Trenchant shows the right spirit at Fontwell
First-time blinkers were the remedy for Trenchant to savour the finest moment of his career in the totesport.com National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell.
The West Sussex course’s big race of the year ended up providing a now customary exiting finish but lacked a class act in the mould of past winners My Way de Solzen or Baracouda.
Star attraction was that famous chaser of lost causes Lough Derg, who was seeking a third consecutive victory but he dropped out of contention even earlier than usual and was unable to stage another remarkable recovery.
It was left to 11-4 favourite Qozak, Souffleur, Afsoun and Trenchant fighting it out by the final flight, where the former stumbled over.
Trenchant (8-1) won the Dovecote at Kempton this time last year but has endured changeable fortunes in handicap company during the winter.
But the appetite for racing seemed to have returned with the headgear and he went two lengths clear of Souffleur up a final run-in made more testing than usual by heavy ground.
“On his day he is a good horse but he is one of those who only does as much as he has to,” reported jockey Robert Thornton.
King’s assistant Noel Williams added: “He has shown that sort of form before, even at this level, but he never went a gallop last time at Sandown.
“We put some blinkers on at home, they sharpened him up then and he was just as sharp today.
“He has earned his place at Cheltenham now. He’s in the Coral Cup, but we have a stack of runners for that. He’s in the Pertemps Final too, Choc (Thornton) said he gets three miles so I wouldn’t be surprised if he went down that route.”
Take The Breeze is never better than in the mud as he returned to form in the totesport.com Supporting The Racehorse Sanctuary Novices’ Chase.
Paul Nicholls’ grey was prolific before the turn of the year before proving slightly disappointing when upped in class for two further outings.
Down in grade but up in distance, the 5-4 favourite made all the running and strolled 11 lengths clear despite a couple of minor errors.
He was cut to 16-1 from 20s by Paddy Power for the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, his likely target.
Jockey Harry Skelton said: “He’s 10lb better when it’s soft. He jumped really well today and he was giving 8lb away to good horses.
“Soft ground isn’t a necessity but he is definitely a better horse on it.”
Nicholls’ Herecomesthetruth produced some of his typically exuberant leaps in the Free Racing Post Form At totesport.com Handicap Chase but was conceding nearly 2st to his rivals and the weight began to take its toll.
He handed the advantage to Saphir Des Bois (11-4) as the remaining runners twisted round for the final line of fences but Richie McLernon’s mount ballooned the last, shooting the conditional jockey out of the saddle and causing him to lose an iron.
He decided to kick his foot out of the other one and shoved him home three and three-quarter lengths in front of Or Bleu.
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “He was getting a lot of weight, but he wouldn’t have wanted any more as he wouldn’t have won!
“He’s in the Kim Muir but I’m not sure he’d go.”
O’Neill’s Moncadou (4-1) later took the Fuller’s London Pride Foxhunters Trial at his leisure.
Ex-Irish Ravenclaw (9-4) made a comfortable British debut in the maroon and white colours of the smart Crack Away Jack in the Best Odds Guaranteed At totesport.com Novices’ Hurdle at Fontwell.
Part-owner Graham Willetts said: “Emma was convinced he wanted better ground but he came through it well.
“We bought him in December, he arrived on Christmas Eve and has been ready to run for two or three weeks.”
There was another easy winner in the Maureen Brown 70th Birthday Celebration Handicap Hurdle, the Venetia Williams-trained 9-2 joint-favourite Maraafeq.
