On a quality New Year’s Day card 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 the Grade Two Dornan Hurdle at a track he loves.
After seeing his 10-year-old battle up the familiar 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 said 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 peak this season, was at a loss to explain the poor performance of Beat That, who had been as low as 6/1 for the World Hurdle but finished well beaten in sixth.
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’ winner was 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.
Meanwhile, 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 after Ryan Hatch suffered a suspected broken collarbone in a fall in the previous race.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 251 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 enoy 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. – Guardian Service
