Ratings Update: Air of confidence

Newbury

The Ladbrokes Trophy – nee Hennessy – saw a smaller field than usual, though it’s not obvious why (genuine soft winter ground, same prize money as last year). For all that there were plenty of second-season chasers with positive profiles, it wasn’t the most competitive renewal. Not that Colin Tizzard will mind, as he saddled the first, second and fifth home.

The majority were struggling a long way from home on ground that had become testing with the rain through the first part of the afternoon, the winner Sizing Tennessee (up 9 lb to 157) coping well with the conditions and forging clear late on as his stamina came through, in the process becoming the first 10-year-old to land this prize since Diamond Edge in 1981.

Sizing Tennessee comfortably wins the Ladbrokes Trophy at @NewburyRacing

Watch all the action LIVE on @ITV pic.twitter.com/t6dTSRvuC3

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 1, 2018

Though Sizing Tennessee showed very smart form, he was almost certainly seen to maximum advantage; he will likely be a contender for the Grand National (worth remembering the handicapping under new management, as it were), though his jumping might be an issue – it was a real mixed bag here.

Stablemate Elegant Escape (remains on 158) was well backed on his handicap debut and ran creditably; he'd be worth trying over further still, and, like the winner, holds an entry in the Welsh National. Dingo Dollar (now 148p), upped in trip and back over fences, shaped as well as any, just doing a bit too much too soon and not staying so well as either the first or second.

Of the rest, eventual sixth Ms Parfois (145) looked a possible threat for a long way but failed to see her race out, while the well-fancied Thomas Patrick (down 3 lb to 152) was one of four leading contenders to pull up; his profile is very positive overall, so there’s a good chance he will bounce back quickly.

Elsewhere on the card, Global Citizen (now 146p) won a good renewal of the Gerry Feilden. With a host of interesting intermediate hurdlers in the field, the form is likely to prove strong, and the winner did well to prevail after seeming to again do too much in front. He's reportedly under consideration for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, which, given how well he won the Dovecote, is understandable, though he'd be in danger of ruining what is still likely to be a good mark. Runner-up Lisp (up 1 lb to 136) progressed again in this more competitive environment, from a mark 7 lb higher than when winning the time before, though he was well served by the way the race was run.

The preceding handicap featured an impressive performance from Champ (up 7 lb to 146p). He picked up where he left off when last seen to complete a hat-trick on his handicap debut, looking way ahead of his opening mark, and he's a most progressive young hurdler – just the sort to win a big handicap before moving up in grade. Of the others, the third, Speedo Boy (stays on 126p), remains capable of better when tackling quicker ground. Santini (150p) made a winning start over fences, doing about everything right for a first attempt when landing the Grade 2 novice chase; he's likely to take high rank in the staying division this winter.

Newcastle

As has become the norm with the Fighting Fifth, there was a dearth of numbers, but there was also a depth of quality in what was easily the best recent renewal of the race – indeed, this was everything that could be wanted from a 'trial' on paper – with two of last season's premier novices seeking to bridge the gap to the reigning Champion, and, in dismissing the pick of those young pretenders in scintillating fashion, Buveur d'Air (up 3 lb to 170) ensured it lived up to its billing and then some.

Pure class from a true champion - Buveur D’Air and @BarryJGeraghty win the Grade 1 @BetVictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle again! @NewcastleRaces pic.twitter.com/5k3EV0lph7

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 1, 2018

Buveur d’Air’s truly sublime winning reappearance took his winning sequence to 11, as impressive a display as any mustered by a hurdler at the top level this century, a pre-season wind operation presumably at the heart of a scarcely believable rise on his already top-notch standards first time back.

His trainer Nicky Henderson (with See You Then) and owner JP McManus (Istabraq) have been responsible for the last two horses to land three successive Champion Hurdles, and it will take something unexpected for Buveur d'Air to fail to provide them with that rare achievement as a duo for the first time.

Runner-up Samcro (down from 163p to 162) probably would have benefited from going harder in front, though the ultimate issue was much as it had been at Down Royal, lacking the required pace to cope with a rival's turn of foot at this trip. A switch towards the Stayers' Hurdle (trainer remained staunch in original plan after race) might provide him with a greater opportunity to land a second successive Festival prize.

Summerville Boy (loses 'p', now 156), who finished behind Vision des Flos (148), looked rusty after nine months off, and got his campaign off on the wrong foot overall, with his jumping even more sloppy. He wasn’t unduly punished, but now has something to prove, for all that this was a tough ask on reappearance.

Elsewhere on the card, Ask Ben (116) sprang a surprise when getting up in a blanket finish to a falsely-run renewal of The French Furze Novices’ Hurdle, though the second (Beakstown, 121p) and fourth (Windsor Avenue, 120p) are likely to be the two to follow in the longer term, while the closing Rehearsal Handicap Chase saw five of the 12-strong field fail to complete. The likeable Lake View Lad (up 4 lb to 143) proved better than ever for a first big handicap success and will continue to give a good account; having been bought by Trevor Hemmings a year ago, a trip to Aintree in April could be on the cards at some point. The form looks solid, with the well-backed and well-handicapped Captain Chaos (now 130) in second, and the 2016 winner Otago Trail (now 154) in third.

Fairyhouse

The 25th renewal of the Hatton’s Grace saw the biggest field assembled since 2010, a fair test ensured by a positively-ridden Wicklow Brave, one of four that were representing Willie Mullins, but the race was blown apart by Apple's Jade (up 3 lb to 160), whose demolition job made her the third three-time winner of the race, following in the footsteps of Limestone Lad and Solerina.

Superstar - what a performance from Apple's Jade, winner of the @BarOneRacing Hatton's Grace Hurdle for the third time! @Fairyhouse pic.twitter.com/nwoaoTjJkB

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 2, 2018

Apple’s Jade’s 20-length margin of victory was the biggest in the history of this race, and it was hard to find fault in any aspect of this dominant performance; she'll reportedly continue to mirror her 2017/18 campaign by taking in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, where she may well come face-to-face once again with Sunday’s runner-up Supasundae (now 162). The third Limini (150) showed plenty of ability remains on her first start in this sphere since finishing a close third to Apple's Jade in the 2017 Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

There was a rousing finish to the Drinmore Novice Chase; though nine different stables were represented, it was business as usual come the end, with Gordon Elliott saddling his fifth Drinmore winner from the last eight renewals thanks to Delta Work (up 6 lb to 150p), who mastered Le Richebourg (147p from 143p) in the dying strides despite a sloppy jump at the last. The pace wasn't anything special, with the field still well grouped four out, and it reflects well on the first two that they could pull so far clear.

The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle was one race to elude the grasp of Elliott, though the trophy went back to very familiar surroundings, with Willie Mullins saddling an eighth winner of the race. It was a low turnout for the first Grade 1 novice hurdle run on either side of the Irish Sea this season, the smallest field in fact since Moscow Flyer also had just three rivals to beat in the 1999/2000 renewal, and it developed into a steadily-run affair in which the winner Quick Grabim (up 2 lb to 141) was given a well-judged front-running ride.

In victory, Quick Grabim reversed the form with Aramon (down 2 lb to 132) and confirmed the form with Triplicate (remains on 136p), cementing his position at the head of the novice hurdling division, though he's still a bigger price for the Supreme than stable-companion Annamix, who we are yet to see since he arrived from France.

The four-year-old Commander of Fleet (changes from 124P to 127p) was easy to back and lost his unbeaten record, fast-tracked into Grade 1 company just a fortnight after making his hurdling debut and clearly unsuited by the drop in trip; he’ll benefit from a return to further and remains capable of better, still possibly the best long-term prospect in this field. His stablemates Chief Justice (up 5 lb to 133) and Coeur Sublime (up 2 lb to 126p), who finished first and second, respectively, in the Grade 3 juvenile hurdle that opened the card, also have bright futures ahead of them.