Pattern Race Review: Nightingale has Punters Singing

/ Rory Delargy / 02 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Racing Post Chase day is traditionally the last chance saloon for Cheltenham entries to strut their stuff before the weights are revealed for the handicaps there and there were plenty of potential contenders on show. Did any of them put themselves in the picture for festival glory? Rory Delargy digs through the embers for betting clues.

Kempton's card started with a farcical affair run for the benefit of Champion Hurdler Punjabi, but it was inches from going awry when Treaty Flyer fell in front of him; the favourite recovered to run out a facile winner but he did little to enhance his claims of defending his title in doing so. It was somewhat of a surprise when Nicky Henderson announced that Barry Geraghty would ride in a fortnight and he looks like poor value at predictably trimmed odds. Lay him in the Champion Hurdle place market @ 3.25.

Paul Nicholls provided a shock (for readers of his newspaper column as well as form students) when landing the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle but there was no hint of a fluke about the result, with Escort'men giving Ruby Walsh an armchair ride behind the leaders before being produced to win easily, beating front runner Frascati Park with the challenging Vino Griego taking a tumble at the last when booked for second. The winner, surprisingly, has no Cheltenham entries but looks as good a juvenile as we've seen in this country so far and he'll take all the beating at Aintree on the basis of this run. Many will underestimate him given that he wasn't held in enough regard at home to have a Triumph entry, but it's the racecourse that counts.

It was double time for Nicholls and Walsh when The Nightingale landed the odds in the Pendil Novices' Chase and this horse really looks the part as a chaser, showing excellent technique throughout. He has entries in both the Arkle and the RSA but would have looked an ideal Jewson type had his trainer managed to get him to the racecourse earlier. His ideal trip is up for debate, but Nicholls thinks he will stay three miles (he is by the same sire as World Hurdle winner Big Buck's) and it's more likely that he will take in the longer of those two races. In my opinion, he would be effective at shorter although the Arkle looks a very hot contest. Whichever race The Nightingale goes for, he shouldn't be dismissed lightly and he appeals as a horse who will take high order as a second season chaser where races like the Old Roan and Ascot Chase are his for the taking.

The feature race of the day produced a thrilling, if slow motion, finish between Razor Royale and Nacarat with the former hanging on grimly by a neck despite a momentum halting mistake at the last. He's taken a 6lb hike in the handicap for winning which will make things difficult if he lines up, es expected, in the William Hill Trophy this day fortnight. He loves the track at Cheltenham though and will doubtless run with credit. Nacarat will miss Cheltenham but should reappear at Aintree where Tom George will have a choice of the Melling Chase or the totesport Bowl. It's worth bearing in mind that the finishers in this race finished very tired in sticky ground.

The defection of Mille Chief weakened the Adonis Hurdle considerably and it's unlikely that the form amounts to a great deal, especially with Ultimate disappointing when not allowed his head in front. It would be a great surprise now if the Triumph Hurdle goes to a domestic challenger. Soldatino remains in that race but Nicky Henderson seems to have stronger candidates, while Toubab looks one to avoid until learning to settle both before and during his races.

The closing bumper is occasionally a race to watch, but seemed particularly weak this year.