picture with Meydan victory

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Naval Power led home a Charlie Appleby one-two-three in the Jumeirah Classic as he kicked off his three-year-old campaign at Meydan.

The Moulton Paddocks handler dominated the top of the market in the nine-furlong Listed event and it was the Mickael Barzalona-ridden One Nation who set the fractions and looked at one stage to have slipped the field before he was hunted down by the 1-2 favourite close home.

Highbank picked up the bronze medal to complete a clean sweep of the podium for owners Godolphin and the Newmarket trainer, who was winning the race for the fifth time in six years.

The victory was the perfect way for Naval Power to get back on track following a disappointing showing in the Dewhurst in his final start at two.

“It’s quite testing conditions out there tonight, so you’re never quite sure how it will go – especially with these three-year-olds,” said winning rider William Buick.

“But it was a competitive race and the second and third set a good standard, so I was really pleased with him there. I do think he is better on slightly better ground as well.”

The Teofilo colt will now head back home where he will take in a 2000 Guineas trial before a possible tilt at the opening classic of the season – for which he was cut to 16-1 from 25s with Coral.

Buick gave his nod of approval to both the plan and the horse’s Classic credentials post race.

Betfair Sprint Cup Day – Haydock Park – Saturday September 3rd
William Buick after winning the Betfair Daily Tips on betting.betfair Ascendant Stakes with horse Naval Power at Haydock Park racecourse. Picture date: Saturday September 3, 2022.

He added: “It’s a tested and proven route and he’s definitely of that calibre.”

Saeed bin Suroor’s Mawj (9-4) just held on in an all-Godolphin finish to the Jumeirah Fillies Classic.

The Duchess of Cambridge Stakes winner, who was last seen finishing third in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes, was always to the fore in her first attempt at seven furlongs and showed real toughness to hold off 8-11 favourite Dream Of Love – who having been anchored at the back of the field rounding the home bend, flew up the Meydan straight to be denied by just short head.

The winner will now be upped to a mile for her next start in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas on February 24.

“She ran well,” said Bin Suroor. “It was a first start for her on softer ground and there was a question mark before she ran, but we gave her the chance.

“I said to the jockey ‘just keep her handy if you can’ and next time we will have to go up to a mile for the Jumeirah Guineas. So far she has done well and she will improve from this race.

“She’s a good filly but she’s tiny, like I said last year. Since she has come to Dubai she has grown a little bit, but she still needs time. She started over six furlongs, now she has won over seven and next we will try a mile and we will see. She is a nice filly, a tough filly and she always tries hard.”

There was a rare winner in Dubai for Gordon Elliott when Coachello (20-1) struck in the Listed Dubai Stakes over six furlongs, while in the evening’s feature race on the dirt, former Roger Varian inmate Prince Eiji scooped Group Three honours for Doug Watson and rider Sam Hitchcott in the Firebreak Stakes.

Greyval strikes Doncaster Listed gold

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Greyval executed a long-held plan when turning the tables on the favourite Arclight in the Sky Bet Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster.

Fergal O’Brien’s daughter of The Grey Gatsby, a €36,000 buy from France, had finished second behind Arclight on her debut over course and distance in December, leaving her with a length and three-quarters to find.

Since then the favourite had enjoyed a procession around Kempton while Greyval (11-4) had been fine-tuned at home, and it clearly paid off.

There was all to play for on the run to the second last when Paddy Brennan, in search of better ground, took an acute inside course before he swerved back on the track proper.

That caused a concertina effect, as Nico De Boinville brought Arclight to challenge from the other side of the track. Caught in the middle was Jessica Harrington’s Komedy Kicks, who ended up falling and bringing down Inspiratrice.

Thankfully all horses and jockeys walked away uninjured as Greyval ran out a two-length winner, but Brennan picked up a six-day ban (February 10-15 inclusive) for the manoeuvre.

“She came from France and I thought it was going to be a disaster as Nick (Brown, syndicate manager) kept talking her up!” said O’Brien.

Greyval had lots of owners on course to cheer her home
Greyval had lots of owners on course to cheer her home (Nick Robson/PA)

“She’s been lovely, was second the last day and Paddy gave her a great ride.

“She’s in the Triumph and it might be hard to talk them out of not going there, we’ll speak to everyone and see.”

Brown said: “We had the third in this race two years ago and when we got her, I knew this was the race I wanted to run her in.

“We put her in the Triumph because if she won and got a quote, we’d look silly not being in, but I don’t like social runners, so I doubt it. There is the mares’ option there (Cheltenham) though, and that might be better.”

Peter Niven has always thought the world of Malystic and the nine-year-old is now beginning to repay that faith.

Carrying top weight in the £50,000 Sky Bet-sponsored two-mile handicap chase, the Danny McMenamin-ridden 12-1 shot saw off the challenge of Before Midnight before the favourite Saint Segal lunged late, going down by half a length.

Home bred, his dam is a half-sister to Niven’s last top-class horse, Clever Cookie.

“He’s always been a proper horse but last year was a disaster, his first year out of novices, so he never got any experience,” said Niven.

“He didn’t even get to finish his hurdle year because of Covid, so he’s very inexperienced, he also picked up a nasty infection last season.

“He’ll be close to 150 (official rating) after that. The only conditions race for him coming up is the Game Spirit (Newbury, February 5), but that’s a bit soon. Maybe if some of those at Cheltenham tomorrow don’t go, we’ll have a look.”

Looking to the future, he added: “Other than that, there’s the Red Rum at Aintree. I’m not keen on Cheltenham because he didn’t like the razzmatazz when he last went, but then the Red Rum is National day. Maybe the Celebration Chase at Sandown, which might suit him.”

Parramount (1-2 favourite), a half-brother to Becher Chase winner Snow Leopardess, had little trouble in landing the odds in the Sky Bet UKs No.1 Betting App Novices’ Hurdle.

Charlie Longsdon’s seven-year-old was ridden to victory by 7lb conditional Bradley Roberts, who guided him to a 21-length success under a penalty.

Paramount and Bradley Roberts return
Paramount and Bradley Roberts return (Nick Robson/PA)

Longsdon said: “It’s nice after a freeze-up that they have come back in good form.

“Bradley rides all right, doesn’t he? He apologised for looking around so much, but it was a hard race to ride with one going off a hundred miles an hour, and then the others were 10 lengths behind ours, so he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“He’s EBF qualified, so the Final at Sandown will be his aim. I’ll run him in a handicap somewhere before then. He’s 115 now, so who knows what the handicapper will do?”

Lucy Wadham struck for the second time in two days as Will Sting (9-1) came home a clear-cut winner of the Betting Better With Sky Bet Novices’ Handicap Chase under Tom Cannon.

“It’s been a quiet couple of weeks for me, so it’s nice to get a winner before Edwardstone tomorrow,” said Cannon, who will partner Alan King’s Arkle winner in the feature race at Cheltenham, the Grade One Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase.

Storminhome with winning connections
Storminhome with winning connections (Nick Robson/PA)

Ben Pauling continued his good recent form when Storminhome (11-8 favourite) opened his account at the third time of asking in the Sky Bet EBF “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle.

“He’s got some fancy entries (at Cheltenham), whether he takes them up I don’t know, but he’s a lovely horse for the future,” said Pauling.

Big guns poised for belated Clarence House clash

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Alan King insists Saturday’s Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase is “not the be-all and end-all” for Edwardstone as he prepares for a mouthwatering clash with Energumene at Cheltenham.

Last season’s Arkle winner made a winning return to action in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, before unseating Tom Cannon early on in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Plans to give the second-season chaser more experience have been scuppered this term by ground which has either been too quick or frozen.

King is therefore grateful the Clarence House has been rescheduled from last weekend’s abandoned fixture at Ascot.

He said: “We are very appreciative that we rescheduled and we badly need to get him out, you know?

“He has been simmering away for some time. We are happy with him, but tomorrow is not the be-all and end-all. We just need to get a run into him.”

Of his Kempton mistake, King added: “He wouldn’t be the first good horse to unseat, so it happens occasionally.

“Edwardstone’s preparation has gone well, but we do need to get a run into him.”

Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Energumene has been beaten just once in nine previous starts over fences, with that defeat coming at the hands of Shishkin in this race last season.

Energumene returns to the scene of his Champion Chase success
Energumene returns to the scene of his Champion Chase success (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was last seen sauntering to a 15-length success in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December – a race he also won en-route to the Clarence House last season.

Energumene’s rider Paul Townend has suggested his main market rival has a few questions to answer following his Kempton faux-pas, saying in his Ladbrokes blog: “I am delighted that the Clarence House Chase was rescheduled at Cheltenham.

“It is a bigger field but Energumene is still the one you would want to ride in the race. He is the reigning champion chaser. His run at Cork in the Hilly Way Chase was a nice introduction for the season.

“He didn’t do anything flashy, just did what he needed to. This will be a bigger test as he takes on Edwardstone.

“Edwardstone is exciting but comes here off the back of an unseat which isn’t ideal, especially when you are taking on a horse like ours. Reports say he is jumping well, but in top-class races like this, you can’t come with any excuses.”

While only six runners will line up for the Grade One contest, there should be plenty of pace in the race courtesy of the Gary Moore-trained Editeur Du Gite, who was the beneficiary of Edwardstone’s blunder at Kempton, landing that two-mile contest by 13 lengths.

Moore knows the nine-year-old will have to be at the top of his game to trouble the big two, however.

He said: “He has got to reproduce something like he did at Kempton to be competitive in this race.

Editeur Du Gite will set a good gallop under Niall Houlihan
Editeur Du Gite will set a good gallop under Niall Houlihan (Nigel French/PA)

“He is entitled to be there, so hopefully he can build on what he did last time, because he will need to.

“He likes to go forward and that will be the plan again.

“The time was fairly good at Kempton, given the ground was soft. He jumped slightly left-handed last time, so going back that way round should benefit him a bit perhaps.”

Amarillo Sky has won his two starts this term for Joe Tizzard, both coming in handicaps.

Amarillo Sky will bid for a hat-trick after two handicap wins
Amarillo Sky will bid for a hat-trick after two handicap wins (John Walton/PA)

He was due to be the only horse to take on Edwardstone and Energumene at Ascot and Tizzard feels that with more runners and less prize money up for grabs this weekend, it was an opportunity missed.

“Amarillo Sky was all set to run at Ascot last weekend. We would have been one of just three runners in a race worth £175,000 there, whereas this is worth £90,000 and there are six running, so it is a less attractive proposition,” he said in his Coral blog.

“We could have gone to Sandown next weekend instead, but the owner is keen to run, which is fair enough, and we will find out where we stand with the big guns by running here.

“His future is probably in handicaps, but I can still see him finishing third or fourth here. We shouldn’t lose anything by running, and he does run well at the track, but it’s still a bit disappointing we didn’t get to run at Ascot as planned, but these things happen.”

Noble Yeats aiming to underline Gold Cup claims in Cotswold trial

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Robert Waley-Cohen is excited to see whether Noble Yeats can cement his Gold Cup claims with a bold showing in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The eight-year-old provided the Waley-Cohen family with a day they will never forget at Aintree last spring when claiming Grand National glory under the owner’s amateur jockey son Sam, on what proved to be his final ride before retiring from the saddle.

Emmet Mullins’ charge was pulled up on his return to action at Auteuil in October, but bounced back with victory at Wexford a couple of weeks later before throwing his hat into the Gold Cup ring with a seriously impressive display in Aintree’s Many Clouds Chase the following month.

The Waley-Cohens have already tasted Gold Cup success, with Long Run memorably seeing off Denman and Kauto Star in 2011, and Noble Yeats is a best priced 7-1 to become only the third horse to win the blue riband and the Grand National after L’Escargot and Golden Miller.

But while Waley-Cohen is hopeful his charge can make his presence felt in a fascinating clash with last year’s Gold Cup third Protektorat – winner of the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November – he warns the result is not the be-all and end-all, with the big day still seven weeks away.

“It’s a very hot race. There’s six very good horses in it and obviously Protektorat has done brilliantly, finishing third in a Gold Cup and winning the Betfair Chase,” said Waley-Cohen.

“It will be very interesting and I think it will be good for Noble Yeats to get some more experience of the course.

“But as we keep reminding ourselves, the Cotswold Chase is a furlong shorter than the Gold Cup and I’m not sure I would read too much into the result. This is not the Gold Cup and whatever happens, we’ve still got to meet the likes of A Plus Tard and Galopin Des Champs.”

While doing his best to dampen expectations, Waley-Cohen reports Noble Yeats to have travelled over from Ireland in rude health.

He added: “I don’t want to put anyone off and say we haven’t got him ready, because he certainly is ready. He’s ready to do himself justice, but I hope there’ll be a fraction to work on.

“Trainers like to have their horses super sharp for the big day, but that is not to say they can’t win earlier in the season, of course.

“Protektorat appears to be the best of the British, although given that Noble Yeats spent the entire summer here and I own him, I must admit it’s hard to think of him as Irish, even though he’s Irish bred and Irish trained!

“He’s spent a couple of days with us this week after travelling over and he seems in very happy form.”

Dan Skelton is excited to see Protektorat back on the racecourse, having elected to keep his powder dry since his brilliant Haydock success in November.

Harry Skelton celebrates winning the Betfair Chase with Protektorat
Harry Skelton celebrates winning the Betfair Chase with Protektorat (Nigel French/PA)

He said: “Everything has been really good since Haydock and I’m very happy with him. He looks fantastic and we always wanted to come here after his last run.

“For a few days after Haydock he was a bit quiet but he came out of it sound and healthy, so there was never any issue on that part. Since then we have slowly built him back up and he is fresh and well.

“He has not been for any away days but he is flying around the place and I’d like to think even though Noble Yeats is coming over, he can run well. It should be a good race and I think you should hopefully see something very positive.”

Frodon won the Cotswold Chase four years ago for Paul Nicholls and returns for another tilt after the cold snap scuppered an intended appearance at Taunton last weekend.

The popular veteran is three years older than each of his rivals at the age of 11, but his trainer expects him to run his usual solid race.

“Frodon is fresh and well and he will run a good race, but he might be vulnerable to some of those younger legs again,” said Nicholls.

“It was a shame the Portman Cup at Taunton was called off last week, but he likes Cheltenham and especially the New Course so you just never know.

“He looks as well as I’ve seen him look. He schooled on Monday and he worked great.

“He has an outside chance of winning, but he could run well and get placed.”

Sounds Russian in action at Southwell
Sounds Russian in action at Southwell (Mike Egerton/PA)(

Sounds Russian was fourth behind Noble Yeats at Aintree in the autumn and has since pushed Into Overdrive close in the Rowland Meyrick.

Trainer Ruth Jefferson expects to have a clearer idea of what the future holds for her stable star after Saturday’s race.

She said: “Saturday will tell us where we go with him. He’s got a Gold Cup entry and he will have a handicap entry somewhere.

“He’s grand and doesn’t take a lot of training – he is quite straightforward. We’ve been pleased with him since Wetherby.”

The Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor was just ahead of Sounds Russian when third in the Many Clouds Chase, but that promising effort is sandwiched by disappointing runs in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and the King George at Kempton.

Ahoy Senor needs to bounce back to form
Ahoy Senor needs to bounce back to form (Tim Goode/PA)

Russell is keeping her fingers crossed the eight-year-old can re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with, saying: “He was a freak as a hurdler and a freak as a novice chaser and he did extremely well as a novice chaser.

“But he was running on pure ability, whereas this year he has had to knuckle down and learn how to really race properly.

“He can’t just boss fields like before in the company he’s been running in and I’d like to think with that bit of confidence he has got from the runs he has had this season, he could build on that and if he does build on that, we might create a monster again.”

The field is completed by Nicky Henderson’s outsider Dusart, who returns to the larger obstacles after finishing sixth over hurdles on his seasonal debut at Cheltenham last month.

Jeremys Flame too hot for Huntingdon rivals

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Jeremys Flame made some decent rivals look ordinary as she readily landed the Pertemps Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntington.

Gavin Cromwell’s nine-year-old had won a Grade Three over fences in November, but had been found out in top-class company when dropped in trip at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Back up to two and a half miles, Keith Donoghue sat at the back of the six-runner field on Jeremys Flame (3-1) before cruising up on the turn for home to challenge Zambella, who had made a mistake that halted momentum down the back straight.

Yet that would have made little difference to the result, as the winner sauntered to a six-and-a-half-length victory.

Cromwell said: “It was a lovely performance. It was good. We were back to two miles the last day at Grade One level and we thought we’d have to jump off handy.

“We thought at that level we mightn’t be able to travel with them, but as it turned out, she kind of raced a little bit too aggressively and paid the price for it in the end.

“She is entered in a handicap hurdle next week, but won’t go there. We’ll probably just go straight to Cheltenham for her.”

Paddy Power cut Jeremys Flame to 12-1 from 20s for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham on March 14, with Coral more impressed, offering 10-1.

Imperial Bede (8-1) stepped up on his Leicester hurdling debut to put 13 rivals to the sword in the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle under Jonjo O’Neill Jr, who was riding for his father.

The winning jockey said: “He settled better today as they went a proper gallop. He was a bit off his feet to start with and he blundered the first, but after that he worked his way into the race.

“I think he will want further than two miles in time, but he is a bit keen at the moment and is still a work in progress.”

Spotty Dog (12-1) travelled well and got off the mark over fences at the sixth time of asking under Liam Harrison in the Pertemps Network Novices’ Handicap, having taken advantage of a mistake by Furkash at the last.

He was the first winner of the season for trainer Michael Hawker, who also owns and bred the winner.

He said: “That is my first homebred winner. He has had 14 goes before, but I thought he would win today as he has come right all of a sudden.

“It is my first visit to Huntingdon, so I might have to come back now. This is quite a moment and I might have one or two later on. We will be going to the Neeld Arms in Grittleton and the drinks will be on me.”

Itchy Feet sparkled back over hurdles
Itchy Feet sparkled back over hurdles (Steven Paston/PA)

Olly Murphy’s string is in good heart at present and Itchy Feet (20-1) showed plenty of determination to take the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle under Sean Bowen.

His last success came in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown in February 2020 and he was having his first run over hurdles since contesting the Grade Two Rendlehsam at Haydock just under two years ago.

Murphy said: “That was brilliant. He is obviously a horse that means a lot to me and he was just a happier horse back over hurdles today.

“I’m absolutely chuffed. He gave me one of my biggest days when I started training five years ago when winning the Scilly Isles at Sandown Park in 2020.

“To see him do that and jump and travel with the same enthusiasm as back when he was a good horse was brilliant. I’m absolutely over the moon.

“We might give the team out at day at Cheltenham now in the Pertemps Final. He has got a big engine and will go up in the weights whatever.”

De Boinville expecting Epantante to bloom in Yorkshire Rose

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Nico de Boinville is confident Epatante can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity in the Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday.

Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey has actually only ridden the yard’s star mare once before – steering her to victory in the 2021 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Aidan Coleman has been ever present in the saddle since then, but as he is at Cheltenham to partner veteran stayer Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle, De Boinville again gets the call on Town Moor.

Epatante has won six times at Grade One level in all, with two Christmas Hurdles, two Fighting Fifths, an Aintree Hurdle and a Champion Hurdle featuring on her CV.

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old has proved no match for fellow Seven Barrows inmate Constitution Hill in either the Fighting Fifth or the Christmas Hurdle so far this season, but with her esteemed stable companion not in opposition this weekend, she should take all the beating.

“She doesn’t have a certain Constitution Hill to contend with here, so you have to be more than hopeful she can get back to winning ways,” De Boinville said in his Unibet blog.

“We all know her Grade One class and the scary thing is that she probably hasn’t been that far off her very best when chasing home her stablemate at Newcastle and Kempton this season.

“This is clearly a significant drop in grade for her, for all she carries a 6lb penalty.”

The biggest threat to Epatante appears to be Lucy Wadham’s admirable mare Martello Sky.

Martello Sky in action at Cheltenham
Martello Sky in action at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

The grey has found one too good in each of her three previous outings this season, most recently chasing home Love Envoi at Sandown, and is fitted with cheek pieces for the first time on Saturday.

Wadham said: “Epatante has won six Grade Ones and is only giving us 2lb, so obviously it’s going to be to be pretty tough and we’re probably playing for second place.

“As always she’ll be doing her best, she’s ready to run and we’ll give it a go, but we’re not expecting to beat the favourite that’s for sure.

“She’s coming back to two miles and, funnily enough, all her sisters wore some sort of headgear. She’s certainly not ungenuine, but I think she will need to be sharper on Saturday, so hopefully the cheek pieces will help.”

The first of three Grade Twos on the card is the MND Association Race For Research Lightning Novices’ Chase, in which Harry Fry’s Boothill bids to follow up victory in the Wayward Lad at Kempton.

The highest-rated horse in the field, though, is Ann Hamilton’s stable star Tommy’s Oscar, who won on his chasing debut at Carlisle in the autumn and has since finished second twice over fences.

The eight-year-old is significantly better off at the weights with Donald McCain’s Since Day One, who is again in opposition having beaten him in a novice handicap at Newcastle last month, but connections are more hopeful than confident about his chances this weekend.

“At the weights you’d say he’s got to win it, but I don’t know,” said owner Ian Hamilton.

“He was obviously well beaten in the Fighting Fifth and then he was giving a stone and a half to Donald’s horse last time,” said owner Ian Hamilton..

“Our horses aren’t quite firing, so I wouldn’t have £1,000 on him anyway. But it will be better ground at Doncaster which will help. Hopefully he can do it.”

Stay Away Fay is the likely favourite for the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle.

A £305,000 purchase after winning a point-to-point, the Shantou gelding made a successful debut for Paul Nicholls in a two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Newbury in November and is immediately stepped up to three miles.

Nicholls told Betfair: “He’s an interesting prospect who did well over the summer before winning in pleasing fashion at Newbury on his debut for us over hurdles two months ago.

“He is a lot sharper now, stays well, wants good ground and I’ve had this race in mind for him since Newbury.”

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies saddles Idalko Bihoue at Doncaster
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies saddles Idalko Bihoue at Doncaster (David Davies/PA)

McCain’s Maximilian steps back up in distance after suffering his first defeat in five starts in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown last month, while Grand Soir has won his last three races for Irish trainer John McConnell.

Idalko Bihoue, another expensive purchase from the Irish point field, is also worthy of consideration after finishing a creditable third in the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Newbury on New Year’s Eve.

“It was a very good run in the Challow. He’s going up in distance a little bit and I’d hope he’ll run really well,” trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies told Sky Sports Racing.

“We were looking for three miles, there are very few three-mile races around and it’s good prize-money.

“He’s definitely a stayer.”

Harris backing Scriptwriter to produce winning performance

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Milton Harris insists Scriptwriter has blossomed and hopes the evidence will be there for all to see in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, the first of a nine-race bumper card at Cheltenham on Saturday.

A Group Three performer for Aidan O’Brien on the Flat, Harris shrewdly purchased the Churchill gelding and he has won on all three starts for the Warminster handler.

A winner over a similar trip on the Old Course in November, he returns to Prestbury Park’s New Course on the back of a win in a decent all-weather Flat handicap at Wolverhampton last month.

Scriptwriter takes on seven rivals who include Chepstow’s Grade Two Finale Juvenile Hurdle hero, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Comfort Zone, and Gary Moore’s runaway Newbury winner Jupiter Du Gite, in a warm renewal of the two-mile-one-furlong contest.

Yet Harris is brimming with confidence after overseeing his latest sharpener.

He said: “Scriptwriter went to Kempton on Tuesday and did a little piece of work over a mile.

“He is in a very good place and obviously we had that little run at Wolverhampton, which was good.

“He is a good horse and he seems to have blossomed. He wouldn’t want extreme soft ground, but I don’t think we are going to get that.

“While the race will be a little bit better than it might have been because everywhere else has been off, I’m very happy with him. He’s definitely improved since his first two hurdle runs, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Henri The Second seeks more Grade Two glory
Henri The Second seeks more Grade Two glory (Steven Paston/PA)

Elsewhere on a cracking card, Henri The Second bids to supplement his Winter Novices’ Hurdle success at Sandown with a second Grade Two win in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Harry Cobden’s mount, who was runner-up to Chianti Classico on his seasonal bow at Chepstow, will concede weight to all 10 rivals in the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest, which is a slight concern to Paul Nicholls.

The champion trainer said: “He has got a 5lb penalty for winning the Grade Two at Sandown Park before Christmas and that won’t make life easy against good horses.

“He is obviously a nice horse and he has already won a good race this season. He is in good shape and he will stay up that Cheltenham hill, but he has got a big task with the penalty.

“He ran very well last time, however we thought he would go well on his first run but he was a bit green. He is still learning and there is plenty of improvement to come from him yet.

“He wasn’t quite ready for the Leamington at Warwick as he had a hard race at Sandown, so he needed that little bit of extra time, but we have got him back where we want him now.”

Can You Call (right) has impressed the handicapper
Can You Call (right) has impressed the handicapper (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Can You Call, hiked 13lb since winning a heavy-ground Uttoxeter handicap hurdle last time, is one of the challengers.

His trainer, Evan Williams, hopes the eight-year-old can justify his 131 official rating.

He said: “The handicapper obviously thinks we should be in a race like that, taking on those kind of horses, so let’s give it a go.

“I never question the handicapper. He knows, he’s the professional, he’s the man. We just go where the handicapper says we should go. If he says we are up to that class, and says ‘get in there and get your share of 50 grand’, then that’s what we’ll try to do.

“It is a good race, as it should be, but two thirds of the field can’t beat us according to the man at the BHA, so we’re looking forward to picking up the money.”

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase comprises 15 runners, headed by last season’s Festival winner Delta Work and 2021 Grand National winner Minella Times.

The 2021 Becher Chase winner Snow Leopardess has her first try over the unique course, which is a test that Back On The Lash has already mastered.

Martin Keighley’s representative won over the same course and three-and-a-quarter-mile distance at last season’s November meeting and the Condicote handler expects a bold show again.

He said: “He’s in great form and hopefully it will go ahead, because he loves it round there. It looks a hot race again, but he’d have a decent chance.”

Cleeve king Paisley Park back for more at Cheltenham

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Paisley Park heads to Cheltenham seeking a fourth Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle success with connections of the 11-year-old confident his spark has been reignited.

The Emma Lavelle-trained fan-favourite has won the last three renewals of the Grade Two contest, although he missed out in 2021 when the meeting was abandoned.

Despite his advancing years, Paisley Park has looked as good as ever this term – finishing a neck runner-up to Champ in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, which will go down as arguably one of the races of the season, before earning a third Long Walk success at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Barry Fenton, Lavelle’s husband and assistant, feels the Andrew Gemmell-owned Oscar gelding is in ripe form as he takes on six rivals in a three-mile contest he has made his own.

“It just feels like the spark is back,” said Fenton. “When he was really well before, he would just get better with each run.

“Touch wood, he came out of Kempton really well and hasn’t missed a beat since.”

Winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2019, and third in the last two renewals to Flooring Porter, Paisley Park will again take in the Grade One contest on March 16 if all goes well.

Fenton added: “It was a good performance in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year and I think he probably wasn’t at his brightest.

“This year, even before I was saddling him at Kempton, he seemed really bright and well in himself, and he has kind of shown that at home.

“He is very willing at home, whereas last year he was making heavy weather of it a little bit.”

Paisley Park has earned a tremendous following thanks to his consistency and ability to claim victory from the jaws of defeat.

Fenton admits the yard are blessed to have such a flag-bearer, saying: “I think it is massive for the yard and for racing fans to have a horse like this.

“The longer it goes on, the more special it becomes. To think he is going back to try to win a fourth Cleeve Hurdle – you just don’t get horses like that.

“He is a credit to himself. He is just one of those horses who comes back year in, year out and keeps trying for us. He is a very special horse.”

Gelino Bello returns to hurdles after a fall in the Kauto Star at Kempton
Gelino Bello returns to hurdles after a fall in the Kauto Star at Kempton (Nigel French/PA)

Winner of the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last April, Gelino Bello returns to the smaller obstacles after winning two of three novice chases for Paul Nicholls.

He fell four out in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the champion trainer is keen to see how he fares back over hurdles.

“He just didn’t jump as well as he could have done at Kempton the other day. I think there were some shadows down the back straight and he lost confidence the first circuit. He was still going well when he fell at the last down the back,” said Nicholls.

“I think a run over hurdles won’t do him any harm and it might just sharpen him up a bit. If he went and won or ran very well, I’ve got the option of going for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with him. It is a bit of a fact-finding mission.

Dashel Drasher has stamina questions to answer
Dashel Drasher has stamina questions to answer (David Davies/PA)

“This weekend will tell us a lot, however he is not going there for a day out, he is going there and he will be doing his damnedest to win.

“If we are going to go for a Stayers’ Hurdle, we need to beat Paisley Park or run him very close.”

Jeremy Scott hopes Dashel Drasher can indicate he stays the trip, having chased home Marie’s Rock in the Relkeel Hurdle at the same track last time.

The 10-year-old has done much of his winning on flatter tracks at Ascot, Newbury and Aintree, but on ratings, he is most likely to put it up to Paisley Park.

Scott said: “He is very well and we’re looking forward to the race. It is competitive in terms of numbers and theoretically, with the weight allowances, we are second-highest rated, but it depends whether or not he stays three miles wholly around Cheltenham.

“I didn’t think he’s given any indication he wouldn’t, so I don’t see why he won’t run well.

“He ran well there the other day and hopefully he will give a good account and it will dictate where we go from there.”

The Somerset handler knows Paisley Park will take some beating if he returns in the same form as when winning last year.

He added: “I watched Paisley Park’s race last year when he got left at the start and I felt it was a phenomenal performance – and it was run at a very solid gallop, so he is going to take an awful lot of beating.

“The joy of National Hunt racing is that people latch on to horses like him – it’s great for the sport.”

Lord Accord has some big spring targets
Lord Accord has some big spring targets (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Lord Accord is another who returns from chasing, having finished ninth to Le Milos in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. Though the outsider of the sextet, he is guaranteed to stay the trip.

His trainer, Neil Mulholland, said: “He’s been freshened up since Newbury and he’s fresh and well at the moment. But he has nicer targets in the spring and we did the same with The Druids Nephew – he ran in the Cleeve Hurdle before he won the Ultima and that is probably where Lord Accord will go.

“He handled Cheltenham when he won there in November, so we know he likes the track. We’ll give him a spin round over hurdles and see how we go.”

Beep Beep Burrow primed for Doncaster debut

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Beep Beep Burrow will make his debut in front of his namesake Rob Burrow at Doncaster on Saturday.

The six-year-old, who is trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, was due to run for the first time at Doncaster on January 10 but was ruled out by a minor injury.

His first racecourse appearance will now come at the same track as he contests the Good Luck Beep Beep Burrow Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Beep Beep Burrow
Beep Beep Burrow (The Good Racing Co)

The Malinas gelding will be cheered on by Burrow and his family, who will also benefit partly from funds raised by the horse via the Rob Burrow 7 Discretionary Trust, which helps the family meet the costs of living with Motor Neurone Disease.

The remaining funds raised by the partnership who own the horse, The Good Racing Company, will go to the MND Association.

Lindsey Burrow, wife of Rob, said: “Rob and I are really grateful that The Good Racing Company will be donating to Rob’s Trust alongside the MND Association. It will make a real difference to the daily life of our family.

“Rob’s passion for racing grows daily. He’s converted the entire family now and we all enjoy a day out at the races. We are all behind Beep Beep Burrow and can’t wait to watch him race.”

Connections hoping Diamond can sparkle at Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond bids to give Willie Mullins back-to-back victories in the Awardsandgifts.ie Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

The six-year-old struck Grade Two glory in the mares’ bumper at Aintree’s Grand National Festival last spring and has continued to produce a fine level of form since transferring to hurdles this season.

Winner of a Naas maiden on her return, she has not been disgraced in a pair of Grade One events since, finishing third in both Punchestown’s Royal Bond and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The daughter of Walk In The Park is second favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and has the chance to lay down a marker for that contest in this Grade Three event.

“We are looking forward to running, she’s in good order and we’re happy with her at home,” said James Fenton, club manager for owners Blue Blood Racing.

“Danny (Mullins) is riding her because Paul (Townend) is going to Cheltenham to ride Energumene and Patrick (Mullins) can’t do the weight and we’re delighted to see Danny get the leg-up – he’s as good a rider out there.

“We go with confidence and if she can reproduce the form of her last two runs, we give her every chance.

Ashroe Diamond ridden by Patrick Mullins celebrates winning the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt at Aintree Racecourse
Ashroe Diamond ridden by Patrick Mullins celebrates winning the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt at Aintree Racecourse (Nigel French/PA)

“It is a very competitive field and they all demand plenty of respect, but we would be very confident with our mare.”

Mullins is also represented by Saylavee who was on the scoresheet in Listed company at Punchestown last month, while owner Kenny Alexander won this in both 2020 and 2021 with Honeysuckle and Minella Melody respectively and sees his colours carried by the unbeaten Gordon Elliott-trained Halka Du Tabert this time.

Jessica Harrington’s Jetara is related to Champion Hurdle hero Jezki and made a pleasing hurdles debut when chasing home High Definition at Leopardstown.

Before that she won a Listed bumper at Navan and also has a course victory to her name.

“She is a nice horse and she seems to go on a bit softer ground than most of her relations – I just think she’s a really nice horse,” said Harrington.

“Two miles, two and a half furlongs at Fairyhouse will suit her. She won a bumper there over two and a half, she’s won a bumper over two miles and then last time she ran over two miles and was staying on all the way, so I think the distance is about right for her.”

Jetara kept on gamely to win the Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires In Swoop Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Navan
Jetara kept on gamely to win the Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires In Swoop Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Navan (PA)

A bold showing on Saturday could see the five-year-old book her ticket to Prestbury Park in March – with Harrington confirming the Mares’ Novice is on Jetara’s agenda, provided she continues on her upwards curve.

“The Mares’ Novice is two-miles-one and they’ll go a good gallop,” added Harrington.

“She was all out over two miles in the Listed bumper and stayed on well, so we’ll go on Saturday and see what happens.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Goodie Two Shoes and Jarlath Fahey’s track-and-trip scorer Whatcouldhavebeen complete the line-up.