Weekend Review: Hey Big Spender pockets Classic Chase

Timeform Debate / Timeform / 16 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Colin Tizzard's Hey Big Spender.

"The classiest performance of the weekend came from Hey Big Spender..."

Timeform take a look back at a weekend that may have been light on superstars, but nevertheless offered plenty of clues toward the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The classiest performance of the weekend came from Hey Big Spender, who matched his very best when carrying top weight to victory in the Grade 3 Classic Chase at Warwick. Hey Big Spender's jumping was much better than has sometimes been the case and the tall, good-topped nine-year-old had no problem staying the three-mile-five-furlong trip to claim his second course success, powering home to assert over Fredo and Strongbows Legend after the last. While Hey Big Spender has now entered both the Gold Cup and Grand National markets, it's worth stating that his best performances have come when conceding big weights to inferior horses in handicaps with medium-sized fields.

In the proceeding race, Sheikh Mohammed's bloodsock advisor John Ferguson gained his highest profile win since taking out a National Hunt training licence when Cotton Mill took another step forward to secure the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Leamington Novice's Hurdle. Cotton Mill is now unbeaten in three starts over timber and his rallying victory over Ambion Wood suggested he deserves his place in the line-up for the Neptune at the Festival, for which he's currently [26.0]. Highland Lodge was a bitterly-disappointing favourite in fourth.

Also at Warwick, Frascati Park claimed his third victory from four outings over fences, Marodima backed Thursday's Fontwell romp with a gritty, front-running display in two-mile handicap chase and Thehillofuisneach booked his place in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham in March with his third improved effort on the bounce.

Kempton's feature was the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle and it was the heavily-backed Swincombe Flame who claimed the prize. The least exposed in a field of 19, Nick Williams' six-year-old mare didn't have to improve that much to gain a third win from four starts over hurdles but impressed with her attitude, rallying to get back up on the line having been headed by runner-up Featherbed Lane (another to post a clear career-best) on the run-in from the last. That said, whilst the winner has more to offer, particularly as her stamina is further tested, there are grounds to believe that the mare may struggle to contain Philip Hobbs' charge should they meet again as the latter was ridden by a 7-lb claimer and the rider of winner was subsequently banned for seven days for hitting his mount ten times, twice more than the allotted eight.

On the same card, Menorah continued his build-up to the Cheltenham Festival with a second chase success, beating only other finisher Kumbeshwar by three and three quarter lengths in the 3-runner novice. Timeform ratings suggested victory shouldn't have been a problem for the former Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner and so it proved but, although there's the suggestion that he will be much happier in a larger field/more competitive race, there remains a worrying lack of communication between horse and rider which is manifesting in significant mistakes in the closing stages of his races. Those errors will need to be eliminated if he's to be a serious Arkle (currently [13.0]) contender.

While Cruchain returned to form when winning the handicap chase, Moleskin impressed with his jumping when making all to land the similar event for novices and The Druids Nephew catapulted himself into the Neptune betting, it was Menorah's stablemate Sadler's Risk who provided the standout performance at Kempton when turning the opening juvenile hurdle into a procession. The useful Flat performer's class told on his hurdling debut and, with the Prestbury Park hill likely to play to his strengths (stayed 13.4f on the level), he looks worthy of his position at the head of the Triumph Hurdle market.

Another Triumph pointer came over in Ireland at Punchestown, where Willie Mullins' Ut de Sivola maintained his unbeaten start since arriving from France with a defeat of Hisaabaat, the runner-up making a bad mistake when upsides at the last. Again ridden by Ruby Walsh, it was a much-improved performance from Ut de Sivola and he'll look to continue his progress in a race on Irish Hennessy day at Leopardstown next month.

There were also noteworthy hurdle victories on the card for Ipsos du Berlais (now [17.5] for the Albert Bartlett) and Joxer.

Sunday's action in Britain featured a run-of-the-mill all-weather card at Kempton only, so it was at Navan where most eyes were focussed.

As was the case 24 hours previously, it was a strong day for Messrs Mullins and Walsh as the pair took the opening maiden hurdle with exciting French import Terminal ([28.0] for the Neptune). A three-time bumper winner in his homeland, Terminal was more impressive than the winning margin of two and three quarter lengths implies and he could yet develop into a Festival contender, although the trainer expressed his desire to keep things low-key for the time being.

Last year's Neptune third So Young was the other star on show at Navan and he comfortably beat his three rivals in the two-mile minor hurdle, despite the trip being short of his best. Figures suggest the performance was as good as his 11-length defeat of Fully Funded at Punchestown in November and he is to be entered in both the Champion Hurdle and World Hurdle at the Festival, taking in the Boyne Hurdle (at Navan next month) along the way.