Cheltenham Saturday review: Paul Nicholls at the double
Double delight for Ditcheat pair
Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden completed a 19.63/1 double courtesy of Il Ridoto (9/2) and Springheeled Star (11/4).
The former landed the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase but only after a rare old tussle with 7/2 favourite Fugitif.
Cobden was always travelling powerfully aboard the winner but so was Gavin Sheehan on the market leader and they jumped the last together.
But in first-time cheekpieces Il Ridoto this time found the necessary reserves to pull a widening four lengths clear of his rival.
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Springheeled Star defies top weight
Stage Star produced a sparkling round of jumping to successfully defy top weight and land the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase.
Paul Nicholls' charge outclassed his rivals, and was on the bridle as he led the only serious danger Datsalrightgino over the last.
Harry Cobden's charge took another length out of his rival there and was merely pushed out to score by three-and-three-quarter lengths at 11/4.
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Sky Bet cut the winner to 16/1 from 33s for the Turners (non-runner/no bet) and make him 20/1 in their ante-post market.
“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls. “He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.
“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.
“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.
“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.
“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”
Zone strikes for Ireland
Comfort Zone wore down Scriptwriter to win the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle Trial for JP McManus and Joseph O'Brien.
Jonjo O'Neill Junior was in the saddle aboard the Finale Hurdle winner who was travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders going to the final flight - by which time Jupiter Du Gite had weakened out of contention having pulled far too hard.
The eventual runner-up led over the obstacle but the 2/1 favourite had him in his sights and was in front where it mattered most, scoring by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 10/1 for the Triumph back here in March. Sky Bet are 8s from 12s, non-runner/no bet.
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O’Neill said: “Scriptwriter is probably the best gauge-stick in England anyway, so I was happy with the performance. Scriptwriter was a non-runner on the day at Chepstow, so I suppose that performance was a bit better – you’d never have known. But I think the track probably suited him and maybe riding him like that was a bit more sensible.”
Asked about plans, he replied: “Leave it to the trainer and connections, they know more than me and what else they have in the races and stuff. I think he definitely deserves his chance in whatever race. I wouldn’t mind riding him, anyway. His hurdling was grand, a couple he got in a little bit short but I had him right down the inside and wanted to settle him, so I couldn’t be looking for loads of light.
“The ground is quite dead and he might be better on better ground, but he handles soft at Chepstow, so I’d say he is pretty versatile.”
Of Scriptwriter, Milton Harris: “It is just frustrating. Look, they are good horses. We just didn’t get the rub of the green. It wasn’t the ground. He just got to the front miles too soon. He is a horse who has come from Ballydoyle, where he has been a lead horse for Derby horses and he has been taught to lead horses, get headed, and that’s him, so you have got to hit it late and he has just travelled too well into the race.
“I was not impressed with finishing second. He is a good horse and we’ll be back and take on the winner. He just got there too soon. Paddy is spitting feathers as he got there too soon and is blaming himself. We should have hit the front in the last 50 yards and he would have won – he knows that.”
He added: “We don’t want to be poor losers, but it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest taking on the winner again. We will come back to fight another day and take the winner on in March.”
Lash scores again
Back On The Lash repeated his victory of 2021 in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.
The 6/1 chance was in front turning for home and it was Deise Aba who was to emerge as the main danger.
It was a real battle up the hill with Martin Keighley's charge digging deep to fend off his rival and score by half-a-length.
5/2 favourite Delta Work ran well in third.
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Keighley said: “He loves it here doesn’t he? If anything Sean (Bowen) got there too soon! It was a great ride. We were so gutted to lose the first two races around here this season, he ran a good solid race here at the November Meeting (when third in the Jewson Handicap Chase) and we’ve just kept him for this race since. It’s worked out well and we’ll keep him nice and fresh now and come back for The Festival. It will be level weights there but he seems to be improving for every run around here and hopefully he can still be in the mix.
“He just loves his jumping and he’s such a strong stayer, as he showed today. He’s tiny and you saw a couple of times today he lands quite steep as he’s so small, but he’s got loads of scope and he’s hard as nails. Coming into these Cross Country races just seems to have improved him, similar to Any Currency. He rocketed just because he took to the course so well and this horse has done the same.
"Delta Work ran a good race in third and we were getting just over a stone today, so he’s going to have to improve again in March. Today the ground was probably a bit too good for him so hopefully we’ll get faster ground and we’ll see how it goes.
“We love having winners here, all the locals love a local winner so it makes for a really good atmosphere. Harry (Redknapp, joint owner) is down in London today opening something, so he’s gutted he can’t be here!”
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