Ace Acambo enters Arkle frame
Ascot was the calm before the storm ahead of Saturday’s card but a Cheltenham Festival contender emerged in the bright winter sunshine as Acambo made an accomplished start to his chasing career.
David Pipe’s dashing grey landed the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle at the track last December and easily accounted for three rivals in the Futures Spread Trading Beginners’ Chase.
After going on rounding Swinley Bottom, the 2-5 favourite sauntered clear and was value for much more than his six-length winning margin over Self Respect.
Ladbrokes and William Hill make him a 12-1 chance for the Arkle next March, with 16-1 available with Stan James and Blue Square.
Pipe said: “He has schooled OK at home but schooled the best he ever had (on Thursday) – AP (McCoy) was pleased with him there.
“We will see what happens but we might play it low-key, and it is just nice to get his first win out of the way.”
Philip Hobbs’ County Zen (6-1) is a name to remember following his battling success in the Felix Rosenstiel’s Widow & Son Introductory Hurdle.
The four-year-old, ridden by Tom O’Brien, chased home subsequent Grade Two winner I’msingingtheblues last time out and battled hard to go one better by holding Blue Bajan and 5-4 favourite Song of Songs in a bunched finish.
Hobbs’ wife, Sarah, said: “He is genuine, stays and tries – which is fantastic.
“He seems much stronger and has improved this season and I hope he can go on from here.”
The winner was given a general 33-1 quote for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Hobbs and O’Brien also teamed up to take the feature race on the card, the £20,000 Allied Irish Bank Handicap Hurdle, with the improving Missis Potts (5-1).
The mare ended last season in prolific form and picked up where she left off with a length-and-a-quarter call over Amour Multiple.
Sarah Hobbs added: “She was pulled up in the mares’ final last year when she wasn’t right and we’ll go back there again in March – but she is a chaser for the future.”
Paul Moloney booted home a 151/2-1 double which was initiated when 2-1 favourite Lord Jay Jay ran his rivals ragged with a domineering front-running display in the Allied Irish Bank Handicap Chase.
Moloney completed his brace aboard Henrietta Knight’s Cruising River, who pinged the last for a three-and-a-half-length success in the Mar City Developments Handicap Chase.
Knight said of the 9-2 shot: “He had a wind operation over the summer, which has helped, and Paul thinks he could be a Grand National horse.”
Psychomodo set his stall out for a profitable campaign as he made mincemeat of the opposition in the Nicholas Cunningham Memorial “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
The 11-8 favourite only had market rival Berings Express to worry about turning for home but had to overcome a heart-stopping blunder at the second-last before scoring by six lengths under Mick Fitzgerald.
Trainer Brendan Powell said: “He is a lovely horse but we have had to wait with him as he has had so many problems.
“We have always thought he is nice but he has been weak, and Mick said if he hadn’t made the mistake he wouldn’t have come off the bridle.”
