Family tradition upheld at Cheltenham
Lindeman helped Cheltenham’s race sponsors prove their point as she galloped away with the Buy Your Winners At Brightwells Sales Mares Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
Owner Kelvin Hughes paid £140,000 for Lindeman (9-2) at the auction held at this track exactly a year ago with her dam being a half-sister to the Gold Cup winner Denman.
Pedigree is no guarantee for talent but she showed a real touch of class as she overcame greenness to score by two and a quarter lengths.
“I’ve had the first and third and ’Kingy’ (Alan King) has had the second, fourth and fifth, so we’ve thrown enough at it,” said trainer Nicky Henderson.
“But this one could be a bit special as I’ve not had to show her much.”
Pigeon Island (7-2) took a seventh victory of the season from his 20th start in the Injured Jockeys Fund Novices’ Hurdle.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ grey made light work of a decent set of rivals, including I’msingingtheblues and Group Captain, to win by an easy seven lengths.
“It seems that the more we run him, the better he gets,” said Twiston-Davies.
“He fell at the first at Aintree last time, but he made them look very ordinary here. We’ll definitely think about the Swinton Hurdle now.”
Paul Webber has not had a lot to cheer about this year but saved the best until the week before it all ends as One Gulp and Dominic Elsworth gamely landed the raceodds.com Mares Handicap Hurdle.
The 6-1 favourite had come up a little short at the highest level but was earning a third win of the season as she finished just too strongly for Magical Legend.
“We’ve been absent from the big Saturday races but this mare has been a shining light for us,” said the Banbury trainer.
“She’s all guts and perhaps she will get us back here for the David Nicholson next March.”
With his son Jamie stood down after a fall on Wednesday, trainer Gary Moore turned to Philip Hide to partner Nation State in the Messier-Dowty Landing Gear Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
Market support was not misplaced as the 9-2 favourite ousted Sir Bathwick and Billesey in a rousing finish.
Two ghosts of Cheltenham past slugged out the Munkey Espresso Hunters’ Chase, with former Kim Muir winner Merchants Friend (25-1) headed by 2005 Gold Cup runner-up Take The Stand (4-1), although the runner-up’s rider dropping his whip close to the line was a crucial difference.
Winning trainer Peter Bowen reflected: “He’s been brilliant for us – mind you Donel Devereux has given him some ride. His main target is the Intrum Justitia Cup at Stratford.”
There was a sting in the tail for Devereux, however, as he was suspended for four days (dates to be notified) after being found guilty of using his whip with excessive frequency.
It was a day to remember for Worcestershire handler Simon Lewis, whose Jug Of Punch caused a massive 50-1 shock from 13lb out of the weights in the Cheltenham Business Club Handicap Hurdle.
