Cheltenham November Meeting Sunday review and free video replays

Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville, successful with Jonbon in the Shloer Chase, combined to win the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle with Iberico Lord (7/1) while stablemate Luccia was third.

Lookaway made much of the running in the prestigious two mile handicap which progressed fairly smoothly until ante-post gamble Onlyamatteroftime ran out at the fourth last, dumping Danny Mullins on the turf, on his debut for Willie Mullins, in a near-repeat of his final start for previous connections.

Luccia, the better backed of the Henderson pair, travelled strongly in the slipstream of Lookaway at the bottom of the hill but the leader kept galloping and the mare's challenge rather flattened out.

In contrast, the further they went the better Iberico Lord went and he stayed on strongly for de Boinville and looked very good value for the two and a half length winning margin.

Sonigino was fourth and Nemean Lion fifth.

"I thought he was very genuine at the top of the hill when poor Danny got carried out and he stayed straight and he was very true to his line," de Boinville said.

"Then he found plenty, Luccia gave me a nice tow through and then I knew he'd stay the way he stayed on at Sandown at the end of last year and he handled it well.

"I was (always where I wanted to be); there was a nice strip of fresh ground down the inside so that's where I wanted to be."

When asked what the options would be for the 'well handicapped' winner, the jockey replied: "I don't know if that he's that well handicapped is he? I'll let the powers that be decide that."

Henderson revealed that this race had been a long-term target for the JP McManus owned winner, saying: "It was where we were always going to start from a while back. It was an ambitious one, when you saw the first load of entries he wouldn't even get in.

"He's talented, he just hasn't got a lot of experience and last season wasn't exactly easy for him. He fell his first start, his wind was wrong and he had to play with that and then he won a pretty ordinary maiden at Stratford. His last run was good, he was second to a filly of JP's Under Control - she's ready to reappear, she goes to the Gerry Feilden on Friday week I hope - and that looked a pretty solid performance from Iberico that day.

"He's improving and growing up; I wouldn't know where we go or where he's going to finish up but he's talented. We were lucky with Impose Toi who won here on Friday evening, we said he would probably go on to the Ascot race but know he looks as though he really ought to be going to the Ascot race but as JP said it's a nice problem to have.

"That was his first run and he hadn't had an away day as such, Jonbon had been to Windsor and some of them have had a racecourse gallop, but he hasn't and I'm pretty sure he was ready."

The Lambourn handler was also pleased with the run of Luccia but doesn't think that options will be as plentiful for her.

"She's run a super race," he continued. "James (Bowen) said he thought she had come on a wee bit from Wetherby. I was worried it might come a bit quick for her.

"She probably had come on a little bit and it was great coming to the last and seeing her travelling as well as that; she probably looked the more likely of the two for a moment and just hoped one of them would put her head in front.

"Mares (Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival) really but I don't think she's looking as though she wants another half a mile so that doesn't lead her into the mares' race here so we're going to have to tiptoe through the programme book of mares' races. She can run in handicaps but she had enough weight today to be honest so she's got to go into those Listed races, it mightn't be that easy to find races for her."

Neil King, trainer of the runner-up Lookaway, said: “He has done nothing wrong and Jack (Quinlan) has given him a cracking ride from the front. We have won our Grade Two here and he went up 10lbs for that, and maybe without that we would have won today, but we will take the Grade Two and finish second today.

“We might now go to Ascot for the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Christmas and that is what I have got on my mind at the moment. I must admit I thought we would take a lot of catching today, but there was just one who turned out to get past us unfortunately.”

Cromwell mare lands staying crown

Turning for home in the Jewson Handicap Chase it seemed certain that racegoers would be treated to a thrilling finish to the three mile, three furlong contest as the remaining runners queued up behind the gallant, front-running veteran Cloudy Glen.

However, when push came to shove on the testing ground only Malina Girl (11/2) was able to close the gap on Cloudy Glen and she was about half a length in front jumping the last.

From that point in it was all over as Cloudy Glen's stride shortened whereas Malina Girl galloped strongly up the hill under Sean Flanagan to provide trainer Gavin Cromwell with yet another Cheltenham winner.

Cloudy Glen held on for second ahead of the rallying Guetapan Collonges and City Chief with Peaches And Cream, a stablemate of the winner, back in fifth.

"There was a shadow on the first and I jumped it really big and bold and lost a bit of ground and I ended up being a bit further back than I wanted to be," Flanagan explained.

"I was travelling well enough down the hill and a gap or two appeared; I didn't want to take them but I knew if I didn't I wouldn't get another opportunity so I was probably closer than I needed to be turning in but she's gone and done it well again."

Malina Girl was towards the top of the market for the Scottish National at Ayr in April but was pulled up when struggling and Flanagan thought today's softer conditions made a difference.

"I just thought she'd had a long enough season at the time and I thought the ground was quite quick on the day," he said.

"I thought the ground today was going to be a little bit dead for her today but she's got through it and that probably confirms my thought from Ayr that the ground was too fast."

Louise Bodily, niece of winning owner Jackie Russell, said: “That was a fantastic result. Stamina was never going to be an issue and she always wears her heart on her sleeve.

“We knew when she was coming towards the last that she had it in the bag. Sean (Flanagan) had sat back and waited on her then you could see coming down to the last she was ready for it.

“It is great to be here, and it is great for my aunt to have a winner here and to be able to represent her.

“The Grand National hasn’t yet been mentioned, but it looks like the mare could do it the way she has stayed there. She makes the jumping look easy, so who knows it could be a race she is aimed at.

“Sean was really pleased with her. She took him there well and carried him over the line as she knew what she was doing. She just ran over hurdles last time just to get her fitness up for today.”

It was Destiny!

Ginny's Destiny (10/3) ran out a commanding winner of the cavani.co.uk Novices' Limited Handicap Chase but the race was very much in the balance at the second last.

Favourite Crebilly had more or less drawn alongside the front-runner approaching that obstacle but made an error typical of that fence, just losing his feet on landing.

That left Ginny's Destiny clear of Es Perfecto and the Paul Nicholls-trained winner powered clear of that rival having jumped the last to win by 10 lengths.

"He's one of those horses that always needs a run," said Nicholls.

"He was gross when he joined us in the summer and he ran well the other day - it was always my target for this race but I was never going to win without a run - and he ran really tidy, got a bit tired but he took a big step forwards from that to here and I really fancied him today.

"Whether he got lucky or now who knows. Harry said he wasn't going to stop galloping, he kept galloping all the way to the line, it was just what the other horse would have found. Hopefully he's okay, it would have been a good race from there but he's a proper horse, hasn't run that much and lots to come from him I think.

"Today was always the target, I haven't really thought where we will go; we'll take it step by step with him."

Cobden added: "He had a nice run round here the other day, probably blew up a little bit, and it's nice when a plan pays off. I still had plenty of horse left (when Crebilly fell) because I was filling everywhere, we certainly weren't done with. I know Jonjo was coming with a challenge, whether he would have beaten me or not I don't know but our lad wasn't done at that stage.

"He wouldn't be a horse who would do masses in front."

Park sparks Festival dream

Cannock Park (15/2) made all the running to spring a surprise in the mallardjewellers.com Maiden Hurdle.

The Kemble Brewery, unbeaten in two bumpers, was sent off at odds-on for his hurdling debut but he made a bad mistake at the first flight and David Bass never looked entirely happy, riding the favourite into one or two hurdles and scrubbing along from some way out.

Cannock Park, in contrast, was running exuberantly, but well within himself, at the head of affairs and although he got tired having jumped the last, he kept on gamely up the hill to repel the late challenge of Innatendue by a neck.

The pair finished nine lengths clear of The Kemble Brewery.

Winning pointer Cannock Park, trained by Paul Robson and ridden by Craig Nichol, was beaten in a bumper on his Rules bow before winning unchallenged in that sphere at Bangor last month.

The winning jockey said: "He's a very good jumper. He's actually a very difficult horse at home, we've had a lot of problems with him; Paul and the team have done a fantastic job, they've done a great job to get his head in a good place and he's a lovely horse; hopefully he's got a bright future.

"Just after Bangor he went over the top a little bit and his head just went but they did a lot of work in the fields and they've got him sweet as a button again and it showed today. He has got plenty of ability and I think once he starts maturing and growing up and gets that quirky side out of him, hopefully he'll be a real nice one.

"To be fair I always felt like I was going to win. I think from the last I only felt he was only doing enough, he was waiting for company and he was sort of left and right on the run in, all over the place, I had a bit of bother trying to keep him in a straight line but once the other horse come to him, he'd done enough by that stage anyway so we were fine."

Robson added: “He is just a tough horse. He is only a baby even though he is five. We would have liked to have a run over hurdles before now. We knew he was a good horse but we were scared to run him as we had this race marked out and he has gone and done it so we are delighted.

“I wanted to come here and win a race instead of somewhere else as it is Cheltenham at the end of the day. It is lovely to come here with a nice horse. I’m pretty much flabbergasted to be fair. It is what everyone says it is, it is a dream (to have a winner at Cheltenham).

“We knew the way he won his bumper, and point-to-point bumper that he was a nice horse. Lyall Hodgins rode him that day (at Alnwick) and he couldn’t pull him up and he went past the line 20 lengths clear. He was a little bit unfortunate at Carlisle as he didn’t have the easiest run up to that race. He finished second, but he then went to Bangor and we fancied him that day and he went and done what we thought he was going to do.

“We just had to hold our time and get him schooled. He was still green today. I walked the track and I thought it was a bit heavy down the back straight, but they have done a great job getting it where it is today.

“I just about beat him up to the line as I was running up next to him. I’m delighted as this is super.

It might only be November however Robson is already dreaming of an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival in March with Cannock Chase, who also secured Nichol with his first Cheltenham winner.

“I like the way he has done it. He pricked his ears the whole way around and he was green as grass so there is a lot of improvement. We will come back here in March. I think there is decent novice at Wetherby at the end of December or the start of January and that will be his next target and then we will come back here in March.”

Brookhouse has Champion dream

Brechin Castle (9/4 favourite) showed a sparkling turn of foot to win the Listed Turners Open National Hunt Flat Race.

A winner between the flags before making a successful debut for trainer Ben Brookhouse, scoring by 14 lengths at Sedgefield, he was settled in behind the early pace by Jack Quinlan.

Pulled out to challenge at the bottom of the hill, he sped past the long-term leader Fire Flyer to score by two and a quarter lengths.

There was the same distance back to the gambled on Moon Chime in third and a further four back to Rickety Bridge, a stablemate of the second, in fourth.

Brookhouse said: “I wanted to run him over hurdles as I wanted to run him in the Persian War first time out but dad wanted to run him in bumpers. He is very professional, and he is a dude. He has been well educated and at the end of it today he has been well ridden.

“Dad loves to come to Cheltenham and to get a winner here for him is great. We will be running a lot of horses for him here hopefully, but this lad is the best of them by a long way.”

A date at Ascot next month could be next on the agenda for Brechin Castle ahead of a possible trip to the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February.

He said: “Unfortunately with the new rules you can only run in three of them (bumpers), plus championship races. We discussed about possibly taking him to Leopardstown in February.

“He might go to Ascot in December next then on to Leopardstown before Punchestown. If he goes to Punchestown he won’t go to Aintree and he might turn up here for the Champion Bumper so he has lots of options. He is a very nice horse.”