Cerium displays Arkle potential
A top-class hurdler last term, the Paul Nicholls-trained four-year-old had to battle hard with former stablemate Garde Champetre to take the Systimax Solutions Businesspartner Novices’ Chase by a length.
The pair were nine lengths clear of third-placed Neltina and bookmakers were impressed with Triumph Hurdle fourth Cerium.
Coral cut him to 8-1 from 10s while William Hill left the winner unchanged at 6-1.
Cerium, sent off the 11-10 favourite, took up the running approaching two fences from home and was always holding Jonjo O’Neill’s recruit, who returned at 6-4 having been backed in from 5-2.
Daniel Skelton, assistant to Nicholls, said: “There have been reports he has not been schooling well at home but that was because he was indoors and it is very tight for him. Once we got him outside, there were no problems.
“We are very happy with that performance. He travelled throughout the race but he doesn’t do a lot in front.
“The mistake he made was because the sun was in eyes and he stood off it.
“We have no immediate plans for him and we will just look for the right races. I am sure that the better the race, the better he will be.”
Le Corvee put the disappointment of Saturday’s fall at Wetherby behind him to open his account in the Burgis & Bullock’s Corporate Finance “High Flyers” Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle. A smart Flat performer, the 10-11 favourite came to grief at the second flight in a much hotter race at the weekend but was always travelling well on his reappearance.
He tracked Bayard into the home straight and took up the running approaching the final flight, with Robert Thornton needing only hands and heels to keep Bayard at bay and win by half a length.
Trainer Alan King said: “That’s what he should have done on Saturday. I don’t usually like running them this quickly but he seemed to stumble after jumping the second at Wetherby and was caught quickly.
“We popped him over nine flights at home yesterday and we decided to come here.
“I would imagine his next race will be at Cheltenham’s Open Meeting in a fortnight.”
Thornton later rode another winner for King when Jackson (9-4) just held the late run of Harry Blade by a head to take the B&B’s “Make It And Keep It” National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.
King said: “We had intended to go over fences from the start of the season but I thought we might pick up a hurdle race with him before then.
