Silverburn captures SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham

Silverburn may try to emulate full-brother Denman by capturing the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after his all-the-way success in the totesport.com Challengers Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Paul Nicholls took the three-mile event last March with Denman, whose sibling is 16-1 with Coral, William Hill and Blue Square.

Ladbrokes were impressed enough to offer just 10-1 about SunAlliance honours following this Grade One victory.

Sam Thomas kicked on aboard the 10-11 favourite heading to the Railway fences and obliged by seven lengths from The Market Man.

The run was a much-improved effort from the seven-year-old after he took third in the Feltham on Boxing Day.

Silverburn’s win also formed the middle leg of a near-21-1 treble for Nicholls and Thomas.

Nicholls said: “This was always going to be the race for him – the ground suited him and Hobbs Hill coming out (due to the ground) made it easier.

“We were more positive with him and he jumped really well.

“He’s in the Arkle and would only go there if it came up bottomless and the SunAlliance is more likely.

“Three miles around Cheltenham will suit him and he does stay.”

Connections of the runner-up were in no rush to make plans after the eight-year-old returned from a 784-day layoff but indicated the Ladbrokes World Hurdle is the more likely target.

The champion trainer’s first win on a day brimming with Festival clues came when The Tother One defied a massive rise in the weights as the 9-4 favourite in the totescoop6 Heroes Handicap Hurdle.

Totesport trimmed him to 10-1 from 12s for the Albert Bartlett Spa Novices’ Hurdle, while going 12-1 from 25s for the Ballymore – with VC Bet bigger at 16s and Boylesports at 20-1.

Nicholls said: “He was off a higher mark but the race was run to suit and he has won nicely.

“He won’t run before Cheltenham, where he is in the Ballymore and the Albert Bartlett.

“We’ll leave it a while before making a decision but the Ballymore is the more likely.”

Liam Treadwell finished fourth on Tighten Your Belt but weighed in light and was suspended three days (February 13-15).

His mount was disqualified which meant Mendo was instead placed fourth.

The Ditcheat team registered a hat-trick in the totesport Masters Handicap Chase after Gungadu rallied gamely on the run-in to hold off Burntoakboy by a length and a quarter.

Nicholls added: “He didn’t get the trip in the Welsh National.

“The three miles here suited him and he could run again at Wincanton in two weeks, or we may wait for the Racing Post Chase.”

Last year’s Champion Hurdle third Afsoun and Straw Bear again did battle, with the former emerging on top with a three-and-a-half-length victory in the totepool Contenders Hurdle.

The pair jumped the last upsides, with Straw Bear travelling marginally the better, only for Nicky Henderson’s runner to pull away and deny the Nick Gifford-trained 8-13 favourite.

Totesport cut the winner into 25-1 for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, while easing Straw Bear out to the same price from 14s.

Ladbrokes make the six-year-old a 20-1 chance and shaved hot-favourite Sizing Europe into 2-1 at the head of the market.

Henderson said: “We have got to go for the Champion Hurdle after that but I am not saying he is going to win it and there aren’t that many options for him.”

Gifford added: “I am obviously disappointed but he got outstayed up the hill and has been beaten by a better horse on the day.”

Pamak D’Airy ensured the day finished on a high for Henderson when taking the Tim Chappell 70th Birthday Celebration Novices’ Handicap as the 7-2 joint favourite.

Ashkazar only needed to be pushed out by Timmy Murphy to land odds of 4-7 in the toteplacepot Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, after which Coral made him a 16-1 shot for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

“He is in the Triumph but David (Johnson, owner) isn’t too keen on that race so we’ll have to see,” said trainer David Pipe.

Jamie Moore enjoyed an armchair ride aboard his father Gary’s Vinmix De Bessy (15-2) as the grey stayed on up the hill to claim the totecourse to course Handicap Chase.