Cheltenham lowdown: Returning Marie’s Rock lifts Relkeel title

Marie’s Rock, who ended last season with Grade One victories at The Cheltenham Festival and Punchestown, made a successful seasonal debut when coming home the facile winner of the Grade Two [email protected] Relkeel Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

The eight-year-old was making her first racecourse appearance in 246 days. Partnered by Nico de Boinville, the 11-2 chance was always tracking the leaders. Going second on the turn for home, she took the lead just after the last to win by an unextended six lengths from Dashel Drasher with her stable companion First Street another head adrift in third.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson was enjoying a record-equalling fourth Relkeel Hurdle success following Zaynar (2009) and Oscar Whisky (2011, 2012).

Henderson said: “It was remarkable to be honest with you. I was trying to train her earlier on in the year and I couldn’t see anywhere to go. She wants two and a half as that is the perfect trip for her but there wasn’t a race anywhere.

“Tom Palin (National Hunt Manager at Middleham Park Racing) said I can’t find a race until the Relkeel. I was trying to train her early on in the year and she was not showing me anything which is what she did two seasons ago when she took a season out. I said Tom that suits me I will stop and start again then all of a sudden her work was completely different again.

“She will go for the Mares. I suppose our original idea might have been to try her over three miles earlier on. There was a Listed race but I wasn’t happy with her. I wasn’t going to try as we would have failed and got the wrong reading. She tanked up there and I thought she would have taken a blow at the top of Cleeve Hill. It is great getting your ducks in order but you have got to them in the right order and they have to be swimming downstream at the same time.

“To be very fair to do that was pretty impressive. Nico sat there having a lovely time. She gets through this ground but it is not nice ground and that is nobody's fault. She scampers along she is not one of those great big long striding chasers that can’t get through it. She gets through it better than most. I can’t see any point in going anywhere before Cheltenham now.

“First Street has run a great race and probably didn’t get two and a half miles on that ground as he was going plenty well enough from the last but he probably couldn’t just quicken and he flattened out a bit. He wants to come back to two miles on better ground.”

Nico de Boinville said: “It was very impressive. I was surprised she was that impressive in that ground as it was dead and sticky.

“Everyone at Seven Barrows has done a great job getting her ready for today. She felt fresh and jumped brilliantly I thought and she is just a true Grade One mare. I didn’t want to go for her too soon as that last hurdle is set back quite far. I was mindful it was her first race of the season but as soon as I winged the last she set off up the hill and stayed on really well.

“I’m delighted with the run and she is just a fantastic mare. She is very much the one to beat in the Mares’ Hurdle.”

Tom Palin (National Hunt Manager at Middleham Park Racing) said: “It is nice to get one on the board after last year when we had 125 winners.

“We were a bit worried coming into here with fitness as she had been off a while, not through any injury, as this is where we wanted to start her. With the way it was riding out there we thought she might find it hard work late on but shows what we know.

“To be fair to Nicky he has been saying she has been working as well as ever if not better. I think we have just shown what she has been working like at home. She is probably at her very best at the moment.

“We know she likes it around Cheltenham and that is where we will see her next. The Mares’ Hurdle has always been the plan. There was a little bit mentioned by her trainer about going up to three miles and I’m not going to rule that out as she hit the line hard there on soft ground and she is bred to get three miles but there has only been in one dual winner of the Mares’ Hurdle in Quevega and I’m not saying we are anywhere near her but it would be nice to be the only other dual winner. She has a crown so let’s try and defend it.”

The Real Whacker (10-1) made it two from two over fences to hand trainer Patrick Neville the first Grade Two victory of his career in the Paddy Power Dipper Novices’ Chase.

Having made all to make a winning chase debut over an extended three miles at Cheltenham in November, today was very a case of more of the same as the 10-1 chance again made all to come home three and a quarter lengths to the good over 13-8 favourite Monmiral. It was a near 24-1 double for winning jockey Sam Twiston-Davies following the success of Weveallbeencaught in the opening Ballymore Maiden Hurdle.

Neville said: “I’ve minded him as I know he is a good one. If he was in a bigger yard he would have got lost. He is a big frame and he is still babyish. It is brilliant. For some strange reason I’m on my own here today with one owner and there are four owners.

“I was thinking in my head that the horse had improved for his last run and I knew he had improved at home. I took my time with him and I saw this race and said we will go for it and make it a test of jumping.

“Looking at Monmiral you had to respect him as he is a Grade One winner but this horse is progressing and is on the up. Hopefully he will be a Grade One winner soon.

“He got into a lovely rhythm. Gavin Sheehan rode him the last day and filled him with confidence. Gavin wasn’t available today which was disappointing as he is at Catterick.

“I’ve been looking at Sam since a young lad riding around here and he has ridden loads of winners and he knows it like the back of his hand. He was a great sub but between the two of them they are top class men but it helps when they have a nice horse underneath them

“We will come back for The Festival and enter him in a couple of them. We might even go for the Gold Cup!”

David Mann, part owner, said: “I was working until 3am this morning then I got a 6.15am flight over to Bristol. I didn’t get to bed - I just flew in. I had a beer and said keep yourself awake.

“We were here at the November meeting but this was a big upgrade and a big step up against the big boys. It is great that Paddy Neville, who is where I come from back home in Ireland as well. It is great that me and Paddy and the other boys involved in the horse can mix it with the best.”

Paul Nicholls, trainer of runner-up Monmiral said: “He is probably going to want three miles in time but not until he really matures. He is probably still a bit weak. He is more of a baby now than he was at three.

“He has run okay and run a nice race. Clan was a bit like that when he was that age. It took him until six to get to that next level. He had only just turned five. He is a weak and raw boned horse. It is bit like Bravemansgame as everyone knocked his form as a five year old and look at him now. Monmiral will be the same he just needs time.”

Midnight River (6-1) followed up on his excellent third last time out in the Paddy Power Gold Cup with victory in the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase over the same course and distance at Cheltenham today.

Taking the lead on the turn for home, the eight year old Midnight Legend gelding blundered two out but kept finding more to take the honours by two and a quarter lengths from Stolen Silver in the Premier Handicap.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “They have been very in and out but that was really good and I’ve enjoyed that. Of course it was frustrating when he came third here last time as he wanted slower ground. He would be better on this track and that combined with the slower ground has helped him today. I was very happy with how it all went out there.

“Our horses have not been in great form but the odd one or two is going to be able to run well but as a herd mine are just well below where they should be but that is because they were flying through the early part of the season and early winter.

“They then just took a dip but you can’t be absolutely ripping through it the whole time but he is a very a good horse.

“I said to the owners, and I have been straight up with all of them, that they have not been running great.

“We did have three winners on Boxing Day and four on the 28th, so they have not all been running terribly but as a group they have underperformed.

“Vicki Vale pulled up yesterday and Pikar didn’t pick up. They are good horses that normally pick up and power to the line but thankfully he did.

“As they passed the post in the Paddy Power I thought he could win a race like this. I’m not sure where he will go next but he might go to the Fleur De Lys Chase at the Winter Million Festival at Lingfield.”

Successful jockey Harry Skelton added: “That was brilliant. He means a lot to me this horse. You shouldn’t have favourites but he is up there on my list. We had him from day one as a three year old. We broke him in and have brought him through his whole career. It has not all been plain sailing as everyone has seen as he has had a couple of falls but he is learning his trade well.

“He is a real good stayer and he is much better on that ground today. It felt like I was doing a canter the whole way. I was keen once he hit that rising ground to get him rolling as he does stay well. Dan has done a great job with his career and nursed him in the right direction. He is a horse I would say with a lot of progression him. It is a bit sharper on the other course and this suited him better. People give a lot of instructions but at the end of the day you have got to ride your own race. The last day in the Paddy Power I couldn’t go any quicker. You have got to let them just warm to it and get them rolling.

“I don’t know where the celebration has come from. I give Virgilio about six years ago when he won the Summer Cup a big pat like that and everyone has cottoned on to it a bit. I suppose it might be a thing now if I have a good winner.”

Weveallbeencaught moved a step closer to featuring on trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies' team for the Cheltenham Festival after opening his account for the campaign at the track with a front-running victory in the opening Ballymore Maiden Hurdle on New Year’s Day.

Having finished third in a Grade Two prize at the course back in November the gelded son of Getaway, who cost £210,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Cheltenham January horses in training sale, made the most of a drop back down in class to go two places better.

Despite being pressed all the way up the run in by 66-1 chance Rock My Way, who was making his debut under rules, the 5-4 favourite found extra half way up the run-in to forge on under Sam Twiston-Davies and prevail by a length and a quarter.

The winning trainer said: “That was superb. He just does enough which is great. That trip is short enough for him but he pulls out what he has to. I think so (that he was going to hold the runner-up over the last) as his ears were pricked halfway up it. He is idle.

“That is the boring things us trainers say but he is one for the future. He is a chaser look at the size of him. Don’t let him tread on you! You only have to see the way he jumps and he is a big powerful animal. Surely hurdles aren’t really the things he is made for as he has won a point-to-point. It is very exciting.

“It was (a warm enough race he ran in first time) but again it is finding the right races for him.

“With a horse like this you need softer ground and trying to find it has been difficult.”

Looking ahead to future targets Twiston-Davies insisted that he would be working back from the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival on March 14th.

He added: “There is the race at Doncaster (River Don) and the Prestige at Haydock Park. He doesn’t have to have three (miles) but he will be better over three we think.

“I would think so (that he would come back for The Cheltenham Festival). I’m sure it would be the three mile race as we don’t want to take on Hermes Allen. We are not stupid."

Henry Daly pointed to the application of cheek pieces behind the improved display of Rapper, who left his rivals toiling when pulling smartly clear late on to continue to give the triumphant trainer’s fine run of form in the AIS Handicap Chase.

After ending 2022 with an across the card double at Warwick and Newbury the Ludlow based handler welcomed in the new year in perfect fashion thanks to the eight and a half-length success secured by 8-1 chance.

Daly, who was celebrating his sixth winner from his last 17 runners, said: “He just travelled in the race today whereas at Haydock he was always on the back foot.

“Today he sat third or fourth all the way apart from going to the first where they went some hooley of a gallop. I think the cheek pieces have just made all the difference.

“The handicapper will put him up again and he will have to run in those ridiculous races again but it is a nice problem to have.”

“I’m not grumbling about how things are going. It is nice when it is going like this but it won’t last!

Ben Pauling is yet to saddle a runner in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival but that might all change after Fiercely Proud carried the colours of Grade One-winning owner Tim Radford to glory in the Listed finale.

Purchased by Radford out of Don Cantillon’s yard for £125,000 after making a winning debut at Market Rasen 78 days ago, the gelded son of Iffraaj paid a small slice of that back when maintaining his unbeaten record in the 1m6f contest.

Sweeping through from the back of the field the 17-2 chance forged his way between Dancing In Brazil and Meatloaf before holding the off the later by half a length to give Radford and Pauling their first winner together since teaming up.

Pauling said: “He wasn’t cheap but to be fair to Don he said he was a nice horse. The form of the race at Market Rasen was nothing and most people have picked up on that.

“We liked him at home but we are delighted to see him here. We had to drop him in as he was a bit keen at Market Rasen. They didn’t go a gallop and I thought he had it all to do but he turned in picked them off nicely and ultimately won a bit cute I think.

“To be honest we just wanted to get to him settle and if he did that we knew he had half a chance on his home work. It is always nice to have a bumper winner at Cheltenham and he did it in the style of a good horse from last to first which makes it even sweeter.

“Tim Radford, who is a big name of old, has just bought a few horses in his own name again and he has kindly sent a couple to us. It is great to see those colours back in the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham as it means so much to him.

Although a discussion with Radford, who has tasted top level glory with Somersby, remains to be had Pauling was not ruling out a return to Cheltenham on March 15.

He added: “To be honest today was the aim. When he was bought, if he could get here it was to be here. We didn’t know if he would handle soft ground and it is tacky old ground and he handled that.

“I imagine we would just keep him in bumpers and look towards one of the better bumpers. We all know the Irish are pretty deadly at those but whatever happens he is a lovely horse for next year.

“We will go back and have a chat and see where to go. They have run horses in a Champion Bumper before, I haven’t, although I’m not the biggest fan of the race but he is probably the type of horse that could run in it.

“He is a Flat-bred three-year-old that looks like he is improving, so it’s a maybe.”

__"You wouldn't be able to write this!" - a fine season continues for Lilly Pinchin

Charlie Longsdon heaped plenty of praise on jockey Lilly Pinchin who he hailed as ‘riding out of her skin’ after steering Hector Javilex (8-1) to a ‘career best’ victory in the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle.

Having finished fourth at the course on his most recent start in November the six year old gelding took a step up to three miles in his stride when routing his rivals by seven lengths under Pinchin.

Longsdon said: “The step up in trip has helped and he has deserved it. He ran really well here last year over two miles five and the step up to three miles he looks like he has relished every inch of it.

“He looked keen for the first mile and I thought he would get to the bottom of the hill and not quite get home. Coming to Cheltenham is a step up in class again. He was a pound out of the handicap but he will be mid 130s after that now.

“Since we have sorted out his trapped epiglottis we have only run him on better ground for no reason other than that being the only ground in front of us that day.

“Back on slower ground he probably relishes it. It was a career-best performance by a country mile.

“Lilly is riding on the crest of a wave. She is riding out of her skin and fair game to her Everyone talks about giving the girls a chance and she is taking it with both arms and grabbing it as she can ride equally as well as everyone else. She is riding pretty well.

Following the race Longsdon insisted he will now try and find a Pertemps qualifier for Hector Javilex ahead of a potential outing in the final of the event at The Cheltenham Festival.

“We will go for a Pertemps qualifier and it would be stupid not to look at one. He was in one at Wincanton on Boxing Day but we thought it looked strong and we decided to come here as this is a local track to David (Mason, owner).

“We will look at a Pertemps qualifier as if he is mid 130s that does sneak into a Pertemps and we have to think of that.”