Turkey and ham and some cracking racing was served up over the festive period and the Bord na Móna Novices’ Chase was the first high quality race to get the ball rolling on four great days of action, both at Leopardstown and across the Irish Sea.
Sizing Europe won this Grade 1 event but not without a slice of luck as Captain Cee Bee was travelling ominously well when he tipped up at the last. Osana was a beaten horse coming around the last bend but benefited from Captain Cee Bee’s fall to pick up the runner up prize. Sizing Europe didn’t move as fluently as he usually does and with Captain Cee Bee failing to finish, this encounter between the two left us asking more questions than it answered. Zaarito, second last time out behind Captain Cee Bee, also won over the four day festival, by 8 lengths and never having been asked a question by his jockey, Denis O Regan.
Hurricane Fly is out with injury after sustaining damage to a suspensory ligament and may not make it back in time for the Champion Hur
dle at Cheltenham. In his absence, Solwhit was a rather warm order for the December Festival Hurdle which he won convincingly, taking care of Sublimity, and reversing the order from when he found himself third behind that particular rival in the rather untruly run, Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Voler la Vedette’s connections’ choice not to run her in the December Festival Hurdle looked wise and she took her place in the two and a half mile listed Mares Hurdle which she won a very warm odds on favourite, although she still looks at her best over a shorter trip.
Solwhit en route to victory in the December Festival Hurdle ( Dara MacDónaill)
The Lexus Chase proved disappointing for the Irish steeplechasers as Joncol was our best in third place. He’s still only six years old though so should be improving with each run. Cooldine pulled up with a cough but connections are confident it is only a minor hiccup on the road to Cheltenham. Notre Pere finished a far back fourth place and the first and second prize went to the English raiders with Paul Nicholls once again landing one of the season’s valuable prizes and it seems no one holds a stronger hand in the Cheltenham Gold Cup than the Ditcheat handler. The Alex Ferguson owned steeplechaser, What a Friend, landed the prize and it’s a poor reflection on the Irish Gold Cup pretenders as the winner was beaten by Denman; Gold Cup second favourite when in receipt of 22 pounds in his previous start.
Tranquil Sea took his place in the Paddy Power Dial a Bet Chase over 17 furlongs and finished a creditable second place , 3 and a half lengths behind Golden Silver. It was a solid run over a trip short of his best and Tranquil Sea remains on course for the two and a half mile Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Across the pond, Kauto Star once again proved himself possibly the best steeplechaser of his generation by landing his fourth consecutive King George VI Chase. It was his most convincing King George yet and the official winning margin was a distance to the former Hennessy Gold Cup winning, Madison du Berlais. The star is now drawing comparisons with Arkle, and while the two time Gold Cup winner is clearly a great talent, and one to be savoured, a comparison with the legendary Arkle maybe slightly premature. Arkle and Kauto Star are completely different animals as Arkle was thrown into every good race going whereas Kauto will be saved for three races a season. There is no question however that he’s one of the best around at the moment and I am already looking forward to his fifth King George VI.
Big Buck’s rounded off a great 2009 for the Paul Nicholls’ team by winning the Long Walk hurdle at Newbury and his place at the top of the World Hurdle market is firmly deserved and he is now best priced 6/4 on for the stayers’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He saw off his biggest market rivals by 3 and a half lengths in energy sapping ground at Newbury and he always looks like he’s holding a bit in the locker. Karabak put in a good performance in second place with Diamond Harry in third, and the performances of these two only further enhance the anticipation to the seasonal reappearance of Mikael D'haguenet who beat them at Cheltenham, last spring, and he is expected to be seen in a beginners’ chase some time in the New Year.
Big Buck's winning last season's World Hurdle from Punchestowns ( Tom Jenkins)
Go Native, the Noel Meade trained hurdler picked up his second leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown and was a successful Irish raider of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, edging out Starluck and Binocular. The six year old brown gelding hit the front before the last and looked like he would kick on to land the prize in great fashion. He idled on the tacky ground however, and his stride shortened but as Starluck and Binocular rallied behind he managed to hold on by a short head. Go Native is a live contender for the Champion Hurdle and with the potential absence of Hurricane Fly, it’s great to see we have two of the quality of Go Native and Solwhit to compete for the two mile hurdling showcase.
It was a cracking Christmas of racing action and we will now have to wait until the Cheltenham Festival for a repeat of four such high quality days of racing.
Sizing Europe won this Grade 1 event but not without a slice of luck as Captain Cee Bee was travelling ominously well when he tipped up at the last. Osana was a beaten horse coming around the last bend but benefited from Captain Cee Bee’s fall to pick up the runner up prize. Sizing Europe didn’t move as fluently as he usually does and with Captain Cee Bee failing to finish, this encounter between the two left us asking more questions than it answered. Zaarito, second last time out behind Captain Cee Bee, also won over the four day festival, by 8 lengths and never having been asked a question by his jockey, Denis O Regan.
Hurricane Fly is out with injury after sustaining damage to a suspensory ligament and may not make it back in time for the Champion Hur
dle at Cheltenham. In his absence, Solwhit was a rather warm order for the December Festival Hurdle which he won convincingly, taking care of Sublimity, and reversing the order from when he found himself third behind that particular rival in the rather untruly run, Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Voler la Vedette’s connections’ choice not to run her in the December Festival Hurdle looked wise and she took her place in the two and a half mile listed Mares Hurdle which she won a very warm odds on favourite, although she still looks at her best over a shorter trip.Solwhit en route to victory in the December Festival Hurdle ( Dara MacDónaill)
The Lexus Chase proved disappointing for the Irish steeplechasers as Joncol was our best in third place. He’s still only six years old though so should be improving with each run. Cooldine pulled up with a cough but connections are confident it is only a minor hiccup on the road to Cheltenham. Notre Pere finished a far back fourth place and the first and second prize went to the English raiders with Paul Nicholls once again landing one of the season’s valuable prizes and it seems no one holds a stronger hand in the Cheltenham Gold Cup than the Ditcheat handler. The Alex Ferguson owned steeplechaser, What a Friend, landed the prize and it’s a poor reflection on the Irish Gold Cup pretenders as the winner was beaten by Denman; Gold Cup second favourite when in receipt of 22 pounds in his previous start.
Tranquil Sea took his place in the Paddy Power Dial a Bet Chase over 17 furlongs and finished a creditable second place , 3 and a half lengths behind Golden Silver. It was a solid run over a trip short of his best and Tranquil Sea remains on course for the two and a half mile Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Across the pond, Kauto Star once again proved himself possibly the best steeplechaser of his generation by landing his fourth consecutive King George VI Chase. It was his most convincing King George yet and the official winning margin was a distance to the former Hennessy Gold Cup winning, Madison du Berlais. The star is now drawing comparisons with Arkle, and while the two time Gold Cup winner is clearly a great talent, and one to be savoured, a comparison with the legendary Arkle maybe slightly premature. Arkle and Kauto Star are completely different animals as Arkle was thrown into every good race going whereas Kauto will be saved for three races a season. There is no question however that he’s one of the best around at the moment and I am already looking forward to his fifth King George VI.
Big Buck’s rounded off a great 2009 for the Paul Nicholls’ team by winning the Long Walk hurdle at Newbury and his place at the top of the World Hurdle market is firmly deserved and he is now best priced 6/4 on for the stayers’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He saw off his biggest market rivals by 3 and a half lengths in energy sapping ground at Newbury and he always looks like he’s holding a bit in the locker. Karabak put in a good performance in second place with Diamond Harry in third, and the performances of these two only further enhance the anticipation to the seasonal reappearance of Mikael D'haguenet who beat them at Cheltenham, last spring, and he is expected to be seen in a beginners’ chase some time in the New Year.Big Buck's winning last season's World Hurdle from Punchestowns ( Tom Jenkins)
Go Native, the Noel Meade trained hurdler picked up his second leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown and was a successful Irish raider of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, edging out Starluck and Binocular. The six year old brown gelding hit the front before the last and looked like he would kick on to land the prize in great fashion. He idled on the tacky ground however, and his stride shortened but as Starluck and Binocular rallied behind he managed to hold on by a short head. Go Native is a live contender for the Champion Hurdle and with the potential absence of Hurricane Fly, it’s great to see we have two of the quality of Go Native and Solwhit to compete for the two mile hurdling showcase.
It was a cracking Christmas of racing action and we will now have to wait until the Cheltenham Festival for a repeat of four such high quality days of racing.
Wish we could get to see Kaouto Star more often, his latest King George left me awestruck!
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