Pattern Race Review: National Clues at Newbury?

/ Rory Delargy / 09 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

It was pretty quiet on the pattern front last weekend, but an impressive win in Kelso's biggest race for Bygones Of Brid merely served to underline the claims of Tell Massini at next week's Festival. Meanwhile, there was a shake-up in the Grand National betting after Newbury's feature.

I've been very keen on Tell Massini since seeing him rout Reve De Sivola in the mud at the Paddy Power meeting and was delighted that one of his victims at the December meeting, Bygones Of Brid, has done so well since and that horse, in the colours of James Callow, capped a fine campaign for trainer Karen McLintock by winning the totepool Premier Kelso Hurdle in fine style on Saturday. Probably a non stayer when racing at three miles, he nonetheless paid a compliment to Tom George's Albert Bartlett favourite. The winner has been raised to a new mark of 144 and holds an entry in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle next week where he is rated 136 but would carry a mandatory 5lb penalty. He would need soft ground to take his chance and is more likely to be kept for Aintree or Punchestown before embarking on a chasing career next autumn. Morning favourite Washington Irving already looks like he's had enough of the game and those who backed him for the Supreme or Neptune after an impressive debut have probably known their fate for some time.

At Newbury, Paul Nicholls landed yet another Gold Cup 1-2, although this time it was in the Raymond Mould Supporting Greatwood version! Big Fella Thanks and Barry Geraghty took the scalp of course specialist Pasco who was Ruby Walsh's chosen mount. The race wasn't the strongest renewal, but the front two came well enough clear and the winner was impressive, jumping as well as I've seen him and travelling surprisingly well at the intermediate trip.

Big Fella Thanks was unsurprisingly trimmed for Aintree as a result of his win and is now trading as clear favourite with a number of firms. While there is no denying that he will look well handicapped on this form, it remains to be seen if Aintree lights him up after last year's slightly laboured effort in sixth. He needs to show a bit more mettle if he's to win a National, but perhaps the key lies in whether Paul Nicholls can retain the services of the excellent Barry Geraghty, who seemed to establish an immediate rapport with the son of Primitive Rising. I would still prefer stablemate Tricky Trickster, who I fancy to snatch a minor berth in the Gold Cup. Either way, this looks like the perfect year for Nicholls to lay the Aintree ghost.