Handicappers' Corner: It can be tough at the top

Take last season's Champion Hurdle, for example, when Walsh missed the winning ride on the horse named in his honour, Rock On Ruby (h171), after picking wrong. In fairness to Walsh, he had to choose between six possible mounts (in a field of just ten!) in the Champion, with Rock On Ruby only third choice in the betting amongst that sextet.  Walsh, of course, stayed loyal to 2011 winner Hurricane Fly (h173), who remains Timeform's highest-rated two-mile hurdler despite running a bit below his best when managing only third in defence of his title - he will be bidding for a twelfth Grade 1 win if making his intended reappearance in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown this weekend.

Another of Walsh's possible Champion Hurdle mounts last season was Zarkandar (h167), who finished a fast-finishing fifth after hitting a very bad flat spot coming down the hill. Although Walsh was right to desert the five-year-old on that occasion, he has made the wrong call regarding Zarkandar in both the 2011 Triumph Hurdle and last weekend's Elite Hurdle at Wincanton, with Daryl Jacob the grateful recipient of both winning rides. In truth, the writing was on the wall from a very early stage in the former race (Walsh's outpaced mount Sam Winner finished a never-dangerous fourth behind Zarkandar), but it was a much closer call at Wincanton, with the Nicholls-trained Prospect Wells (h150) failing by just a neck to overhaul his stable companion.

Admittedly, the Elite Hurdle was a slowly-run affair and the Nicholls pair arguably held a tactical advantage in racing handily, but it still reflects well on them that they could pull seven lengths clear of the promising second-season hurdler Balder Success (h141p) and it would be unwise to underestimate Zarkandar's performance simply due to the lack of a strong gallop. Indeed, there are very few British-trained hurdlers around at present capable of successfully conceding 17 lb to Prospect Wells - who'll hold strong claims if taking his chance in the Racing Post Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday - and Zarkandar must enter Champion Hurdle calculations on the back of that weight-carrying performance, with the prospect of yet more difficult decisions for Walsh to make!

Walsh also had to settle for minor honours in the two other main races at Wincanton on Saturday, namely aboard Michel Le Bon (c150+) and Poungach (c134p) in the Badger Ales Trophy and Rising Stars Novices' Chase respectively. The former has endured his share of training problems down the years, so his reappearance second to the similarly lightly-raced The Package (c152+) must be viewed as encouraging. Conditions were quite testing by this stage and certainly took their toll in this staying event, with The Package and Michel Le Bon pulling over forty lengths clear of the remainder due to several of their more likely rivals folding badly late on. All of which contributes to making this a difficult race to rate (hence the "+" awarded to the first two in acknowledgement that it could be rated a fair bit higher), but it is clear that both of them have shown improved form despite the fact they're now rising ten.  

Poungach, like Michel Le Bon, also did his best work late on but the similarities end there, as his performance was quite a laboured one - he made fairly heavy weather of things after a mistake shortly after halfway (generally fluent otherwise). In mitigation, Saturday was effectively Poungach's first race over fences (unfortunate first-fence faller at Chepstow last month) and he'd never shown lazy traits over hurdles, so the chances are he'll leave this form behind in due course.

The latter phrase most certainly also applies to third-placed Court In Motion (c134p), who was forced to miss the whole of the 2011/12 campaign, but clearly retains all of his ability judging by this encouraging comeback effort. As usual, he impressed greatly with how strongly he travelled through the race despite a couple of mistakes, the combination of those errors and his lengthy absence eventually taking their toll in the latter stages. He looks a banker for something similar over the coming weeks. 

All of which shouldn't detract too much from the performance put up by their conqueror, Houblon des Obeaux (c143p), who defied a penalty for last month's chasing debut win at Worcester to concede weight all round in the Rising Stars with a taking display. Admittedly, the prevailing soft ground certainly suited this confirmed mudlark, but another sure-footed round of jumping was the most pertinent aspect of Saturday's win and he's clearly a smart staying chasing prospect. Indeed, only Sire Collonges (c146p) and Sea of Thunder (c144p) - both entered at Cheltenham this weekend- have run to a higher rating in novice chases on British soil so far this season.

Get open access to Timeform data for just £2.50 a day with Timeform Race Passes. It's like a Form Book, Black Book & Race Card all in one! Find Out More!