Paul Nicholls said he wanted Politologue to “chill out a bit” before his two-runner contest here on Friday afternoon and he certainly picked the right day to do it. On a raw, sub-zero afternoon Politologue galloped through a blizzard on the way to an easy defeat of his only rival in the card’s graduation chase and it was not just the snow that reminded some spectators of Christmas.
Politologue was wearing a hood for the first time here to keep his mind focused but he is already one of the finest jumpers in the business and his leap at the fourth-last, at the end of the back straight, was reminiscent of Thistlecrack’s at the same obstacle in the King George on Boxing Day. Nicholls is already beginning to think about Politologue as a King George horse next season but first he will head to the JLT Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on 16 March as one of the market leaders.
Yorkhill, last year’s Neptune Novice Hurdle winner, is the current ante-post favourite for the JLT but is not a certain runner. The recent scratching of both Annie Power and Faugheen from the Champion Hurdle has prompted speculation that he might run on the opening day instead. If so, the 8-1 still available about Politologue will look like a gift.
“Job done,” Nicholls said. “Sam [Twiston-Davies, his jockey] said he was very relaxed whereas he got quite wound up at Haydock,” the trainer added in reference to his horse’s defeat last time. “He had a hard race there and I’ve not done a lot with him since. Today’s race worked out well for him and now it’s five weeks to get him right for the JLT.”
This race was a spectacle thanks only to Politologue’s exceptional fencing, as he started at 1-8 and had the race won turning in. Nicholls will be grateful for this run and its timing if the grey does go on to win at the Festival, however, but it is an option that will not be available for ever if the Jockey Club’s plan to sell Kempton for housing is realised.
“I kept very much open-minded about it all because I wanted to see how much investment’s going to go where and what the impact is on racing, and I think everyone needs to see the full picture,” Nicholls said. “But to lose something like this would be a great shame. It’s a great track.
“It does seem odd. The ground at Sandown last week was very testing and it always is at this time of year, whereas this ground here, although it’s soft, you don’t mind running on it.”
Twiston-Davies was impressed with the effect of the hood on Politologue’s overall performance. “He’s always jumped brilliantly but he was a lot more relaxed throughout the preliminaries and throughout the race, which was great,” he said.
“Cheltenham will be a different test again but it’s one you’d look forward to rather than worry about.”
Politologue’s win completed a double on the day for Twiston-Davies, who had earlier moved to 100 winners for the current campaign aboard Captain Buck’s in a novice hurdle. It was the young jockey’s fastest century in a season so far, an impressive achievement given that he spent the better part of two months on the sidelines after a fall in early October.
“It’s amazing, really, as I had seven weeks off,” Twiston-Davies said. “Seven weeks, three days and a few hours.
“Paul’s horses are flying, Dr [Richard] Newland’s horses have been in really good form and big Nigel [Twiston-Davies, his father] is having his best season for a very long time. With a combination of the three, I’ve been a very lucky boy. My personal best is 145, so I’ll give it a go but I won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.”
Politologue’s diversion to Kempton from a possible engagement at Warwick on Saturday afternoon also means that Twiston-Davies will be able to ride his father’s Ballyandy, the ante-post favourite, in Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle.
“Nige has got very excited about his mark of 135,” Twiston-Davies said, “but the handicappers don’t very often get it wrong. Hopefully he’s improved at home and he seems very well, so we’ll give it a bash and hope that the handicapper is wrong. He’s got big-field experience [in bumper events at Cheltenham and Aintree last year], so fingers crossed for a bit of luck.”
Newbury’s valuable card, which also includes the Denman Chase clash between Native River and Bristol De Mai, two leading candidates for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is expected to go ahead as planned after the course decided to deploy frost covers earlier in the week.
“All’s looking good,” Richard Osgood, the clerk of the course, said. “We’ve had a few snow flurries but no snow’s been lying. Temperatures will go a bit lower tonight but we’ve covered up, so it shouldn’t cause us a problem. Underneath the covers the ground is fine.”
Saturday tips, by Chris Cook
Lingfield
1.25 Simply Me 2.00 Dazacam 2.35 Berryessa 3.10 My Target 3.45 Royalistic 4.20 Born To Finish 4.50 Mica Mika
Newbury
1.15 Multiculture 1.50 Scotchtown 2.25 Bristol De Mai 3.00 Altior 3.35 William H Bonney (nap) 4.10 Vinnie Red 4.45 Kayf Mariner
Uttoxeter
1.10 Wazowski 1.45 Quids In 2.20 Winged Crusader 2.55 Lovenormoney 3.30 Bobble Boru 4.00 Eastview Boy (nb) 4.35 Midnight Tune
Warwick
1.30 Glenforde 2.05 Whizzey Rascal 2.40 Overtown Express 3.15 Activial 3.50 Super Sam 4.25 Belami Des Pictons 4.55 Wildmoor Boy
Wolverhampton
5.45 Gabrial The Thug 6.15 Masamah 6.45 Peachey Carnehan 7.15 Ceyhan 7.45 Fast Play 8.15 Vision Of Beauty 8.45 Royal Blessing
