Tag Archive for: Banbridge

Banbridge takes full advantage of missing Cheltenham

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Cheltenham Festival absentee Banbridge struck Grade One gold in the Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices’ Chase, the opening race of the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

Winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last season, Joseph O’Brien’s charge subsequently failed to fire on Merseyside – but it was a very different story 12 months on.

Banbridge made an excellent start to his career over fences in the autumn, winning at Gowran and Cheltenham, and after being placed in the Drinmore and the Irish Arkle the seven-year-old was due to contest the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at the Festival but was taken out due to unsuitable ground.

JJ Slevin and Banbridge
JJ Slevin and Banbridge (PA)

With that freshness advantage perhaps key, the 2-1 shot raced on the heels of the Turners’ Novices’ Chase winner Stage Star for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey before taking over halfway up the straight in the hands of JJ Slevin.

Saint Roi came from further back in an attempt to launch a challenge after the final fence, but Banbridge was always doing enough in front and passed the post with a length and a half in hand.

Stage Star, the 6-4 favourite, weakened to finish last of the five runners.

O’Brien said: “JJ gave him a lovely ride and it’s great to come here with a fresh horse. He was a little bit sticky over the first couple, normally he’s quite exuberant but he was a little bit slow. Once he got into his rhythm he was lovely.

“We took him to Cheltenham early in the season to get experience and then we ended up missing it (Festival), but that’s the way it goes.

“We ran him in the Drinmore and we knew he was just a much better horse on better ground so there was no point in wasting runs on heavy ground.

“I think we probably saw the result of minding him earlier in the spring today. It was beautiful ground today, on the easy side but perfect spring ground.

Banbridge in full flight
Banbridge in full flight (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“We declared on Saturday just in case the rain came and I wanted to walk the track. He won’t run.

“We’ll look at Punchestown. There’s no race over two and a half but while he could stay further in time, I’d imagine it might be back at two miles there because he’s not slow. Two would be more likely but I don’t know yet.”

Of the Willie Mullins-trained Saint Roi, Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said: “He was a little bit keen, but jumped well bar one.

“There were no excuses, he was good at the last and Mark said it was lovely ground.

“He’s entered at Punchestown and Willie will decide if he goes there.”

Banbridge booked for Aintree after missing Cheltenham

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Banbridge and Nusret will both be heading to Aintree as Joseph O’Brien shuffles his pack following the Cheltenham Festival.

The former was a staying on second in the Irish Arkle when last sighted and was declared to run in the Turners Novices’ Chase won by Stage Star before the ground at Prestbury Park went against him on the day of the race.

He will now be redirected to Liverpool where both the opening day Manifesto Novices’ Chase (April 13) over two and a half miles and the shorter Eft Systems Maghull Novices’ Chase on Grand National Day are possible options.

Meanwhile, Nusret – who was among the favourites for the Boodles before swerving the Festival – will be set a Grade One assignment in the Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle having picked up the Adonis at Kempton on his last raiding mission to the UK.

“Banbridge will go to Aintree all being well,” said O’Brien. “He will have entries in the two-mile race and the two-and-a-half and he’ll run in one of those.”

“Nusret is going to Aintree as well. It will be a lovely race to run him in.

“I think he’s right in the mix with the UK runners and I think he’s right in the mix with his Irish form as well.”

Home By The Lee is another who could make O’Brien’s teamsheet for the Grand National Festival following his brave effort in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

The eight-year-old rallied with great credit after making a juddering mid-race error and was a staying-on fifth at the line – beaten just shy of four lengths behind the victorious Sire Du Berlais.

The Liverpool Hurdle (April 15) is now a possibility along with the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival (April 27) and an enterprising Channel-hopping trip to Auteuil for the Grande Course De Hures D’Auteuil (May 20).

“He didn’t get the rub of the green and was lucky to stand up with the mistake he made, but he has come out of the race well,” continued O’Brien.

“He has options in Aintree, Punchestown and in France – the French Champion Hurdle.”

Staying closer to home, however, is one-time Derby favourite High Definition who got somewhat bogged down in the soft ground in the Festival-opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

High Definition could step up in trip after getting stuck in the soft ground at the Cheltenham Festival
High Definition could step up in trip after getting stuck in the soft ground at the Cheltenham Festival (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Owning Hill handler is yet to decide whether he steps the classy son of Galileo up in trip for his next outing or persists over the minimum distance – but he is on course to be seen at either Fairyhouse for their April Easter Festival or Punchestown later in the month.

“He just got stuck in the tacky ground a bit,” O’Brien added.

“He jumped well all the way, but JJ (Slevin, jockey) said he knew after he had jumped two hurdles he was struggling a bit in the sticky going.

“We’re looking at both options (in terms of trip) and he has options in Fairyhouse and Punchestown.”

‘Everything is so easy to him’ – Elliott full of hope with Mighty Potter

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Mighty Potter bids to extend his faultless chasing copybook and advertise his potential superstar quality when he goes for gold in the Turners Novices’ Chase.

Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old has won all three starts over the bigger obstacles and backed up his Drinmore success with another top-class victory in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival, accounting for Adamantly Chosen by eight and a half lengths.

That marked him out as a possible Gold Cup horse in the making, and Elliott is full of hope heading into his biggest test yet at Cheltenham on Thursday.

Elliott said: “I don’t think you could be anything but impressed with him in Leopardstown – he looks the real thing. I loved how, coming by the line, he was only getting into top gear really.

“We won’t start leaping up and down about him yet and we’ll let him do the talking, but I wouldn’t mind having a few more like him.”

Those looking for a chink in the favourite’s armour will point to his sole visit to Prestbury Park, when pulled up behind Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last March.

“He’s a big horse now, but he was every bit as big last year and gangly,” added Elliott. “If you look at the Supreme last year, he just never got into a rhythm and I think he landed on top of a hurdle and it was all over then.

“Everything is so easy to him. Even at home he’s kind of a big baby still, but he’s exciting. I couldn’t be more happy with him.

“He was never happy in the Supreme last year. He was beaten after a mile. I suppose it’s always a concern, but he’s a very relaxed horse and a year older.

“I don’t think he’s been properly opened up yet. He’s just a relentless galloper.”

A big danger to Mighty Potter would have been Banbridge, but Joseph O’Brien had voiced ground fears and he was withdrawn on Thursday morning.

Nicky Henderson feels there is more to come from Balco Coastal
Nicky Henderson feels there is more to come from Balco Coastal (John Walton/PA)

Nicky Henderson saddles Balco Coastal, who won a decent novices’ handicap chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and then chased home Gerri Colombe when narrowly defeated in the Scilly Isles at Sandown.

The Seven Barrows trainer feels the seven-year-old is an assured jumper and can be a leading player.

He said: “He didn’t do much wrong and I think there is a bit of improvement to come.

“I just wondered if he had a right good blow. I thought he’d gone and won the race, to be honest with you. I just think there is a little bit more to come. I’m not quite sure where from, but I do.

“It looks quite a good division, but I think he is entitled to take his chance.

“I just think he got outstayed at Sandown. We’ve quickened up from the bend to the second-last and it just sort of came at him again a bit.

“We might wait a bit longer. He loves being up there and he jumps very well.”

Stage Star has proven himself at Cheltenham this term
Stage Star has proven himself at Cheltenham this term (David Davies/PA)

Few trainers went into the meeting in better form than champion Paul Nicholls and Stage Star, a top-class hurdler last term, has done little wrong in four starts over fences, winning three times.

His only reverse came in a Grade Two at Newbury in November, when the ground was deemed too quick and he has won twice subsequently, including at Cheltenham last time.

“He is a progressive horse and won very well the other day,” Nicholls said. “He has been a grand horse this year and won at Plumpton, making all, after Christmas, then won very nicely at Cheltenham off top-weight.

“He stayed on strong the last time and he is a progressive horse, but these are good races and you can run really well and finish third or fourth.

“Another summer on him and he will be a smart horse to go looking at better chases over here.”

High Definition still in the frame for Cheltenham, despite weekend blip

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A tilt at the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is still on the cards for High Definition, despite his first foray into Grade One company over hurdles ending in disappointment at Leopardstown on Sunday.

A high-class performer and one-time Derby favourite when trained by Aidan O’Brien on the Flat, he made a seamless transition to the National Hunt sphere when making his debut for Joseph O’Brien at the Dublin track over Christmas – taking a maiden hurdle by a going-away four and a quarter lengths.

The from of that result got a boost when Jetara finished second in a mares’ Grade Three recently, while the sixth, Diverge, bolted up by 23 lengths at Punchestown on his next start and meant that High Definition reported for Grade One duty at the Dublin Racing Festival as the biggest danger to the then unbeaten Facile Vega.

Attempting to go stride-for-stride with the 4-9 favourite from the front, the son of Galileo only got as far as the fourth flight before unseating jockey JJ Slevin in a race that also saw the Willie Mullins’ hotpot blow out and the Supreme market turned on its head.

However, the five-year-old is reported to be none the worse for the experience and the Cheltenham Festival opener remains the likely next destination for High Definition providing he proves his well-being over the next few weeks.

“He has come out of the race well and we’ll see how he is over the next couple of weeks, but we’re potentially looking at going straight to the Supreme with him from here,” said O’Brien.

“We’ll see how he is before confirming that decision, but if he was to go to Cheltenham that would be the race.”

High Definition ridden by jockey J J Slevin (right) on their way to winning the All About Sunday Maiden Hurdle during day one of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse
High Definition ridden by jockey J J Slevin (right) on their way to winning the All About Sunday Maiden Hurdle during day one of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse (Brian Lawless/PA)

With no plans for another run before Cheltenham, High Definition could head to Prestbury Park with just the one completion over hurdles under his belt. But his handler is not concerned about a lack of experience and believes his jumping will stand up to the test of a Festival Grade One.

He continued: “I wouldn’t be too worried about that (jumping experience). It would have been nice to get a nice clear round in Leopardstown, but I don’t think he did anything wrong and I was very pleased with how he jumped the second and third hurdle.”

O’Brien also looks to have an ace card to play in the novice chase division at Cheltenham in the form of last year’s Martin Pipe winner Banbridge.

His Festival success in 2022 came over an intermediate trip, but he showed his adaptability when returning to Prestbury Park to land the Arkle Trial over two miles in November.

Banbridge, here ridden by jockey JJ Slevin winning the From The Horses Mouth Podcast Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, has options open ahead of a return to Prestbury Park
Banbridge, here ridden by jockey JJ Slevin winning the From The Horses Mouth Podcast Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, has options open ahead of a return to Prestbury Park (Tim Goode/PA)

Having stayed on strongly to grab second in the Irish Arkle at the weekend, the Owning Hill trainer admits the sensible thing could be to return to two and a half miles for the Turners Novices’ Chase next month. But the impressive nature of Mighty Potter’s win at Leopardstown means all options are being kept open for now.

“He stayed on all the way up to the line. He missed the last which probably cost him a few lengths as well, but we were very pleased with the run in what was an extremely hot novice chase,” said O’Brien, reflecting on Banbridge’s Dublin Racing Festival outing.

“We will keep his options open in both the two-mile and middle-distance novice chase (at Cheltenham) and a decision will be made closer to the time.

“From watching the race in Leopardstown it would suggest it makes sense to go up in trip, but then that looks a very hot race as well so we’ll keep our options open and a plan will be made after we’ve spoken to Ronnie (Bartlett, owner) closer to the time.”