The Cleeve: Not this year

Festival Trials Day has probably done what it nearly always does: throw up Cheltenham Festival winners.

East India Dock looks a proper juvenile hurdler and his JCB Triumph Hurdle claims became stronger on Saturday, while Constitution Hill had a jog round, complete with last hurdle scare, in the Unibet Hurdle ahead of his quest for a second Champion Hurdle.

You don’t need to have much of an imagination to envisage two Cheltenham Festival winners there, while there were loads of handicappers to watch with March in mind (more on one of those in a bit).

But the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle, traditionally the strongest of all the trials, looks unlikely to have found the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle winner this season.

Here was a chance for Crambo or Strong Leader to press forward their claims for a Stayers’, but both had to prove themselves at Cheltenham and both failed to do so spectacularly.

In a weak renewal Gowel Road found his calling, but he is a best of 33/1 to win a Stayers’ and even those odds make no appeal.

The Irish have a stranglehold on this market with reigning champion Teahupoo and Home By The Lee the top two in the betting, while Gowel Road’s Relkeel conqueror, Lucky Place, was trimmed into third favourite on the back of the form boost.

Nicky Henderson’s horse has to prove he stays, somewhat a prerequisite in this division, but Teahupoo’s claims look stronger by the day despite him being lesser-spotted this campaign, his defeat to Lossiemouth in the Hatton’s Grace his sole appearance.

Gordon Elliott won’t be losing any sleep watching the Cleeve.

Aintree the Stage for Star

It was another tough day at Cheltenham for Paul Nicholls.

New juvenile recruit Sauvignon ran a shocker on debut in the Triumph trial and was pulled up, while Cheltenham specialists like Il Ridoto and Ginny’s Destiny were beaten 23 and 38 lengths respectively in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.

On the face it there was very little for him to celebrate with the Festival in mind, but at least Monmiral ran well enough in second in the Cleeve to think he might have a say in a Festival handicap – over either hurdles or fences.

The most pleasing performance from a Nicholls runner, though, was Stage Star, who at last showed his true form for the first time in six runs with his second behind L’Homme Presse in the Betfair Cotswold Chase.

He enjoyed going a stride slower over a staying trip, relaxing well and jumping in a nice rhythm, even if he was brushed aside relatively easily by L’Homme Presse under an unfussed Charlie Deutsch who resorted to the whip only once on his way to a cosy three-quarter length victory.

Stage Star ran well, however, hinting he might have a big race in him over this sort of distance.

It won’t be at Cheltenham and he’s not in the Gold Cup, but he screams Aintree Bowl over three miles and Nicholls said afterwards he’d now be trained for Liverpool.

Going there fresh against horses who had a battle at Cheltenham gives him a chance of winning another Grade 1. And after another blank day at Prestbury Park Nicholls will take that.

Beaten horses in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on Trials Day that won at the Cheltenham Festival include Tricky Trickster, Rajdhani Express, Irish Cavalier, Un Temps Pour Tout, Imperial Aura and Unexpected Party, so it’s always a race to take note of.

This year Masaccio caught the eye (see free video replay, above), Alan King’s grey running really well in third under top weight, jumping well in the main and handling the course with aplomb as he finished a close-up behind the Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero pair Jagwar and Billytherealbigred.

Beaten almost four lengths by the winner, he shouldn’t go up much for this and King said in his Weekender column in the week that he needed to run here to qualify for the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Festival, novices now needing four chase runs to get in that contest. With that assignment in mind he’ll have been pleased with what he saw.

The way he kept going up the hill suggested the return to three miles will suit, his previous third in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton probably not down to him not staying after all.

More likely it was just too hot, but he looks a handicapper to keep on the right side of and I think the cut and thrust of a big-field Festival handicap might just bring the best out of him.

King has won the Ultima on a couple of occasions in the past and he looks to have another big player in Masaccio. I’m not the only one who thinks so with William Hill and 888Sport going 7/1 (Non Runner No Bet), but the 16/1 elsewhere is more like it.

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