Novice Chasers
Champagne Fever
May as well start off with the obvious in the way of Arkle favourite Champagne Fever. Never out of the 1st three in all of his 10 starts. He is a 2 time Grade 1 bumper winner and a 2 time Grade 1 hurdle winner. Disappointed in Naas last season but was found to be wrong afterwards. Bounced back to form next time when winning the Grade 1 Deloitte Novices hurdle from Bright New Dawn (who went onto win a Grade 2 next time).
After race at Leopardstown Sat, 9th Feb, 2013 (1st) it's a huge relief to get this fellow back on track - we're always afraid when a horse gets an infection like that which might ruin his season. At least he seems to have come back to where he was though. It wouldn't be a problem going out in trip with him but we'll stick to the Supreme Novices Hurdle. W P Mullins
Then he went onto Cheltenham, into what looked a red hot renewal of the Supreme Novices hurdle and made all the running to beat the warm favourite
• My Tent or Yours in 2nd – Impressive betfair hurdle winner before and an emphatic Aintree winner next time
• Jezki in 3rd – is a 3 time Grade 1 winner and won a G1 next time
• Un Atout in 4th – won a Grade 1 next time
• And there was plenty more quality back along the field to show how good a race it was
"Patrick (Mullins, trainer's son) has always maintained he was a two-miler and an out-and-out galloper - he was dead right.
"He wasn't doing a whole lot in front, but I knew AP (McCoy) was coming to me as I could feel the crowd revving up.
"But, in fairness, when AP got to him, he stuck his head down and away he went again."
The stable always viewed him as a chaser and anything he did over hurdles was going to be a bonus. They were even going to skip a hurdle career altogether and go straight chasing.
After race at Punchestown Wed, 25th Apr, 2012 (1st) that was an extraordinary performance - he is a super horse. I don't know what we'll do next year; we were thinking of going straight over fences like we did with Florida Pearl but I'm not sure now. I thought he was out on his feet in the straight but Patrick said he was just idling. We know that the third (Mozoltov) is a good horse but Champagne Fever obviously stays well and is a good jumper. He is one that we are really looking forward to and has huge ability. W P Mullins
So if they are proven right and he will be a better chaser than hurdler, we are in for a real treat this season and he is deserving of his place at the top of the Arkle market.
WPM Stable Tour : “He showed very well as a bumper horse and last year as a novice hurdler and before he went hurdling he schooled very well over fences. With his high cruising speed and his natural ability to jump fast, I’m looking forward to seeing him over fences in his novice season this year.”
Just a Par
This is one that really took my eye last season as one to follow this season – looked a big baby and the summer will have done him the world of good and this point to point winner is bound to improve for the switch to fences.
PN Owners Day: This is one for all your 'to follow' lists. We bought him in the middle of last season and he stayed on strongly to be second to At Fishers Cross at Aintree, which has obviously turned out to be really good form. He was very green and backward, we started out with a shell of a horse, really. He's done incredibly well here over the summer and he'll go novice chasing in the autumn at one of the bigger tracks. Hopefully, he can imitate Rocky Creek and win some nice races.
Won his maiden hurdle here before being bought and switched to Paul Nicholls. He ran a race full of promise on his first start for him when finishing 2nd to a decent 130+ rated yardstick in Many Clouds at Exeter. But its his next run that really took my eye, finishing 2nd in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices hurdle at Aintree behind easy winner At Fishers Cross. You could see he was still a big immature horse as Ruby was very easy on him but he stayed on eyecatchingly from 2 out and you would think he looks an ideal RSA chase horse.
Nicholls said: “We’ll be going novice chasing with him in the autumn and he’ll be better for a summer and some sun on his back. He’s a really exciting horse for the future and we’re really pleased with him.
“He jumps and gallops and stays - he’s just a little bit green. We would have liked to have latched onto A P [McCoy, who rode the winner] and had a crack at him slightly earlier but his inexperience showed and he got a little bit behind before staying on. We weren’t coming here expecting anything, we just wanted a nice run and to get more experience.
“He’s improved so much since his last run so we’ll be patient, give him a break and then look at a novices’ chase somewhere like Newbury in the autumn.”
One i am really looking forward to as i think he is going to have improved greatly for the summer and it will have given him time to grow up.
Shutthefrontdoor
A winner of 6 of his 8 starts, this is one i’ve been following from day one. They have looked after him like he is a decent horse. They didn’t send him to Cheltenham for the bumper 2 years ago where he would have been a leading candidate coming off 3 wins which included a listed bumper success.
He was beaten first time out last season at very short odds but proved that running to be all wrong when winning his next 3 starts including when dramatically stepped up in trip from 2m to 3m1f on soft ground for a Pertemps qualifier at Carlisle. He just did enough and AP McCoy was nt too impressed when saying
"He just kept on. I think he'd lack the experience for the big race."
Was touch and go till late on whether he would run in the Pertemps or not as they felt he lacked the race and big field experience to do himself justice but he ran a race full of promise to finish 4th off a mark of 144. The front 4 pulling well clear of the 5th at the line.
JJ O Neill: "He jumped a bit novicey at a few, but I didn't see any excuses," he said. "He's a lovely horse to look forward to next year.
He is a horse that was far from the finished article last season and looked very novice at times and i think he is only going to get better with time.
Don Cossack
A three time bumper winner and a horse who looked to have the world at his feet when beating Sizing Gold by 10l in a maiden hurdle but that was as good as it got for him last season.
After race at Navan Sun, 25th Nov, 2012 (1st) He idled a little bit in front but Davy was very happy with him. He will probably come back here for the Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle (Sunday December 16th) which is over two and a half miles. We will definitely be stepping him up in trip. We will take it one step at a time with him and it's nice to get that race out of the way. Gordon Elliott
He went off an 8/15 favourite to beat Pont Alexandre in the Grade 1 Navan Novice hurdle but was beat when falling. Ran respectable races on his final 2 sarts of the season, when 2nd to Mozoltov and 3rd to Annie Power but it was not the season many expected for him with only a maiden hurdle win to show for it.
GE:“Has been schooling very well over fences. Was a bit disappointing last year so we are hoping that fences will bring the best out of him and we are looking forward to getting him out. He’ll need rain before he runs.”
I would’nt be writing this fella off completely yet and as with all Gigginstown horses, the sight of a few fences could bring out the best in him.
Morning Assembly
I have seen plenty championing the causes of Inish Island and Ballycasey this season but Morning Assembly beat both fair and square at Punchestown in the Grade 1 Daily Mirror Novices hurdle where he relished the step up in trip to 3 miles. I was impressed with his attitude and how he battled back to pull away at the finsh when he was passed
After race at Punchestown Wed, 24th Apr, 2013 (1st) it's great to have a win like this as we've had a very slack season and after Fairyhouse (where he fell) we were really down on the ground. However we decided to stick with him and go for this Grade 1 and he proved he's a real dour stayer and came home really well today. I'd say we'll go chasing next season and he'll respect a fence a lot more. He was bought to be a chaser and I'm just lucky to have such a good horse! P A Fahy
He has’nt always been the most fluent of hurdlers but chasing is a different game and i see no reason as to why he wont be able to challenge for top honours over fences throughout the winter.
African Gold
Took high ranks in the staying novice division last season with his second to At fishers Cross in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. He improved out of all proportion throughout the season, from winning an Novice handicap hurdle off 118 at Newbury to a rating of 148. He beat Close Touch easily in an EBF final qualifier at Doncaster in February on soft ground in a race that worked out well
• Close touch 4l 2nd went on to win the EBF final at Sandown by 12l
• McllHatton 9l 3rd won by 7l next time in a novice hurdle
• Warden Hill in 4th won a Novice hurdle this week
"You'll see him next in the Albert Bartlett and I think he's the perfect type for the race," said Twiston-Davies."He's done absolutely everything we've asked of him this season and he keeps on pulling more out."He's not flashy, but I don't think flashy types win these races - he's very progressive."What with him and The New One I think we're heading there with some very good chances this year."
He was nt able to go with At fishers Cross after the last at Cheltenham but there was no shame in that given how high quality that rival could be given his romp at Aintree also. African Gold was purchased by Dai Walters during the summer for a chase campaign so at least he is definitely being aimed over the larger obstacles and i see no reason why he should nt improve again this season.
He is ready to start off his new venture with Twiston-Davies' trainer father Nigel looking for the right opening."We've got African Gold and a few quite smart ones to come out," said Twiston-Davies."He's in good form, he's going chasing and we just want to find the right race. At this time of year everyone is bringing their nice novices out, so trying to find a weak novice chase is hard."We want him to have a nice introduction first time out so that is what we are waiting for."
Mozoltov
A horse who has obviously had his problems iven he has only seen the racetrack seven times since February 2011 but he clearly has a lot of ability. Third in the Grade 1 bumper in 2012 at Punchestown behind
• Champagne Fever 9l in front – 2 time Grade 1 winner since
• Melodic Rendevouz 1l in front – Grade 1 winner since
• And there was plenty more winners in behind
Unbeaten last season in 2 hurdle starts, he won a maiden at Gowran by 24 lengths before he took a big step up in class in his stride winning a Grade 2 hurdle at Punchestown beating Don Cossack and Ned Buntline.
After race at Punchestown Sun, 3rd Feb, 2013 (1st) Mozoltov has been doing good work at home and I've been waiting for a nice race to get him out instead of taking on one of our own. I didn't think he'd be taking on as good a bunch as these and he has to go into 'the top drawer'. I'd imagine we're looking for the Supreme Novices hurdle with him and he can only be better on better ground and Ruby said he wasn't at home on that ground today. W P Mullins
WPM Stable Tour: “He’s a horse who had a light enough season last year but his form looked good and he looks a real chaser. I’m looking forward to him.”
Mullaghanoe River
A point to point winner for Willie Codd, he won a bumper and a maiden hurdle from 4 starts for Noel Meade. Still a very young horse and one that could improve this season and next.
• Beat Wedding Present in a 2m4f bumper at Leopardstown in December and that rival went onto win next time out and has won a maiden hurdle since too.
His jumping really let him down next time in a maiden hurdle won by Mala Beach, he was very untidy all the way round.
But got his act back together next time at Navan when easily disposing of Gold Bullet by over 3l in a 2m4f maiden in soft ground
• Gold Bullet rated 132 and won next 2 starts
• Perfect Gentleman beaten over 10l in 4th has won a maiden hurdle easily since
• Clar Na Mionn beaten 19l in 5th easily won a maiden hurdle nto
• Totally Coutoure in 10th has won a maiden hurdle since
So the race probably was not as poor as it looked at the time and he remains one to look forward to over fences.
Noel Meade:We are excited about him going chasing. He won a bumper and a maiden hurdle for us last season. He won a point for Willie Codd so you’d like to think he could develop into a nice chaser. He’s only five so I hope he has a big future ahead. He stays very well and we like him a lot. He’s not too far off a run so you’ll be seeing him soon.
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