It was a superb weekend for Paul Nicholls.(credit:
CharlesFred)
Last weekend's Winter Festival at Newbury featured a host of top class horses but all were eclipsed by the triumphal return to form of Denman, and "The Beast" was once again imperious in victory, joining Mandarin and Arkle as the only horses to have won the Hennessy Gold Cup twice.
The weekend's action began with the chasing debut of Punchestowns in the Berkshire Novices' Chase, and he didn't let his supporters down by winning without coming under serious pressure. In truth though, his stablemate Riverside Theatre was probably more impressive when winning a non-graded race the previous day and I'll need to see more from Punchestowns before considering him the real deal. Runner-up Marty's Mission ran much better that at Cheltenham off this stronger pace and will stay beyond 3 miles when required. He has already been mooted as a long term bet365 Gold Cup prospect.
Big Buck's was a very easy winner of the Long Distance Hurdle and has been cut to 4/6 in a place for a defence of his World Hurdle (2.14 currently on Betfair). Bear in mind that he didn't need to improve a jot to win like this though - if you weren't tempted by 2.88 on Friday, you may have missed the boat!
Denman's Hennessy win was as much a victory for the resurgent sport of jump racing as for his connections and we are truly blessed to have the quality we do at the higher echelons of the game. The rivalry between Denman and Kauto Star has yet to reach a satisfactory conclusion but continues to roll on, and as such has already eclipsed that between Arkle and Mill House. We can once again look forward to a potentially monumental clash between these titans when the Cheltenham Gold Cup comes around again.
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The Gerry Fielden Hurdle has seen classier renewals, but the victory of Nicky Henderson's Fairyland will surely guarantee that she is aimed at the totesport Trophy over C/D in February, where a 7lb rise will make life tougher. Keep an eye on beaten favourite Micheal Flips though; the more I see of him, the more convinced I am that he needs genuinely fast ground and he may pop up in a decent race when finding his conditions.
Up at Newcastle, the Fighting Fifth was a farcical affair won in a sprint over less than half a mile by Go Native. The result merely served to further confuse the Champion Hurdle picture and I'd be in no hurry to back the winner in future. The other graded race on the card was the Rehearsal Chase, once the target of Gold Cup winners like Burrough Hill Lad and See More Business but now a shadow of the race it was. This year's contest was decidedly run of the mill, and the only horse who particularly appeals for future races is Toby Jug, who ran much better than his finishing position suggests and will presumably be put away until the spring before being aimed at the 4m National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March.