The jumping game increasingly resembles the Flat when it comes to the concentration of racing power in ever fewer trainers’ hands, but the opening day of Cheltenham’s new season – the first, in fact, since Gold Cup day in March – brought a reminder that romance has not been drained entirely from the winter code.
Dan Skelton, who dethroned Willie Mullins to become the new champion over jumps last season, had already trained 115 winners in the current campaign before racing on Friday, nearly halfway towards Martin Pipe’s all-time record of 243. John Dawson, by contrast, had sent out a total of six winners from his yard in North Yorkshire since May 2023.
However, it was Dawson’s Kingofthefrontier, a 20-1 outsider and only the trainer’s third runner at the home of jumping, who led the field home in the Grade Two Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, with Skelton’s Cooltobecareless, the 13-8 favourite, only third. The winner was nearer last than first turning in but showed an impressive turn of foot to run out a two-and-a-quarter length winner from Nicky Henderson’s Planters Punch.
Dawson rode into the famous winner’s enclosure aboard Sine Nomine after the Hunters’ Chase at the festival meeting here in March 2024, but his first Cheltenham winner as a trainer was an even better moment in what is still a young racing career.
“We’ve always loved him since the word go,” Dawson said. “I just felt we had a horse to come and have a go with.
He’s still got a lot to learn and the way he went through the race, Conor [O’Farrell, his jockey] said he was a bit stumbly and he had to balance him a couple of times. But speed wasn’t a problem for me, he was always going to have enough boot to get there, and he picked up really well.
“He’s actually a little bit horse-shy and when that big horse of Dan Skelton’s came running towards him, I think he was edging away from him, but he’ll learn a lot from that and he could still be anything.”
Dawson and Kingofthefrontier’s owner, George Critchley, opted to run in Friday’s Grade Two feature event in preference to a novice handicap hurdle at Carlisle.
“He’d never disappointed us,” Dawson said. “George puts a lot into the game, I wanted to bring him here and I thought he had a horse good enough to do it. I just can’t believe it came off.
We’re ambitious [but] we only want the horses to have a go with and hopefully we’ve showcased ourselves [today] to do that. I don’t want to be a massive Dan Skelton in numbers, but I just want real quality.”
Irish stables have been dominant at the festival meeting in March in recent seasons and Gordon Elliott is already looking ahead to a possible run in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase for Bowensonfire after the six-year-old’s win in the card’s two-mile novice chase.
Bowensonfire was the first leg of a double for Elliott, completed when Cosmos D’Ainay took a novice hurdle later on the card, while Cian Collins sent out a third winner for Ireland on the day when Brandt, at 10-1, took the final race on the card.
Quick Guide
Greg Wood’s Saturday tips
Show
Doncaster 12.55 Ancient State 1.30 Breacher (nap) 2.05 Bengal Tiger 2.40 National Honour 3.19 On The River 3.55 Pearl Eye 4.30 Zarvali 5.05 King’s School
Cheltenham 1.10 As Legends Have It (nb) 1.45 Road To Wembley 2.20 Idaho Fire 2.55 Katate Dori 3.30 Indian River 4.05 Butch Cassidy 4.40 Cask Of Pimlico
Kelso 1.37 Eazy Breezy 2.10 Realisation 2.44 Achille Des Rocs 3.14 Two Auld Pals
3.50 Myretown 4.25 Smoke Trail 4.55 Lets Mingle
Southwell 4.24 Blake’s Monarch 5.00 Almaty Star 5.30 Raysham 6.00 Ring Of Music 6.30 Geometry 7.00 Lili Marleen 7.30 Gladiadora 8.00 Crystal Dark 8.30 He’s An Angel
Breacher set for breakthrough in Futurity Trophy
Aidan O’Brien and Andrew Balding field four of the seven runners in Saturday’s Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, the final Group One of the British season, but the focus on their neck-and-neck tussle for the trainers’ title could mean that the improving Breacher (1.30) sets off at a value price on ground that promises to suit.
William Muir and Chris Grassick’s colt has progressed by the run in three starts to date over seven furlongs, while also looking sure to thrive at middle-distances next season.
Cracksman, his sire, was at his best with some cut in the ground and a demanding mile on heavy going could well see Breacher outrun his early odds of around 10-1.
Doncaster 12.55: Ancient State seems to save his best form for this track and trip and has been dropped 1lb since finishing around one-and-a-half lengths behind the winner at Ascot last time.
Cheltenham 1.10: Ben Pauling has his string in excellent form and the returning As Legends Have It is an interesting contender at around 8-1. He has gone well fresh in the past, remains fairly weighted on his winning form at the end of last season and his prominent run-style is ideal for this track and trip.
Cheltenham 1.45: Olly Murphy’s Road To Wembley – part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson – was better than the bare result when fourth on his handicap debut at Worcester in September and should appreciate this move up to three miles.
Doncaster 2.05: Bengal Tiger’s 12-length win in a maiden at Naas last time was backed up by an excellent time and he should handle this step up to Listed company without too much fuss.
Cheltenham 2.20: James Owen’s string remains in strong form whatever the season or code and Idaho Fire posted a new career best at Uttoxeter last time out – a performance that suggests he could cope with a subsequent 10lb hike in the weights.
Cheltenham 2.55: With further rain expected before Saturday’s card, Katate Dori’s form when second over track and trip off a 3lb higher mark in January looks as strong as anything on offer.
Cheltenham 3.30: Four of the seven runners in this four-year-old event were in the field for the Triumph Hurdle at the festival and while Indian River was only 10th, he finished third in the equivalent event at Aintree. A recent run in a handicap at Market Rasen should have him spot on for this.
Leave a Reply