DR. P.J. MORIARTY NOVICE CHASE (GRADE 1)
Considering the last three winners of the RSA Chase competed in this race before going on to score at the festival, a similar outcome wouldn´t surprise this time if LAST INSTALMENT travels to Prestbury Park next month.Run at what the winner´s trainer described as "a sensible pace", the seven-year-old jumped beautifully up front bar getting in close at the second-last, where he lost some momentum when the tempo began to increase. And while he did jump right at times he looks a real natural at this game, and when asked to quicken when Call The Police looked a serious threat on the run to the last, the response was certainly impressive.
Some bookmakers left him unchanged for the RSA but others cut him into 5-1. Given a slight ease in the ground, this dual Grade 1 winner, unbeaten in four runs now over fences, looks sure to put it up to the likes of Grands Crus and Bobs Worth on this evidence.
The expected withdrawal of Saturday´s Naas winner Bog Warrior left just four runners and it was Call The Police who performed best of the Willie Mullins pair. Successful in his only start over fences when winning over a furlong shorter at Gowran, he was a marginally higher-rated hurdler than his better-fancied stablemate and turned for home travelling a lot better than the fancied Lambro, but when the winner kept finding more away from the last he was soon struggling to reel him in. This was still a fair effort nonetheless and with entries in the Racing Post Arkle, RSA and the Jewson, it´ll be no surprise to see him head to the fFestival next month.
Lambro had no answer when he clashed with the classy Flemenstar at Leopardstown, but he looked the pick of the Willie Mullins pair according to riding arrangements here. He began to find the going tough after a mistake at the second-last, but plugged on under pressure in the closing stages. He is among the entries for the RSA and the Jewson and interestingly also holds an entry in the 4m NH Chase.
Punchestown Grade 1 novice hurdle winner Shot From The Hip had stepped up on his debut effort over fences when dropped down to 2m1f at Fairyhouse last month. He was tackling this longer trip for the first time, but the Arkle and Jewson entry struggled to get home after holding every chance approaching the second-last.
QUOTES: Philip Fenton, trainer of Last Instalment: “I was afraid the horses that were quicker than him over hurdles would come and do him, but when he got down to work he answered every call, which is a sign of a good horse, and Davy [Russell] was in full control. The RSA is the one, but this is as quick as he´d want it so if it came up fast at Cheltenham then I don´t think he´d go.”
DELOITTE NOVICE HURDLE (GRADE 1)
A couple of reputations were stung in this race as rank outsider BENEFFICIENT was the beneficiary of a beautiful front-running ride from Bryan Cooper. Making all, dictating the gallop and gradually increasing the intensity of it, he had them all at it turning in and managed to get a few lengths which in the end proved crucial.
The winner is obviously a good horse and had shown that at Navan before Christmas prior to a bad run at Thurles, but this was a tactical victory and whether he would be able to repeat it is another matter.
Sous Les Cieux is starting to look like last season´s Royal Bond winner Zaidpour and at this stage is starting to look like a proper stayer. Held up off the pace, he was very slow to pick up when Ruby asked him to before they turned out of the back straight, but from there he did he did stay on well although just a bit too slowly to peg back the winner. He looks like a real Neptune horse.
Il Fenomeno ran well to a point and did manage to redeem some of the reputation that was soiled a bit over Christmas. He travelled well enough to be in a challenging position but was caught somewhat flat-footed when the winner kicked on again.
Stepping up in class, Lord Windermere ran a pretty solid race. He was in areasonable position most of the way and had his chance two out, but just proved slightly one paced. He is a real long-term prospect, though, and being good enough to run in a race like this at this stage is a real testament to his raw ability.
Hugely disappointing was Cash And Go, who travelled up strongly two out as if he was going to go and win the race, but as soon as he came under pressure he emptied in a few strides. It was an effort well below par and he was found to be slightly lame afterwards and also scoped badly post race.
The reputation of Captain Conan also took a bit of a hammering as he came off the bridle more than half a mile out and couldn´t make any impression from the second-last.
QUOTES: Tony Martin, winning trainer of Benefficient: “He´s still a big baby and a real old-fashioned galloper. He´s in everything at Cheltenham and on that showing he would have to go.”
The winner is obviously a good horse and had shown that at Navan before Christmas prior to a bad run at Thurles, but this was a tactical victory and whether he would be able to repeat it is another matter.
Sous Les Cieux is starting to look like last season´s Royal Bond winner Zaidpour and at this stage is starting to look like a proper stayer. Held up off the pace, he was very slow to pick up when Ruby asked him to before they turned out of the back straight, but from there he did he did stay on well although just a bit too slowly to peg back the winner. He looks like a real Neptune horse.
Il Fenomeno ran well to a point and did manage to redeem some of the reputation that was soiled a bit over Christmas. He travelled well enough to be in a challenging position but was caught somewhat flat-footed when the winner kicked on again.
Stepping up in class, Lord Windermere ran a pretty solid race. He was in areasonable position most of the way and had his chance two out, but just proved slightly one paced. He is a real long-term prospect, though, and being good enough to run in a race like this at this stage is a real testament to his raw ability.
Hugely disappointing was Cash And Go, who travelled up strongly two out as if he was going to go and win the race, but as soon as he came under pressure he emptied in a few strides. It was an effort well below par and he was found to be slightly lame afterwards and also scoped badly post race.
The reputation of Captain Conan also took a bit of a hammering as he came off the bridle more than half a mile out and couldn´t make any impression from the second-last.
QUOTES: Tony Martin, winning trainer of Benefficient: “He´s still a big baby and a real old-fashioned galloper. He´s in everything at Cheltenham and on that showing he would have to go.”
SPRING JUVENILE HURDLE (GRADE 1)
The application of first-time blinkers over hurdles, aids which had engineered significant improvement with this horse on the Flat, proved crucial to HISAABAAT, who broke his duck over hurdles at the fourth attempt.
Tucked away on the inside and getting into a good jumping rhythm, the winner was brought with a well-timed challenge between the final two flights and seized control with a good jump at the last. The mistake made by the runner-up was a help and it might well have been close but for that, but the way this horse went about his business when asked was quite impressive and he could well have further improvement in him, especially on genuinely good ground.
Runner-up Shadow Catcher ran a fine race, but he paid to an extent for his lack of jumping experience compared to that of Hisaabaat. He also raced a bit more keenly than the winner but still travelled well to the lead after the second-last and hadn´t really been asked a question when making his mistake at the last. He does deserveto take his chance now in the Triumph Hurdle and there isn´t much to choose between him and the winner. However, a form line through Countrywide Flame would leave them both with a little bit to find on the likes of Pearl Swan and Grumeti.
The consistent Countrywide Flame ran a remarkable race and his rider certainly earned his dough. He was one of the first off the bridle before the third-last but to his credit he kept galloping and they weren´t going away from him at the finish. A bigger test of stamina would probably suit him ideally.
The inexperienced Asaid also ran a pretty eyecatching race as he continued to stay on having looked to be going nowhere before they turned out of the back straight. Better ground would seem to suit him that much better as well.
Burrenbridge Lodge raced a bit keenly in midfield but kept going and this would probably be as good as he is. He ran a solid race and probably has no more improvement left in him.
Sportsmaster dropped away to an extent having been up with the pace, but he was probably a bit too keen and that didn´t help.
Market leader Ut De Sivola was probably a bit of a false favourite, but even if that was true he ran no race here. His jumping wasn´t fluent early on and he never managed to get into it to any degree. He was found to have been struck into on a hind leg on post-race examination.
QUOTES: Winning trainer Dermot Weld: “Hisaabaat has learned his job well and Andrew Lynch gave him a perfect ride. The better ground and the blinkers helped him too. He´ll go for the Triumph Hurdle and he should run well.”
Tucked away on the inside and getting into a good jumping rhythm, the winner was brought with a well-timed challenge between the final two flights and seized control with a good jump at the last. The mistake made by the runner-up was a help and it might well have been close but for that, but the way this horse went about his business when asked was quite impressive and he could well have further improvement in him, especially on genuinely good ground.
Runner-up Shadow Catcher ran a fine race, but he paid to an extent for his lack of jumping experience compared to that of Hisaabaat. He also raced a bit more keenly than the winner but still travelled well to the lead after the second-last and hadn´t really been asked a question when making his mistake at the last. He does deserveto take his chance now in the Triumph Hurdle and there isn´t much to choose between him and the winner. However, a form line through Countrywide Flame would leave them both with a little bit to find on the likes of Pearl Swan and Grumeti.
The consistent Countrywide Flame ran a remarkable race and his rider certainly earned his dough. He was one of the first off the bridle before the third-last but to his credit he kept galloping and they weren´t going away from him at the finish. A bigger test of stamina would probably suit him ideally.
The inexperienced Asaid also ran a pretty eyecatching race as he continued to stay on having looked to be going nowhere before they turned out of the back straight. Better ground would seem to suit him that much better as well.
Burrenbridge Lodge raced a bit keenly in midfield but kept going and this would probably be as good as he is. He ran a solid race and probably has no more improvement left in him.
Sportsmaster dropped away to an extent having been up with the pace, but he was probably a bit too keen and that didn´t help.
Market leader Ut De Sivola was probably a bit of a false favourite, but even if that was true he ran no race here. His jumping wasn´t fluent early on and he never managed to get into it to any degree. He was found to have been struck into on a hind leg on post-race examination.
QUOTES: Winning trainer Dermot Weld: “Hisaabaat has learned his job well and Andrew Lynch gave him a perfect ride. The better ground and the blinkers helped him too. He´ll go for the Triumph Hurdle and he should run well.”
Bob
4 comments:
Sous Le Cioux is one to note I think, because it has the right physical appearance for making progress.
Sous Les Cieux your right its beginning to look a proper stayer stayed on well enough but too slow - looks a def cheltenham type
Also an interesting note if you look at Last Instalment for a bet, www. minervaracing.com has looked into the sectionals of Last Instalment of two meetings he ran 2nd LTO in Leopardstown they are compared to Synchronised(http://www.minervaracing.com/?p=1594) and from LTO and then he tweeted from LTO Last Instalment ran last 2m4f 6.5 sec slower than Quel Esprit, but ran monstrous 5.5sec quicker than QE from 2nd last to finish. So he considers him a serious chlet contender.
Last Instalment is out for the season Rade after injuring himself during his win at Leopardstown on Sunday.
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