So easy for super Star at Sandown
Kauto Star proved connections right by repeating last year’s win in the William Hill – Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
Despite dropping down a mile in trip after his brilliant win in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, the six-year-old showed he had lost none of his dash for the shorter distance.
Leading a long way out after Dempsey fell at one of the Railway Fences, the 4-9 shot, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, stormed to victory by seven lengths from Voy Por Ustedes, with another seven lengths back in Oneway third.
Fair Along is the new ante-post favourite for the Irish Independent Arkle after powering to a deeply impressive victory over My Way De Solzen in the Sodexho Prestige Henry VIII Novices' Chase.
The diminutive four-year-old, sent off a 2-1 shot for the two-mile event, received 9lb from odds-on My Way De Solzen, and though it is arguable that concession told, it was difficult to pick holes in the winner.
Richard Johnson set a modest early pace aboard the Philip Hobbs-trained inmate, with the 4-7 favourite sitting in close proximity on his left flank throughout.
Despite a slight mistake at the fifth-last, My Way De Solzen was soon back in contention at the Pond Fence, locking horns again and jumping upsides two out.
But the tank soon began to empty and Alan King’s charge was left in Fair Along’s slipstream.
Richard Johnson barely had to go for his whip as the German-bred pulled 10 lengths clear.
Bookmakers Coral immediately cut Fair Along to 3-1 from 8-1 for the Arkle, with My Way De Solzen steady at 8-1. Stan James, meanwhile, were more generous, offering Fair Along at 7-1 (from 9s).
Sarah Hobbs, representing her husband, said: “I’m delighted with that. He’s bter going left handed than he is right-handed and he’s very game and genuine.
“We didn’t want to go much of a pace, because we thought that would be playing into My Way De Solzen’s hands.
“He really thinks a bit about his jumping and he’s very bonny and game. You have to watch him when he’s being tacked up, because he can be quite difficult. He’s barely 15 hands high, but he has a huge heart.
“I don’t know if he’ll go to Cheltenham next Saturday. I doubt it. We’ll probably wait until January and take it from there. The Arkle is still obviously the plan.”
King was far from downbeat after the defeat and said: “He’s had a good race around and will have learned again from that and gained more experience. He’s had two quick runs in succession, so we will leave him alone until Christmas now.
“I don’t think that was a bad run at all and I’m not going to rule out the Arkle. He will have another run over two miles after Christmas and we will take it from there.”
