On a New Year’s Day when two young jockeys came to the fore it was a Cheltenham stalwart in Rock On Ruby who proved easily the most popular equine victor in front of a bumper crowd of over 30,000 at the home of jump racing.
The winner of the 2012 Champion Hurdle never looked entirely happy when sent over fences after he lost the speed to keep up with the best over timber at the minimum trip, but has been much happier switched back to the smaller obstacles of late and was in his element in Thursday’s Grade Two Dornan Hurdle at a track where he has such a good record.
After seeing his ten-year-old battle up the familiar Cheltenham hill under Noel Fehily to see off Vaniteux by over two lengths, trainer Harry Fry said he was of a mind to send Rock On Ruby straight to the Festival meeting where he will step his runner up four furlongs to three miles for the World Hurdle.
“The reception he got says it all. He’s turned 10 yet is still showing the young horses how it’s done,” said a delighted Fry.
“He’s got such a good record here it would almost be a sin not to come in March and the one race for him is the World Hurdle which means stepping him up in trip, but he’ll get the entry. We won’t know if he stays until we try,” he added.
Nicky Henderson was of the opinion that Vaniteux didn’t travel with his usual fluency and said he would wait for better ground for the runner-up after his charge failed to justify favouritism.
The trainer, whose horses have been slow to reach peak form this season, was at a loss to explain the poor performance of the highly promising Beat That, who was as low as 6-1 in the betting for the World Hurdle before this race but finished well beaten in sixth on his comeback.
Beat That was pushed out to a best-priced 12-1 for the Cheltenham contest with Rock On Ruby freely available at 14-1 for the same race. More Of That remains the 7-2 favourite.
The most impressive winner of the day was Ptit Zig, who completed a four-timer in the Dipper Novice Chase with the minimum of fuss. Paul Nicholls talked in glowing terms of the winner, cut into 5-1 from 8’s for the JLT Chase at the Festival, after his easy dismissal of Champagne West after the last fence.
“Sam [Twiston-Davies] said that he raced a bit lazily today and that he hit a flat spot two out, but he winged the last and I was very pleased with the way he picked up the leader,” reported the trainer.
“It was his fourth run in a short period of time but I wanted to get experience of Cheltenham into him. I won’t run him in the Arkle and while I think he will get three miles in time, he’ll be heading for the JLT at the Festival.
“I’ll give him a break and find something in mid-February such as the Pendil at Kempton, while Irish Saint could run in the Scilly Isles at Sandown. He’ll definitely stay further and don’t be surprised if he’s a King George horse next year.”
Young Jamie Bargary proved an able last-minute deputy as he rode Splash Of Ginge to victory in the BetBright Best For Festival Betting Handicap Chase.
Called up after Ryan Hatch suffered a suspected broken collarbone following a fall in the previous contest, Bargary took his chance well to land the biggest success of his fledgling career.
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: “Although it was only his sixth winner, Jamie is very good as he showed with a faultless display of jockeyship on his first ride without his 10lb claim. It will now be back to the novice route and the JLT is the one. I suppose Ptit Zig will be shaking in his shoes to hear that.”
Mon Parrain, another winner for Nicholls, defied top weight to spring a surprise at 25-1 in the BetBright On Mobile Handicap Chase under up-and-coming claimer Sean Bowen, who later completed a double on his father Peter’s Rolling Maul.
Helped by the application of blinkers for the first time as well as a tongue tie, Mon Parrain stepped up on his two previous starts this term to win convincingly.
Nicholls said: “He was never going at Aintree last time, but I put some blinkers on him yesterday and he just took off in them. He has had his problems and you have to be careful with him but I’ll put him in the National and he might end up being Sean’s first ride in the race.
“I do think Sean has come a long way in a year, he rides really well and horses seem to run for him. There were no orders, he just went out and made plenty of use of him and let the horse enjoy himself.”
Thomas Brown turned in a battling front-running display to gain a narrow success in the Neptune Investment Management Novice Hurdle and start the meeting off on a winning note for Fry and Fehily. The winner is another the trainer has earmarked for the Festival.
“This was valuable experience of Cheltenham, he’s obviously an out-and-out stayer and there’s no point looking at anything else other than the Albert Bartlett over three miles. I would like to have him fresh for the Festival, and doubt that he’ll run again before,” said Fry.
