Ratings Update: Paisley improving all the time

Trials Day at Cheltenham is often no more than a means to an end, an opportunity for Festival hopefuls to get some invaluable experience of the track, and for the track to say its winter goodbye before returning in early-March with a roar that heralds the arrival of spring.

That being said, the five Graded races on the card – not to mention the novices’ handicap chase that saw the track besieged with Timeform swag – are all well worth winning in their own right, and anyone who paid an early visit to the home of jumps racing was rewarded in spades, with competitive action the order of the day, while there was one performance that had a major impact on the market for one of the Festival’s feature events.

With 5 lb between all bar two of the 12 runners on ratings going into the race, the Cleeve Hurdle had the potential to be as closely fought as any other race on the card, but, in the event, a well-run race brought clarity to the congested top order among the staying hurdlers, the winner establishing himself as very much the one to beat when it comes to the Stayers' Hurdle.

The horse in question is, of course, Paisley Park (up 7 lb to 164p), who found further improvement to beat West Approach (remains on 146§) by 12 lengths, in the process taking his record this season to four wins from four starts, and putting to bed any doubts about his effectiveness at the track (almost pulled up in last season’s Albert Bartlett on his sole previous visit). Inglis Drever, Big Buck’s and Thistlecrack all won the Cleeve en route to winning the Stayers’ Hurdle and, in the likely absence of Apple’s Jade, Paisley Park will be a worthy favourite as he attempts to follow suit, with a speed test such as last year the biggest concern as things stand.

Frodon finds necessary reserves of stamina

Gold Cup pointers came courtesy of the Cotswold Chase, a race that served its purpose in answering quite a few questions, most notably whether the winner, Frodon (remains on 167), had the stamina for this trip. Both he and the stamina-laden runner-up, Elegant Escape (remains on 161), are fully deserving of a place in the ‘Blue Riband’ back here in March, though the bare form is a little behind the pick of the likely opposition, and the presence of Native River (among others) will mean that Frodon is unlikely to have things all his own way in front.

Also worth a mention is the third Terrefort (158 from 155p), who shaped encouragingly after 10 weeks off, finding only a pair of in-form and fully fit rivals too strong in the latter stages. This dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser would have a good chance of turning the tables were all three to meet again in the Gold Cup, though more will clearly be needed at that level.

Storm still a Festival contender

No horse has won both the Cotswold Chase and Gold Cup in the same season since Looks Like Trouble in 2001, so it might prove more fruitful to look elsewhere in terms of Festival clues. The Finesse Juvenile Hurdle, for example, has been won by Katchit, Peace And Co and Defi du Seuil in recent years, all of whom went on to land the Triumph Hurdle.

The horse tasked with completing the same double this time round is Fakir d’Oudairies (up 26 lb to 144p), the Irish raider who showed much improved form to win this first leg by 13 lengths from stablemate Fine Brunello (up 18 lb to 127p). Well backed beforehand, the winner remains open to more improvement after just two starts for Joseph O’Brien, and was deservedly promoted to favouritism for the Triumph on the back of this win, one that rather dented the form claims of the best of the British-trained juveniles.

Impressive - Fakir D'oudairies remains unbeaten for @JosephOBrien2 in the JCB Triumph Trial at @CheltenhamRaces. The trainer has current antepost favourite Sir Erec at home!

Results ➡ https://t.co/7iJOPsdIyZ pic.twitter.com/Pgv2HriQGi

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 26, 2019

The Classic Novices’ Hurdle is another race with a significant history so far as the Festival novices and beyond are concerned, with the last three winners all going on to be placed in either the Ballymore or the Albert Bartlett.

The finish on Saturday was set to be fought out by two smart novices with similar potential when Brewin'Upastorm (up 11 lb to 147p) crashed out at the last, holding a narrow advantage over Birchdale (up 14 lb to 146p) at the time as the pair pulled well clear and, on balance, likely to have come out on top; the form looks well up to the standard for the race, and both the eventual winner – who was making only his second start under Rules – and the faller will be ones for the shortlist when it comes to March.

Kildisart takes top Timeform honours

The Grade 3 handicap chase earlier on the card witnessed a thrilling finish between two young, unexposed chasers, with the pair well clear of the remainder. It was the bold-jumping Siruh du Lac (up 6 lb to 142p) who put his head in front where it mattered, but runner-up Janika (up 3 lb to 158p) will arguably be of more interest going forward; he was conceding 16 lb to the winner, and, now facing a mark in the upper 150s, it may be that taking up his Ryanair entry is a better Festival option than near top weight in the Plate.

Daryl Jacob and the Simon Munir/Isaac Souede combination might have hit the crossbar with Janika, Terrefort and Adjali (who was third in the Finesse), but compensation came in the shape of the most important race on the day, the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase. Joking aside, the race has a good record of producing horses that go on to run well at the Festival – look no further than Mister Whitaker last term – and the form of this year’s renewal looks worth viewing positively once again, with Kildisart (up 3 lb to 144p) showing a determined attitude to make it two wins from three starts over fences.

Twiston-Davies takes Town Moor feature

Doncaster also staged a good quality card on Saturday, though the valuable Sky Bet Chase proved less competitive than is often the case, unexposed sorts thin on the ground and the first two dominating throughout. For his part, Go Conquer (up 6 lb to 155) proved better than ever to resume winning ways on just his third start for the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable, and he reportedly has the Grand National as his main target for the rest of the season; his bold-jumping, forward-going style ought to lend itself ideally to the track at Aintree, but his stamina for that much longer trip is doubtful.

Elsewhere on the card, the Lightning Novices’ Chase attracted the usual small field and they finished in betting order, the winner Dynamite Dollars (remains on 154) making all at just a fair pace, with only the second Ballywood (up 2 lb to 136p) good enough to keep up. This told us nothing new aboutDynamite Dollars (remains on 154), but he has now won Graded events on his last three starts over fences and must be considered a serious candidate for the Arkle in a division lacking a standout contender, at this stage at least.

Winning machine! Lady Buttons grinds it out to win the Grade 2 https://t.co/GjxeIsmnAb Mares’ Hurdle at @DoncasterRaces for @PKirbyRacing... pic.twitter.com/aBNZFNzMwB

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 26, 2019

Lady Buttons (up 1 lb to 139) is another who only did what was required in winning the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle, idling dramatically close home but always doing enough to maintain her unbeaten record for the season. She's a tremendous mare, sure to win more races, though, as far as Cheltenham is concerned, there was talk of either the Mares' Hurdle or the Champion Chase, the former likely to stretch her stamina and the latter a tough ask.

None of the four in the other substandard graded event on the card, the River Don Novices’ Hurdle, had tackled such company before and, though the winner Nadaitak (up 19 lb to 140+) obviously improved in winning by so far, it's clear that nothing else ran close to its pre-race rating – they were all plodding up the home straight, making for form that's best rated conservatively.

Irish contenders earn their Festival Invitations

One of the most high-profile races of last week came at Gowran Park on Thursday, with last season’s RSA winner and leading Gold Cup fancy Presenting Percy (up 1 lb to 154+) making his eagerly awaited return to action in the Galmoy Hurdle. He didn’t disappoint, either, producing a very smart effort to win back-to-back renewals of this contest, and typically leaving the impression that there is even more in the tank if needed; the Red Mills Chase back here next month – in which he finished runner-up to Our Duke last year – may well be his pre-Cheltenham target again.

Invitation Only (up 8 lb to 163) could also have the Gold Cup on his agenda at the Festival, having produced a career best to make a successful handicap debut in the Thyestes Handicap Chase on the same card, digging deep into his stamina reserves to overhaul the rejuvenated Alpha des Obeaux (up 7 lb to 163). It's often a futile endeavour to predict his handler's future plans, but he currently holds entries in both the Ryanair Chase and the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, with general quotes of around 25-1 for the latter appearing about right at this stage.

Invitation Only wins the @Goffs1866 Thyestes Chase for Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins! @GowranPark1

Results ➡ https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/ufESeluYDt

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 24, 2019

Finally, Naas staged a pair of Grade 3 contests on Sunday, headed by the Limestone Lad Hurdle. Taking on his elders for the first time, the prolific Espoir d’Allen (up 6 lb to 161) showed improved form to complete a hat-trick and won't look out of place if lining up in the Champion Hurdle, though Buveur d'Air clearly remains his owner's number one hope for the race.

Indeed, if there was a Festival winner running at the County Kildare venue on Sunday, it was probably Ballyward (up 14 lb to 151p). In a good renewal of the Naas Racecourse Business Club Novices’ Chase, he produced a smart performance to get off the mark over fences at the second attempt, acknowledging that his task was made easier by the departure of Discorama (149 from 139p) at the final fence. An exciting, young chaser with bundles of stamina, Ballyward will merit plenty of respect wherever he turns up next, with the RSA Chase and the National Hunt Chase at the Festival mentioned as potential targets.