Ratings Update: Welsh National and Tolworth Hurdle

Chepstow’s Welsh Grand National card eventually took place on Saturday (re-arranged from the 27^th December) and featured the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle, won last season by subsequent Triumph Hurdle winner Defi du Seuil. This year’s renewal was an up-to-scratch race and was won by a serious Triumph contender in We Have A Dream (up 2 lb to 139p), who completed his hat-trick in highly professional fashion, not needing to improve much on his wide-margin Doncaster win but equally having more in the tank at the line. Second place Sussex Ranger (137) ran well and needed no excuses, sure to win more races in time and likely to stay further than two miles, too.

The Grade 1 Coral Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle goes the way of We Have A Dream who toughs it out at @Chepstow_Racing: pic.twitter.com/4fxFS5F1st

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 6, 2018

Respect your elders

The Welsh National – won last year by Gold Cup third Native River – wasn’t a vintage renewal with 13-year-olds filling the first two places. The winner Raz de Maree (up 1 lb to 144x) was second to Native River in 2016 and with nothing of that one’s class to worry about this time he went one better under the excellent James Bowen. Alfie Spinner (131) ran a cracker in second but couldn’t quite give the Lee family a fourth win in the race since 2011. Others of note included the late gamble of the race Vintage Clouds (down 2 lb to 140), who not for the first time suggested that he could be worth a try in headgear (totally lost his place before staging a rally in the straight and running on for fourth). Pobbles Bay (144) was a clear-cut non-stayer and went like a well-handicapped horse until his stamina ran dry.

At the other end of the age spectrum Good Boy Bobby (115p) was an impressive winner of the bumper on the card, and looks one of the best seen in the division in Britain so far this season, defying a penalty without breaking sweat, winning by nine lengths. He’s a good-topped chasing type and is the sort to do even better when getting in a more well-run race (not settle fully here).

Blazing Trail

Only four showed up for the two-mile handicap chase at Sandown on Saturday but the race was still quite the spectacle as trailblazers Speredek and Gino Trail went hard up front. Speredek (146p from 135) came out on top, his rival’s mistake at the second-last sealing things, and he was well on top at the finish. He won’t be the easiest to place (seems to have been kept to right-handed tracks) but may well have more to offer as a chaser.

Worth treating positively

The Tolworth has produced the likes of L’Ami Serge, Yorkhill and Finian’s Oscar in recent years and there’s no reason to think that this year’s victor Summerville Boy (142p from 132) won’t go on to win more races at the highest level as that trio have. Though a maiden coming into the race, Summerville Boy had looked a good prospect when finishing second to Slate House in the Sharp at Cheltenham and was still green late on at Sandown, suggesting there could be even more to come. Second Kalashnikov (remains on 138p) emerged with plenty of credit despite losing his unbeaten record, sticking to his task in determined fashion. He’ll reportedly be given a break before a tilt at the Baring Bingham.

Summerville Boy keeps finding for Noel Fehily to take the 32Red Tolworth Hurdle at @Sandownpark for Tom George.

All of today's results ➡️ https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/JatURUvP6V

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 6, 2018

Buywise for the National?

Buywise (remains on 140) finally did what he’d been threatening to do for a number of years and landed a big prize – the valuable Veterans’ Handicap Chase – jumping well under an exquisite ride from Leighton Aspell, who was taking over in the saddle for the first time. His old jumping lapses seem a thing of the past and connections may well be tempted to give him another go in the Grand National now (if he was high enough in the weights).

Mullins treble at Naas

Willie Mullins had a difficult festive period, but he had three winners at Naas on Sunday, including the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novices’ Hurdle with Next Destination (remains on 149p). Next Destination had to work harder to beat the runner-up Cracking Smart (up 3 lb to 144p) than he had done at Navan three weeks earlier, but he was slick at his flights and he seems sure to win more races, likely to get an entry in all three novice hurdle races at the Cheltenham Festival according to his trainer. Mullins took the previous race, a two-mile novices’ chase won by the likes of Flemenstar, Sizing Granite and Shaneshill in recent years, with French import Demi Sang (142p), who already looks ready for a higher grade (reportedly set to run in the Irish Arkle next).