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Wetherby report: Gelino Bello makes favourite backers sweat
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Gelino Bello survived a scare to open his account over fences at the first attempt in the bet365 Novices’ Chase at Wetherby.
A Grade One winner over hurdles at the Grand National meeting in April, he was sent off at the prohibitive odds of 1-4 to start life in a new sphere with a victory.
He only faced two in opposition – or at least he was supposed to.
His major market rival, Chris Gordon’s Press Your Luck, whipped around at the start and unseated jockey Tom Cannon with many thinking the race had lost a lot of interest.
wetherby
13:45 Wetherby - Friday October 28
However, Laura Morgan’s Loughderg Rocco, rated some 27lb inferior to Gelino Bello over hurdles, tracked him all the way and even headed the favourite between the last two fences until Harry Cobden eventually got Paul Nicholls’ charge home by half a length.
“It’s a case of job done really and it wasn’t ideal when Chris’ horse whipped round, so it was always going to be like that afterwards – our main aim was a clean round,” said Nicholls.
“It’s been so hard to school on grass, that’s the first time he’s jumped fences on grass, so it was a good experience in that sense.
“He’ll just keep improving and he’ll probably go to Newbury next (Coral Gold Cup meeting) and then Kempton, where going slightly right-handed might suit him.
“From the day he started he’s always gone a little bit right. Harry went purposefully wide to give him room and he was good when Harry asked him but going to the last, he just didn’t want to throw it away and make a mistake.
“It gave the crowd some entertainment and when they go a good gallop, that will suit him a lot better.”
Paddy Power left the winner unchanged at 16-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Of his unfortunate unseat, Cannon said: “He whipped round and I nearly stayed on, but the second you hit the floor you can’t go. I’d have loved to be able to jump back on but in this day and age you’re not allowed to.”
The opening bet365 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle went the way of Nicky Richards’ Miss Milano (5-1).
Conor Rabbitt steered a wide path on the mare who eventually had enough to see off Fergal O’Brien’s Sister Michael close home to gain a first career success.
“She’s a nice mare and I thought she looked particularly well beforehand,” said Richards.
“She’s just needed time, but she’s got a typical old-fashioned National Hunt pedigree and these Milan’s tend to improve with age. She’ll make a lovely chaser.”
Richards later doubled up when Parisencore justified 6-4 favouritism in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle race.
Danny McMenamin had to be at his strongest to hold off Albert’s Back by a neck.
“He was consistent last season and deserved to win his two races. He relaxes well in front and pops away well. I don’t think he can go up too much for that so hopefully there’s a bit more to come,” said Richards.
Medyaf graduates to Listed success
Dan Skelton will strike while the iron is hot with Medyaf after the bargain buy ran out a ready winner of an eventful Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle.
Last year’s winner of the Listed contest, Gary Moore’s Porticello, went on to score at Grade One level and while that may seem a long way off for Medyaf at the minute, having won his first two outings over hurdles after failing to pull up any trees on the Flat, he has made the perfect start.
Bought out of John and Thady Gosden’s yard for 9,000 guineas having failed to trouble the judge in four starts, he looks a different proposition over hurdles.
It could have been different, though, had the strong-travelling Mr Freedom not ducked out at the second last, leaving Medyaf to come home three lengths clear of the favourite Tuddenham Green.
“He’s been a good buy. I just said to Craig (Buckingham) who picked him up for 9,000 guineas, you don’t expect to pick up a Listed winner for that money, especially out of that yard,” said Skelton.
“He must have been destined to go hurdling because he definitely wasn’t a Flat horse.
“He’s hardy, he’s tough and while it wasn’t a surprise at Stratford, we thought he’d go close, it was the attitude he showed and the commitment he had was great to see.
“It doesn’t matter where the hurdles are to him, he can jump out of any position. He’s just got a great attitude and with the four-year-olds that counts for a lot.
“I think he’ll handle soft ground but the only thing is he’ll have a class one penalty now. We might look at the Paddy Power meeting now because he’s got the experience and a lot won’t have that.
“There are then the obvious targets at Doncaster in December (the Summit Juvenile Hurdle), the Finale at Chepstow, the Cheltenham race in January (JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial), he’ll run in them all and it will tell us whether he’s at that level or if he’s a Fred Winter horse.”
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