Race To Watch / Timeform / 08 January 2009 / Leave a comment

Novice contests at Folkestone will seldom produce as many likeable types as the fifth race on their January 2nd card, says Timeform.

The majority of the field had been at least fairly useful over hurdles, not least winner Hennessy who had been useful when campaigned over the smaller obstacles. Here he provided trainer Carl Llewellyn with his third win in just over two weeks, the Welshman having gone six weeks without a victory since Roll Along scored at Ascot in early November.

Making his third chase start (he had proved unsuccessful in two attempts in 2007/8), Hennessy was ridden more positively than in previous attempts over fences and jumped much more fluently than his rivals, responding well after the last to win by over two lengths from Fair Point.

It is likely that Hennessy will prove at least as proficient in this sphere as he was over hurdles, so improvement upon this bare form can be expected. The runner-up showed fairly useful form in just three runs over hurdles and has already matched such a level of ability on his first start in a chase.

A neck further back was Tamadot, who had been progressive over hurdles in November and shaped as though the transition to fences will not hinder him any. Tamadot raced with plenty off zest and went in front at the ninth fence, jumping soundly on the whole, before being overtaken by the winner after the last and losing second close home. He is more than capable of winning a similar event to this in the near future, and given his progressive hurdles form there should be a lot more to come from Philip Hobbs' gelding.

Stablemate Bluegun has a similar profile to Fair Point in having only made three starts over hurdles before making the transition to novice chasing. Although not always jumping with the greatest fluency, Bluegun's main concern appeared to be with the trip as he faded after the last to finish fourth having travelled comfortably throughout the race. Perhaps a drop in distance would bring about improvement, but in actual fact the level of form shown here by Bluegun is enough in itself to suggest that he will be winning similar events to this sooner rather than later.

Mizen Raven is a winning pointer and dual-winning hurdler, so he will be up to winning in this sphere, but he shaped here as though not in the best of form. Mendo was one of the best of the field over hurdles (he finished fourth in last year's Coral Cup), yet he has yet to take to fences in his two attempts 12 months apart, unseating here having barely taken off at the second.