Ratings Update: Young guns best in Ascot and Haydock duels

Races billed – or hyped – as supposed duels often prove a let-down but both of Saturday’s top-class chases lived up to their considerable promise. Haydock’s Betfair Chase would normally top the bill on this weekend, but most of the focus in the preceding week had been on the long-awaited clash between Altior and Cyrname in Ascot’s 1965 Chase.

A wide-margin winner of his last two starts over the same course and distance early in the year, Cyrname (176 from 173+) proved better than ever in ending Altior’s (175+ from 180p) unbeaten record over jumps. Making all with a superb round of jumping, Cyrname was shaken up before the last and kept on for a two and a quarter length win over his older rival who was much the stronger of the pair in the betting. Altior was stepping up in trip (the furthest he raced over before was two and a quarter miles when winning a two-runner race on his chasing debut) but wasn’t obviously beaten for stamina, keeping close tabs on the winner throughout and just able to keep on when shaken up.  For a three-horse race, it was no dawdle, with both principals putting up high-class timefigures.

A brilliant renewal of the Christy 1965 Chase - what a battle between Cyrname and Altior 👏 pic.twitter.com/70hd22QeNj

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) 23 November 2019

Both Cyrname and Altior will be in unknown territory over three miles if they meet again in the King George, though Altior will have his work cut out to turn the tables on his conqueror in a race that ought to suit Cyrname ideally, the latter already twice a winner round Kempton in his novice chase season.

But events at Haydock later in the afternoon mean that the 1965 Chase principals will have a rival to reckon with in the King George after Lostintranslation (168p from 164p) emerged best in an equalling absorbing duel with Bristol de Mai (167x from 169x) who was bidding for a hat-trick of wins in the Betfair Chase. Lostintranslation has made a smooth transition from a leading novice last season to a top-class chaser this autumn, with the promise of even better to come. He really is a superb jumper of fences, a factor in Robbie Power riding him with supreme confidence before delivering him at the last, though to Bristol de Mai’s credit he didn’t yield his unbeaten track record without a fight in going down by a length and a half. However he fares at Kempton, Lostintranslation’s Gold Cup claims are looking stronger than ever.

Lostintranslation is produced perfectly by @Robbie_Power_, and shows his class in beating the grey warrior Bristol De Mai, to win the Betfair Chase for the @colintizzard team 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BDhVfP2wrI

— Haydock Park Races (@haydockraces) 23 November 2019

Aside from the two big races, there were plenty of other performances of note over the weekend. Most came in chases, though the best effort from a hurdler (backed up by a good time performance) came from If The Cap Fits (160 from 159) who showed a willing attitude to win the Ascot Hurdle for the second year running, conceding 6 lb to runner-up Call Me Lord (remains 154). If The Cap Fits will be suited by a return to further and should be the main rival to top stayer Paisley Park (due back at Newbury later this week) in the Long Walk Hurdle back at Ascot next month.

Also at Ascot, Capeland (159 from 149), who had been put out of the race at the final fence by stablemate Diego du Charmil (remains 158) in a dramatic contest over the same course and distance earlier in the month, gained compensation in no uncertain terms with a twelve-length beating of that rival at the end of a very strongly-run Hurst Park Handicap Chase. Paul Nicholls is a master at coaxing improvement from his chasers through handicaps and into graded company (Cyrname was beaten in the same contest last year) and Capeland could be another example.

Compensation! Capeland gets his revenge on stablemate Diego Du Charmil and wins impressively under @CobdenHarry for @PFNicholls at @Ascot pic.twitter.com/BwGyKIBBCu

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) 23 November 2019

While Nicky Henderson had the disappointment of seeing Altior beaten, a couple of his novice chasers were successful over the two-day Ascot meeting. A useful novice in a handful of starts over hurdles last term, Angels Breath (150p) looked one to follow over fences when making a sparkling chasing debut, backed up by a good performance on the clock, while Pym (142p from 134p) got off the mark over fences at the second attempt in the novices’ handicap over three miles, and would have won more convincingly still but for veering towards the course exit on the run in.

Meanwhile, there were also some particularly promising chasing debuts in Ireland over the weekend. Firstly at Gowran on Saturday, Laurina (145p) made it seven wins from eight starts for Willie Mullins when giving an eight-length beating, with plenty in hand, to last season’s Albert Bartlett winner Minella Indo (138P). Laurina was smart over hurdles, but she’s always had the build of a chaser and could be at least as good over fences, while Minella Indo looks sure to improve markedly on this effort, particularly back over three miles.

"She's class, isn't she?"

Laurina impressed on chase debut at @GowranPark1 and @jamiesnowden was very impressed. @RadioEmmet was pretty keen too! #LuckOnSunday @ABE_Dubai pic.twitter.com/eHk929B6Z3

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) 24 November 2019

The same stables, those of Mullins and Henry de Bromhead, also had the first two in Sunday’s beginners’ chase at Navan. Mullins’ Cash Back (145p) has plenty to live up to after his win in a race won by stable stars Vautour, Douvan, Min and Al Boum Photo in recent years, but he was useful over hurdles last season and seems sure to go on to better things over fences after making most for a seven-length win over Capuccimix (137p). Having only his third start all told, Capuccimix shaped promisingly on his first start for nine months and will be suited by the return to two and a half miles or more.

Cappucimix’s connections had better luck in the big race of the weekend in Ireland when Chris’s Dream (157 from 146), beaten a long way behind Lostintranslation at Aintree last season, turned Navan’s Troytown Handicap Chase into a very one-sided affair. A sound early pace in very testing conditions proved right up the winner’s street, and he’s a potentially high-class staying chaser, at least when the mud is flying.