Handicapper's Corner: Move over Freddie - this weekend's knockout show came from Bobs!

No hype or publicity has been required to fan the flames for what promises to be another intense battle for the trainers' championship between Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson - which is just as well, considering an industrial-strength set of scales would probably be required for any pre-fight weigh-in involving the pair. And unlike Flintoff's agricultural slapping style, Messrs Nicholls and Henderson have been trading quality blows in recent weeks as their dominance of the current National Hunt scene shows no sign of stopping.

Indeed, the pair of them are now responsible for nine of Timeform's 11 top-rated chasers (*see table below), though there have been a couple of significant changes in the pecking order following the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on Saturday, which saw Henderson's Bobs Worth (Timeform rating c175p) maintain the stranglehold that second-season chasers have been enjoying in top prizes this season by defeating the Nicholls-trained top weight Tidal Bay (c174$).

It looked a top-notch renewal of the Hennessy, so a positive view needs to be taken of the form for now, whilst the fact that Bobs Worth seemed to win with extra to spare has been reflected in his rating. His rating is only 2 lb shy of the one posted by Denman in 2007 when claiming the first of two Hennessy wins on his first start outside of novice company. Denman, of course, went on to win Cheltenham Gold Cup later that season and Bobs Worth holds strong claims of following in his footsteps, particularly as he's now Timeform's top-rated staying chaser.

It bears repeating that last season's leading novice chasers were a vintage crop - this weekend should see the reappearances of the only ones not seen out so far this winter, namely Sprinter Sacre (c180p), Sanctuaire (c169) and Sir des Champs (c167p). All of which underlined how good a performance that the mercurial Tidal Bay put up in defeat on Saturday, particularly as he gave 7 lb and a five-length beating to third-placed First Lieutenant (c162).  

The fact that he's retained his Timeform squiggle illustrates we've yet to be fully convinced that he's a reformed character - indeed, he's now vying with the likes of Bird's Nest and Morley Street as the best horse ever to have been awarded a Timeform squiggle! However, that could change if he continues his current burst of reliability and what isn't in doubt is that he's clearly better than ever despite the fact he's now rising 12. He certainly shouldn't be underestimated in top company on the grounds of age alone.

Several others shaped well in the Hennessy, none more so than sixth-placed Teaforthree (c147p), who remains open to improvement once returned to longer trips, particularly if taking up his engagement in the Welsh National at Chepstow later this month.
 
Unfortunately, there wasn't anything like such a strong field for Saturday's other big race, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. To compound matters, the very testing conditions which prevailed at Gosforth Park seemed to take their toll on three of the four runners, so the percentage call is to take a conservative view of what impressive winner Countrywide Flame (h157) achieved. Admittedly, last season's Triumph Hurdle winner has been better than ever on the Flat this autumn, so it's not out of the question he'll develop into a live Champion Hurdle contender, but as things stand he's got much more to find on form with the likes of Hurricane Fly (h173), Rock On Ruby (h171) and Zarkandar (h167) than the current ante-post odds suggest.

As for Newcastle runner-up Cinders And Ashes (h152), he was almost certainly some way below his best on Saturday, shaping as if the combination of testing ground and the lack of a recent outing found him out. Indeed, although he has several heavy-ground wins on his CV, there must be a chance that this Flat-bred gelding is ideally suited by less testing surfaces and he's worth another chance to confirm the pick of his novice form granted such conditions.

*TIMEFORM'S TOP-RATED CHASERS
SPRINTER SACRE c180p Nicky Henderson
BOBS WORTH c175p Nicky Henderson
TIDAL BAY c174$ Paul Nicholls
FINIAN'S RAINBOW c174 Nicky Henderson
LONG RUN c173 Nicky Henderson
SIZING EUROPE c172 Henry de Bromhead, Ireland
RIVERSIDE THEATRE c170 Nicky Henderson
AL FEROF c169p Paul Nicholls
CUE CARD c169+ Colin Tizzard
SILVINIACO CONTI c169+ Paul Nicholls
SANCTUAIRE c169 Paul Nicholls
SIR DES CHAMPSS c167p Willie Mullins