Alan King will go to next month’s Cheltenham Festival with a fancied runner for a major race, following the victory of Balder Succes in the Ascot Chase here on Saturday. The seven-year-old could be described as one of the most under-rated chasers around but perhaps that may change following his second Grade One victory, which turned into a showcase for his superb jumping ability.
Jumping was the story of the race, as Ptit Zig was sent off favourite but fell at the ninth of the 17 fences as the field made its way down the back straight. This was his first step out of novice company and it seems likely that he will now be returned to that sphere for the Festival’s JLT Novices Chase, for which he remains second-favourite behind Vautour. He had not been targeted at this race until his stablemate Al Ferof was ruled out early in the week.
Balder Succes has had occasional awkward moments with his jumping in the past but he fairly flew over some of these fences, his leaping helping to pad the final margin of three and a quarter lengths over Ma Filleule, with Ballycasey toiling 23 lengths further back in third. King attributed this polished performance to Balder Succes being so much more comfortable over two and a half miles than when asked to go at two-mile pace, as in so many of his races over fences to this point. He is now 8-1 third-favourite for the Festival’s Ryanair Chase.
“He’s in the comfort zone again, going his gear and his pace,” King said. “That’s all that was happening over two, they were getting him at it early. I’m thrilled. Relieved.”
The trainer can now brace himself for a full month of interviews in which he is asked about the fact that Balder Succes has managed to empty his saddle on all three previous visits to Cheltenham.
“The Triumph Hurdle, there was a false start that day and he completely boiled over beforehand.” Balder Succes fell at halfway that day in 2012 and unseated his jockey in the Champion Hurdle a year later. “But he would have won over fences [in October 2013], he was bolting up and it was one of those low-sun days when they didn’t take the fences out. He unfortunately fell at the last. It was just one of those things.
“He’s more mature now, mentally, at fences. I’m fairly comfortable going to Cheltenham with him.”
Unique De Cotte, a winner earlier on the card, may be aimed at the Festival’s Coral Cup. His trainer, David Pipe, also scored through Ainsi Fideles in the Reynoldstown, which took him by surprise. The horse will go to Aintree, as Pipe had not thought it worth entering him for the RSA at Cheltenham, for which the trainer already has the second-favourite in Kings Palace.
Wincanton’s Kingwell Hurdle appeared less influential than usual, with the unsung Blue Heron beating Irving, now a 50-1 shot for the Champion Hurdle. In Ireland, Champagne Fever enjoyed a fluent success at Gowran, after which his trainer, Willie Mullins, would not be drawn on whether the grey would be aimed at the Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase.
But the general obsession with Cheltenham was decried by the trainer Jane Williams, whose Tea For Two was narrowly beaten at odds-on in the opener here. “Racing will die if we all put our horses away between Christmas and bloody Cheltenham,” she said. “People have come to see good racing and to see lots of good horses and we’ve got, what, 30 runners today? [A total of 41 over seven races, in fact] I just think it’s a shame and Ascot put on good prize money.”
