Ratings Update: Champion Hurdle picture still murky after messy International

You have to go right back to Rooster Booster in 2002/03 to find the last winner of the International Hurdle – or Bula, as it then was - who returned to Cheltenham to win the Champion Hurdle later in the season. A falsely-run edition of the latest International didn’t shed much light on the current Champion Hurdle picture, the most likely candidate for a successful return here in March not even making the frame in the end.

ICYMI:

Call Me Lord prevails by a neck in the Unibet International Hurdle at @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/9U258QwYnd

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) 15 December 2019

As a result, there were few changes to the ratings of those involved; winner Call Me Lord (remains on 154) at least proved his effectiveness on a left-handed track (though had already won that way round in France), though if Nicky Henderson has a Champion Hurdle horse in the race, it was more likely fifth-placed Pentland Hills (remains on 149p) who led briefly after the last before paying for being too keen earlier in the race on his first start for eight months. Third-placed Ch’tibello (remains on 155) emerged best at the weights (conceding 4 lb to the pair who beat him), losing his lead after a mistake at the last and then rallying when forced to switch late on. It was therefore the neck runner-up Ballyandy (149 from 145) who was the only one to improve his rating, benefiting no end from the drop back from three miles, though his overall profile is hardly one of a potential Champion Hurdle winner.

The feature chase on Cheltenham’s card, the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, wasn’t a vintage renewal either. Although a well-run contest in which it typically paid to race handily, the form looks muddling after the lead changed hands more than once in a slow-motion finish. The lightly-weighted Warthog (133 from 131), third in last month’s BetVictor Gold Cup, saw things out more thoroughly than he has done in the past, making much of the running and rallying after looking held to get back up on the line. 40/1-shot Spiritofthegames (147 from 146?) returned to form from out of the blue, though faltered close home to be beaten a head after looking to have come with a race-winning challenge. Robin des Foret (147 from 145), having his first start since March for Willie Mullins, kept on for a close third, with last year’s runner-up Cepage (155 from 159) coming out best at the weights, despite a significant mid-race mistake, in fourth.

What a finish!

Warthog gets back up to deny Spiritofthegames on the line in thrilling style for @DavidPipeRacing 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/G5NJMvJ38A

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) 14 December 2019

Cheltenham’s two-day meeting also featured a couple of interesting novice chases, both of which went to Nicky Henderson-trained horses. Pym (144p from 142p) continues to go the right way over fences and had the edge in both experience and stamina when giving an eight-length beating to Imperial Aura (138p from -P) over three miles and a furlong on the Friday. The runner-up, who had finished alone on his chasing debut, shaped promisingly and remains with potential. Mister Fisher (143p from 138p) was stepping up from two miles to two and a half on Saturday but, despite going one better than on his chasing debut, didn’t shape as though he’s going to prove better at the longer trip. Mister Fisher’s turn of foot proved decisive, while he was also getting weight from runner-up Good Boy Bobby (144 from 142p) who was also stepping up in trip and didn’t convince with his stamina in the soft ground.

Friday’s handicap over the cross-country course resulted in another one-two for French-trained specialists in this discipline (November’s race had a similar result) with Easysland (145+ from 134+), who had won his last four starts in similar events at home, landing a gamble in decisive fashion. Taking to the course really well, he had clearly been let in lightly and, only a five-year-old, is likely to be a serious player in the cross-country race at the Festival, even at level weights.

Doncaster also had a potentially informative novice chase, the Grade 2 December Novices’, but it became something of a non-event, with Sam Spinner (148p from 144p) easily keeping his unbeaten record after his only remaining rival Windsor Avenue (145+ from 147p), who had looked a really bright prospect beforehand, dropped out tamely in the straight. Sam Spinner still has potential as a chaser, though his jumping will need to improve in more competitive races as he all but fired his rider out of the saddle at the open ditch. The three-mile handicap chase on Doncaster’s card likewise attracted a disappointingly small field, though the nine-year-old mare My Old Gold (144 from 136) ran a career-best over fences in getting up late. She’ll stay further still but doesn’t appeal as being particularly well handicapped.

An unbelievable save by Joe Colliver at Doncaster this afternoon 👀😮

He manages to somehow stay on Sam Spinner - and the two of them went on to win the race!pic.twitter.com/zG5RMPMtCq

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) 14 December 2019

Both Cheltenham and Doncaster staged useful juvenile hurdles. Cheltenham’s contest went to Gary Moore’s French import Botox Has (134p from 130p) who went one better than at the track’s November meeting despite still looking green. He’s still open to improvement, though last week’s wide-margin Sandown winner Goshen looks the stable’s top juvenile by some way at present. Doncaster’s Summit Juvenile Hurdle didn’t look a strong renewal but it was won in likeable fashion from the front by Navajo Pass (132p from 125p) who galloped his rivals into submission and remains capable of better (sure to stay further too).

The Grade 2 novices’ hurdle over three miles at Cheltenham looks like being one of the most informative races of its type so far this season, certainly if looks are anything to go by as they were a smashing bunch. Redford Road (130p from 128) has improved with each run over hurdles for Nigel Twiston-Davies and this longer trip proved right up his street, headed at the final flight but rallying up the hill for a half-length verdict over the 129-rated Champagne Well who’d run to a similar level when second to Thyme Hill here last month.

ICYMI:

Redford Road pulls away and then holds on to win the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/9XQR1JD800

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) 15 December 2019

Latest Exhibition (140 from 131) hadn’t been a match for Gordon Elliott’s Abracadabras over two miles at Navan last month, but back there on Sunday in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle over an extra half-mile he turned over that one’s odds-on stablemate Andy Dufresne (138p from 140P) doing well considering the bad mistake he made in the back straight.