Trials Day: ante-post reaction and what the RaceiQ data revealed

The Grade Two feature resembled a racecourse workout with the outstanding CONSTITUTION HILL allowed to dictate slow fractions after taking the lead from Brentford Hope at the third flight. 

Nico De Boinville was clearly intent on giving the Champion Hurdle favourite as easy time as he dared – helped by his four rivals having their own private battle – and perhaps moving along at half-speed led to the combination getting their wires crossed at the final flight. 

Constitution Hill drew gasps with the awkward manner that he negotiated the obstacle, although it did little to halt his momentum. 

His overall Jump Index score was measured at 8.5 – the lowest figure he has managed in five performances measured by RaceiQ. It was the first time none of his jumps in a race have accrued a score of at least 9, plus his score of 6.9 at the fifth flight represents the lowest score he has ever returned. 

The unsatisfactory tortoise-like pace of the race was reflected by Constitution Hill, who hit a top speed of 34.05mph, stopping the clock at 4min 20.47sec. Juvenile hurdler had won in a time 10 seconds quicker (the equivalent of about 40 lengths) over the same trip earlier in the day. 

Constitution Hill was rated between 29lb and 50lb superior to his rivals but less than ten lengths covered the lot of them. The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner remains a best-priced 4-5 to regain his crown. 

A relentless display of jumping and galloping by EAST INDIA DOCK, who enhanced his Triumph Hurdle credentials with an emphatic ten-length success. 

The son of Derby winner Golden Horn was having his first race since his commanding 18-length win at the November Meeting, but Sam Twiston-Davies had clearly been told fitness was not a concern as he immediately set off in front at a decent gallop. 

There was never a moment when the aggressive tactics looked like backfiring on a horse who stays well on the Flat, with his fluent jumping, a feature of his previous win, again being excellent for a young horse of limited jumping experience. 

He is tremendously swift from A to B, reflecting by RaceiQ’s “speed lost” metrics. At six of the eight flights, he lost no more than 2.24mph (and as little as 1.75mph). To put that in context, Lulamba, the Triumph Hurdle favourite, lost between 2.76mph and 3.71mph, at five of the eight jumps when winning on his British debut at Ascot last weekend. 

Overall, East India Dock gained 9.28 lengths with his jumping and got a Jump Index score of 8.5, having previously got an 8.9. He was also going one better than his half-brother, Burdett Road, had managed in this race for the same connections 12 months ago. 

Burdett Road had the misfortune to bump into Sir Gino, and East India Dock was also up against three interesting French recruits in Sauvigon (very easy to back), Mambonumberfive and Stencil. 

The first two-named were pulled up – Sauvigon stopped quickly and was almost certainly amiss – but Stencil tracked East India Dock travelling and jumping well, only to be unable to keep up with him at the business end. His RaceiQ jumping stats were similar to the winner. 

This looked a good opportunity for L’HOMME PRESSE and he duly took advantage, although it was only in the closing stages that he finally mastered the plucky Stage Star, who emerged as the best horse at the weights. 

The pair jumped best and had the race to themselves for much of the straight and flew the final fence almost as one. At that stage it seems the odds were heavily loaded in favour of L’Homme Presse, given his proven stamina, but Stage Star kept responding and was only three quarters of a length behind at the finish. 

L'Homme Pressue was getting 4lb from Stage Star and this wasn’t a display that will cause connections of Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs to lose any sleep. 

This was an uneventful contest with the first three home – L’Homme Presse, Stage Star and Gentlemansgame – occupying those places from the outset. The other trio – Delta Work, Chantry House and Tommie Beau – had their own separate battle, which the first-named won. 

L'Homme Presse gained 12 lengths with his jumping and his Jump Index score of 8.3 was the highest he has achieved since RaceiQ was founded. Stage Star gained 15 lengths and got an 8.9, and this will encourage his connections he can improve on his fifth in last year’s Ryanair Chase. 

Gentlemansgame was below-par at Cheltenham for a second time, having been pulled up in the Gold Cup last season. 

Several bookmakers trimmed L'Homme Presse for the Gold Cup but BetVictor have kept him at 25-1. Stage Star, not entered for the blue riband, is now a general 16-1 for the Ryanair Chase, although 20-1 is available in places. 

A polished display by Jagwar, who picked the pocket of front-running stablemate Billythrealbigred in the closing stages after doing all his work on the bridle. 

The imposing JP McManus-owned winner found things coming easily to him under Jonjo O’Neill and was not fully extended to prevail by two-and-a-quarter lengths from the similarly progressive Billythrealbigred, who had won his past five completed starts, with Masaccio a creditable third under top weight. 

Jagwar was running here off a mark of 132 and can expect a rise of between 6lb and 8lb. That is unlikely to prevent him being a leading contender for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase over the same course and distance in March. He’s no bigger than 6-1 for that, and only a point bigger for the Trustatrader Plate. 

He has jumped a little low on occasions, but his leaping here was most assured, especially in the second half of the race. He got a Jump Index score of 9.5 out of ten for the way he negotiated the tenth obsracle and only once dipped below 8 at the final seven fences. 

Overall, he gained four lengths with his jumping – in a race free of any notable blunders - and got a Jump Index score of 8.7. 

Among the also-rans, Ryan’s Rocket impressed with the way he travelled for a long way only to fade when it mattered most. He will be one to note when dropping back to 2m. Resplendent Glory plugged on for fourth but continues to be held back by some sticky jumping. I would not be surprised if we saw him equipped with some of headgear sooner, rather than later, to see if that can add a bit of sharpness. 

The final race on the card looed to revolve around the unbeaten Potters Charm,  who had landed the Grade One Formby Hurdle at Aintree on his previous start, and Bill Joyce, who had finished a good third to The New One in the Challow. 

However, the pair were put firmly in their place by Sixmilebridge, who lined up on the back of winning successive bread-and-butter contests at Leicester and Huntingdon. 

There was no hint of this eight-length victory being a fluke as they went a good gallop and he was much the strongest at the finish, being the only runner to dip under a minute in the final four furlongs. 

Sixmilebridge also jumped best, gaining 5.28 lengths in the air. His Jump Index score was 8.5, the same as Constitution Hill. His previous three scores had been 7.7, 7.9 and 7.8, so this was a good time for him to raise the bar. 

He's a general 16-1 for the Turners’, and he’s clearly earned a crack at that. Potters Charm, who was conceding 5lb to him here, finds himself the same price. 

The New Lion was cut to 2-1 for the Turners’ by some firms, although Bill Joyce did little to boost his Challow form here. 

A thrilling race in which Irish raider Moon D’Orange came from last to first under an inspired Sean Bowen. 

Things looked bleak for the well-backed winner for much of the way, but the leaders went hard and most of them had wilted long before the finish. Four of the first five after the first mile ended up being pulled up or occupying the final three places. 

That is also reflected by the closing sectionals, with none of the field completing the final half-mile in under 58 seconds. By contrast, the first three home in the novices’ handicap chase – which overall was run in a slower time over the same distance – clocked 56.54sec, 57.29 sec and 57.84sec. 

Moon D’Orange jumped left at many of his fences, including at the final fence when Bowen needed his wits about him to retain the partnership. Once the horse and jockey recovered their balance, they fended off Grandeur Dame, who surely deserves extra credit given he was exposed to the heat of the battle from an early stage. 

Grandeur Damegained almost14 lengths with his jumping, whereas Moon D’Orange swiped only three. The former is 33-1 with Unibet for the Trustatrader Plate, which is likely to look big on the day. 

Meanwhile, Randox Grand National hope Iroko will have no doubt satisfied his connections, and ante-post supporters, with his staying-on fourth, an effort that caught the eye of the stewards. The way he is being campaigned for the Aintree showpiece is interesting, although he is not exactly going to head to Merseyside under the radar. 

A weak edition of this Grade Two contest, made even less competitive by Crambo almost blundering away his jockey at the eighth and Strong Leader being off the bridle early on before consenting to run on once the race was all over. 

That left the door open for three horses with handicap ratings in the 140s to dominate the finish. That cannot have happened in many Grade Two races. 

Gowel Road

was not winning out of his turn, having finished runner-up in four previous races at Cheltenham this season. Typically, his jumping lacked some polish – he lost 1.77 lengths in the air – but he reserved one of his best jumps for the final flight and that helped him fend off Monmiral, who did not look the most resolute. 

The winner is now a top-priced 25-1 for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, with Crambo and Strong Leader pushed out to 33-1. The latter ended up being the fastest over the final half-mile here and it must be a short price he will be wearing some headgear the next time we see him. 

Reigning champion Teahupoo has hardened to 5-4 without moving out of his box. Lucky Place, who gave 6lb and a beating to Gowel Road in the Relkeel Hurdle at the start of the month, has been trimmed to 10-1.