Alan King was pleased to kill off something of a jinx when finally winning his first Challow Hurdle with Messire Des Obeaux. The Wiltshire trainer had fielded fancied runners in this race three times in the past but all were beaten and the fact that he was immediately able to name all three, Manyriverstocross, Junior and Label Des Obeaux, showed that those wounds were more than superficial.
“So that’s done, anyway,” he said, smiling in the winner’s enclosure after his youngster had extended his unbeaten run this season to three.
The winning margin in this Grade One contest was a convincing two lengths over the Irish raider Baltazar D’Allier and King felt Messire Des Obeaux had something in reserve.
“Hopefully if something had come to him, he would have gone again,” he said. “He travels really well and he was making ground at his hurdles down the back as well, so he’s a very exciting horse. I’ve been saying all season, I can’t wait for him to see a fence next year but he’s not doing too bad at the minute over hurdles. But he’s got chaser written all over him.”
In victory, Messire Des Obeaux halved his odds for the Neptune Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, for which he is now no bigger than 14-1. Pleasingly for long-range punters, King seemed to have no doubt that that would be the Festival target. “I see no reason to go up in trip with him just now,” he said. “No doubt he’ll get three miles in the future but the way he travels through a race, two and a half is ideal for him at the moment.”
Messire Des Obeaux may run first on Trials Day at Cheltenham at the end of .
The last of the 8-1 about Buveur D’Air for the Festival’s JLT Novice Chase has gone, Nicky Henderson’s charge having justified odds of 30-100 to win at Warwickon Saturday. However, he made hard work of beating Gino Trail by two lengths in receipt of 6lb after getting boxed in at the turn for home.
Frank Berry, racing manager for JP McManus, the winning owner, said: “He was workmanlike and he’ll learn from it, jumping wise, he was just novicey at a few. But it’s nice to get it out of the way and some more experience into him.”
Berry said the horse would now be given a break, which may well mean he is not seen out before mid-March.
