Tony Elves looks back at the weekend action where we saw a potential Champion Hurdler.
The most significant action of the past week almost certainly took place at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival and one of most eye-catching performances came from Petit Mouchoir in the Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle on the final day last Thursday.
The Al Namix gelding appeared to have a tough task against what many considered a banker in the shape of Nichols Canyon from the Willie Mullins winning machine that yielded 22 winners over four days but the 2-5 shot was put firmly in his place by his former stablemate who made much of the running and was in command in the closing stages as he passed the post seven lengths clear with the Triumph Hurdle winner Ivanovich Gorbatov two and a quarter lengths back in third. That was obviously a step up on his previous form but, dare I say it, he looks to have improved for the move to Henry de Bromhead’s stable where he won’t get lost in the pecking amongst the likes of Faugheen, Annie Power, Douvan and Vroum Vroum Mag to name just a handful of stars.
He could well have made a winning start for de Bromhead in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November as he had regained the lead and was travelling well when coming down three out in a contest that was fought out by Irving and Apple’s Jade and, in normal circumstances, would be shorter than 10-1 for the Champion Hurdle on the back of his Leopardstown performance.
If Nichols Canyon gave his running at Leopardstown then Petit Mouchoir would have a decent chance of finishing in front of Annie Power in the Champion as she only had just over four and half superiority over her stablemate in last season Champion Hurdle and that puts him bang in any firing line.
Furthermore, he could well be reaching the zenith of his powers as a six-year-old - don't forget, he was only beaten a neck by Buveur D’Air in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last Spring, and half a length by Don’t Touch It in the Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in April after a very busy season.
He looks the horse of which there is still value in for the Champion and a 1pt each way bet is the recommendation.
Vroum Vroum Mag was in action in the Grade 1 Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle the previous day and comfortably erased her narrow defeat by Apple’s Jade at Fairyhouse earlier in December. She was a tad closer to the pace on this occasion and had the race in the bag before Shaneshill took a fall at the last and kept on well to score by a length and a quarter from Clondaw Warrior.
She has already been recommended for the Mares Hurdle and let’s hope the final declarations for the Festival pan out in our favour.
The Lexus Chase was a great spectacle to watch and Outlander reversed placings with Djakadam on their running together in the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown earlier in December when beating his stablemate Don Poli two and a quarter lengths with the aforementioned a head away in third and Valseur Lido another four and a half lengths adrift in fourth. However, with the proximity of four very decent horses to each other I dare say Colin Tizzard will be quaking in his boots as any of them being threat to Thistlecrack.
On the home from the Grade 2 Betbright Dipper Novices Chase at Cheltenham was fought out in grand style by Whisper and Clan Des Obeaux with Davy Russell seizing the initiative and securing a half length victory on the first named when Paul Nicholls’s five-year-old made his only error at the second last. Whisper is clearly finding his earlier fire power and the decision of owner Dai Walters to secure the services of Russell for his horses is a masterstroke. However, at this stage neither struck as a likely Festival winner.
