Kingscliff strengthens Gold Cup claims
Kingscliff did enough to persuade his trainer Robert Alner that he was ready to take on the big boys when he maintained his unbeaten record in the Tripleprint Chase at Cheltenham today.
The 4-7 favourite may not have scored in the manner that some of the hype in the run-up suggested he might, but in defeating Haut Cercy by six lengths he still looked a genuine contender for championship honours.
Even a rather clumsy leap at the final fence failed to disrupt his momentum as he quickened up nicely under Andrew Thornton to pull away again in the final yards.
Marlborough, who looked the likeliest challenger for most of the contest, gradually faded from the second-last fence, the point at which Exit To Wave, who was bustling up the winner, came to a slithering standstill after a jumping error.
But the performance still clearly represented a career-best from the winner, who was meeting rivals with considerably more experience under their belts.
“You all forget that he has only had seven starts,” said Thornton. “He is still learning all the time, but he has shown today that he deserves to take his place in what I think is going to be a vintage Gold Cup.
“With the likes of Best Mate, Beef Or Salmon, Jair Du Cochet, First Gold and even Sir Rembrandt (stablemate of the winner and a possible alternative ride for Thornton), it is going to be a hell of a race.
“Nothing he has done says he doesn’t deserve to take his chance.
“There has been an awful lot of hype about him, but you thrive on pressure like this. It’s what we live for in racing.
“The bookmakers are good judges and they obviously think he has got a chance.
“He got under a couple early on but he was clever enough and I probably got it wrong at the last when I asked him to do too much. Fair play to him, he picked up well when I asked him to quicken and he wasn’t stopping at the finish.
“It’s all good experience and if we can come back for something like the Pillar Chase, which will give him more experience of this track and the fences, that will put him just right.”
Alner, who tasted Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham with Cool Dawn in 1998, confirmed that the winner would now be campaigned for that race.
Bookmakers generally make him an 8-1 chance, but William Hill cut him to just 6-1 after this success.
“We had thought we would wait for 2005, but it looks like we are going to give it a crack this season now,” said the trainer.
“We were very nervous today that he wouldn’t produce the goods. When you have a horse like him who is unbeaten, every race they have they becomes one step nearer to getting beaten.
“But he answered all of today’s questions and now we can look forward. I would like to give him one more run before Cheltenham, but I am not the sort of man who already has a plan in mind. I will go home and have a good think about things.”
Kingscliff was the starring performer on a day the bookmakers will want to forget, with all six market-leaders obliging.
Tony McCoy was, as usual, the darling of the punters as he notched a double on Therealbandit (11-10) and Battle Warning (7-2).
Therealbandit put up a hugely-impressive performance to take the opening Ian Williams’ Owners Novices’ Chase.
McCoy eased him into the lead at the top of the hill and Therealbandit strode clear to win with his ears pricked by eight lengths.
Victor Chandler installed the Martin Pipe-trained winner as short as 5-1 second-favourite behind Strong Flow for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Festival in March.
But 7-1 is available with Coral and 8-1 with Irish layers Cashmans, who briefly offered 10s before being forced to take evasive action.
McCoy was delighted with Therealbandit’s performance on his chasing bow.
He said: “I schooled him a lot yesterday over small ditches and he was much better.
“He can be a very ignorant horse, as he’s shown before. There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just a bit dumb, but I was very happy with that and hopefully he can go on from it.”
Battle Warning denied the Pipe camp a double as McCoy drove the Peter Bowen-trained winner out to win the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) from Imperial De Thaix.
Perouse (9-4) completed a quickfire hat-trick in the CFR Group Electrical Services Handicap Hurdle.
The Paul Nicholls-trained runner followed up facile recent wins at Wincanton and Fontwell as he came home clear under Ruby Walsh.
Nicholls himself was at home, preparing his team of runners for their Saturday engagements, but assistant Jeremy Young nominated the Tote Gold Trophy as a possible target for the fast-improving five-year-old.
“When the handicapper put him up 17lb for winning at Wincanton it looked very harsh, but now he has won that, he might have been just about right,” Young said.
“He picked up well and galloped on strongly up the hill. It is amazing how much he has improved this season.”
Punters came out on top again after Jasmin Guichois, the 11-4 favourite, turned in a splendid leap at the last to take the Club 16-24 Adrian Maguire Testimonial Ball Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.
Up-and-coming Sam Thomas continues to make waves in the saddle and the local youngster was again seen to good effect aboard Venetia Williams’ charge, who beat You’re Special by a length and a half.
“In the past he has seemed to flatten out a bit near the finish and that was the first time I have seen him really pick up,” said the winning trainer.
“But he is only six, so maybe he is just improving. His jumping was very good and Sam got a really sweet tune out of him.”
The rout was completed when 4-5 chance Grey Report took the concluding EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.
In a contest that saw some hair-raising leaps from all six of the runners, the winner ballooned the last two but stayed on stongly to hold the challenge of Mount Karinga.
