Dee glee for Gifford
Dee Ee Williams was trimmed to 20-1 by Coral for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival after scoring on an afternoon brimming with future stars at Ascot.
Nick Gifford’s youngster earned a price-cut from 33s for the Supreme with the Barking firm, while William Hill offer 25s after he landed the Robert Giles Agencies Introductory Hurdle.
Last month’s Cheltenham winner was given plenty to do by Liam Treadwell, but the 7-2 chance put his stamina to good use over the final couple of flights to hold off the well-regarded Bergo by three-quarters of a length.
Gifford said: “He is still inexperienced and the exciting thing is that he is still improving.
“The Kennel Gate back here next month and the Tolworth at Sandown in the New Year are the two obvious targets.”
Another promising performance came in the Futures Spread Trading Beginners’ Chase as Massini’s Maguire overcame an absence of 588 days due to ligament trouble to post a tidy success.
Last year’s Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle winner took up the running passing the stands on the first circuit, and the 5-4 favourite only had to be kept up to his work to fend off the challenge of Irish raider Slash And Burn.
Trainer Philip Hobbs said: “If he recaptured what he had before, and there is every reason to believe he will, then we can aim him at the best novice chases.
“The means the SunAlliance trip could be an issue on his Aintree runs last year but now he is older he probably will stay.
“There is no plan about where to go next but he probably won’t run again quickly.”
Bookmaker reaction was mixed, with Coral leaving the seven-year-old unchanged at 25-1 for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase. VC Bet introduced him at 20s and Blue Square trimmed him to 16-1 from 25s.
Mad Max was withdrawn from an engagement at Ascot’s previous meeting after cutting his head while being saddled.
But Nicky Henderson’s enormous 2-5 favourite bounced back for a ready win in the “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
Henderson said: “He is the biggest thoroughbred I have ever seen and it takes a long time for his brain to send messages to his feet!
“Hurdles get in his way but we will mess around this year before going over fences.”
Venetia Williams’ Art Professor had some useful juvenile form to his name and put it to good use as the 8-1 shot got the better of Hibiki by a short head in the Allied Irish Bank (GB) Handicap Hurdle.
Williams said: “I thought this was never going to happen as we have had so many seconds!”
Alphabetical jumped much better than some of his rivals en route to a 5-1 success in the Allied Irish Bank (GB) Wealth Management Handicap Chase, while Can’t Buy Time (9-2) completed an across-the-card double for Jonjo O’Neill in the Mar City Developments Handicap Chase.
