Baracouda puts on champion show

Baracouda again put the pretenders in their place as he made a winning reappearance in the Ballymore Properties Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury today.

The champion staying hurdler, beaten only once in the last three years, was ridden more prominently that usual by regular rider Thierry Doumen.

And despite travelling strongly on the bridle, his old foe Deano’s Beeno proved a tough nut to crack on the run to the final flight.

But once the 4-9 favourite went into the lead, he never looked like stopping and stayed on to win by seven lengths, with Springfield Scally staying on again to reward each-way punters at 33-1.

Baracouda may now make a quick reappearance at Ascot in the Cantor Sport Long Walk Hurdle on December 19, according to his trainer Francois Doumen.

“I had been worried about running him again quickly, but he had quite an easy race there and he might well go there now,” said Doumen snr.

“He is doing his job. He is getting calmer as he gets older and the crowd didn’t worry him at all today.

“Thierry rode him nearer to the pace, but it was soon obvious that he could win whichever way he wanted.

“When we were beaten at Ascot last season it was a tactical race, but there were no mistakes today.

“Maybe nobody will have to say something bad about my jockey now. He gets on so well with the horse.”

Baracouda remains unlikely to be sent over the bigger obstacles – at least for the time being, his trainer said.

“I have been thinking about it and for as long as he is the best over hurdles, then why should we want to risk him?” he smiled.

The winning rider was understandably delighted with such an easy success and added: “I tried not to press the button too early because he’s always a very generous horse.

“I didn’t get a lead for long enough and I found myself in front but I had plenty underneath me.”

Most bookmakers cut the price of Baracouda completing a hat-trick of wins in the Bonusprint Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next March – Ladbrokes and Corals now as short as 7-4.

But William Hill took a view about the winner and left him at 5-2 in their betting, behind 15-8 favourite Iris’s Gift.

Leighton Aspell made his first ride for the Mary Reveley stable a winning one as he stood in for his suspended younger brother, Paddy, to win the Systems By Design Handicap Chase on Carrick Troop.

The 6-1 winner narrowly got the better of the other grey in the race, Tango Royal, after a fine duel over the last two fences and scored by three-quarters of a length – the pair 28 lengths clear of Leaburn.

Carrick Troop was completing his third course success, and trainer Mary Reveley’s travelling head lad, Jock Carcary, said: “We left at 5am to get here before all of the traffic, as he is not necessarily the sort of horse who you would want to stay overnight with.

“He loves this track, and when we couldn’t use Paddy – because he was suspended – we decided to give Leighton the chance to keep it in the family.”

Favourite-backers had got off to a dream start when Albuhera managed to hold the determined rally of Distant Prospect in the Cantor Sport Novices’ Hurdle.

Leading at the final flight, Ruby Walsh’s mount idled in the final strides but had done enough to hold on by half a length.

“The faster they go, the better it suits him,” said winning trainer Paul Nicholls.

“I’ll put him away until the spring now, when the aim will be the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.”

Walsh added: “I still seemed to get there too soon but he gave me a silk-smooth ride and I can’t speak highly enough about him.”

And odds-on Puntal scored a bloodless win over sole rival Buckby Lane in the CiSTM Fulke Walwyn Novices’ Chase.

“The most difficult thing for me was keeping him interested,” said rider Tony McCoy.