Django Bai got his chasing career off to a great start with a brilliant win in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old bay won the Grade One Novice over hurdles and finished second in the point-to-point race further back from her record.
He returned to the longer hurdles under rules, 7-4 in the hands of Nico de Boinville, with a keen eye on the Paul Nicholls-trained Caldwell Potter, who was sent off the 11-10 favourite.
The latter led the way but Django Bay kept him very close and when the field turned for home it was the Henderson contender who was able to pull off an impressive win as Springwell Bay took second and €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter third.
Henderson said. “I always think it’s a big challenge for a rookie to come over the fences here for the first time and I don’t like to do that.
“I was going to go to the three-horse race at Aintree last Saturday but it didn’t happen and I had to come here. My rule is not to come here the first time, but this guy is very smart.
“Nico asked him some decent questions for a youngster and he got some decent answers too. For a horse that isn’t the biggest in the world, he has a lot of potential.
“He certainly didn’t stop over two and a half miles at the end, he jumped right out. He looks like a stayer.
“The owner also has Jingko Blue, who had a smart performance at Uttoxeter a few days ago. We’re lucky to have some nice novice chasers this year, so we’ll have to see who the two miles are.” who is three, now there is no two and a half (During the festival, they are high-class problems).
Of Caldwell Potter, whose ownership group that includes Sir Alex Ferguson, took a record price for a jumping horse in training to secure the Gray in February, Nicholls said: and learned a lot today.
“We didn’t learn a lot at Carlisle, his jump was good and Harry said he definitely wanted slower ground than that.
“He could have gone faster if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to ask too many questions about his jumping. We learned a lot today, and maybe you’re not afraid to go two miles back if it was really a trial run and just let him roll.”
“He jumped well today, they ran into the straight and he just finished a little toe but he’s only had a few runs over hurdles and he’s learning all the time. I think there’s still a lot to do.
“We weren’t going to boss him around, but we just thought it would be good to get him some experience here. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Harry said don’t be disappointed, he’ll be fine.”
King Turgeon goes up Cheltenham Hill for Pipe and Tudor
King Turgeon claimed his second major prize of the season when rallying gamely in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
The David Pipe-trained gray has already won over fences to his name at Grand Sefton this season.
King Turgon
Just like at Aintree, Jack Tudor did most of the running but three furlongs before he took the lead, this time our strength and favourite, Chianti Classico.
It was Kim Bailey’s Festival winner who went into the straight under his new jockey Ciaran Gettings, but Our Strength was narrowing him down and a couple of lengths from Tudor, Tudor pulled King Turgeon (9-4) wide for another crack.
He started to stay strong up the hill and he ran out a convincing three-length winner with Our Strength beating the heavyweight Chianti Classico for second.
The winner’s connections may not be too concerned now that their original target, the Becher Chase at Aintree last weekend, was abandoned due to Storm Darrah.
Paddy Power and Betfair have made the winner 33-1 from the 50s for the Grand National.
Skelton runner best in a Country Mile at Cheltenham
The Country Mile looked a smart prospect for Skeltons as he enjoyed a return to decent ground when he made a big splash in Britain’s EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.
The five-year-old finished second to Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Roadlesstravelled at Haydock on Betfair Chase day in the mud, but looked a completely different prospect on the faster surface.
The Country Mile is heading home
Set well with Harry Skelton’s pace, the Sam Thomas-trained Palacio made a strong early stride while all eyes were on Nicky Henderson’s French recruit Da Nice and Gordon Elliott’s Wingman who dominated the market.
However, when that pair closed in on the lead, Skelton was still sitting still in the Country Mile (5-1).
Da Nice found disappointingly little, leaving Wingman in front, but Country Mile ran all over him with his jockey still as he raced to a seven-and-a-half-length victory.
Delighted coach Dan Skelton said: “It was a surprise to see him actually win like that. They obviously went really hard and he’s got a lot of ability, right?
“He jumped a lot better today. He didn’t jump very well at Haydock and I think he went down that day as well.
“We knew he had the ability, but I thought if he was ever going to win a deep quality race, he was going to do it hard. I didn’t think he was going to fly like that, but they got in front so quickly.
“I don’t know what we’ll do with him now, we’ll see what the invalid will do.”
