Saturday Review - 33/1 winner for November Update

It was no surprise to see Willie Mullins dominate day one of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown winning three of the four Grade 1 events. Galopin Des Champs was the headline act and he won the Irish Gold Cup for a third time with another imperious display. The nine year old was claiming his eleventh Grade 1 win as he pulled away on the run-in to score by four and three quarters of a length. It is going to take an exceptional performance to deny the ex-French gelding from winning a third Cheltenham Gold Cup next month. 

Earlier on the card, Final Demand, who is featured in Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers in One Jump Ahead, looked a horse of huge potential as he maintained his unbeaten record in the opening Grade 1 staying novice hurdle. The Walk In The Park gelding had impressed when winning on his Rules debut in a maiden hurdle at Limerick over Christmas and took the rise in class in his stride. Pulling away after the last, he stretched clear to win by a dozen lengths and is understandably a short price favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in March. The runner-up Wingmen couldn't match the winner in the homestraight but will improve again over three miles and has each-way claims at the Festival.

Majborough provided Mullins with his other Grade 1 victory when routing the opposition by upwards of nine lengths in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase and, in doing so, booked his place for the English equivalent at Cheltenham. Prominent from the outset, Mark Walsh's mount soon went to the front and, he produced a few novicey leaps, the manner in which he drew clear after the second last was the sign of a top-class horse. The ex-French gelding left the likes of Firefox and Il Atlantique trailing in his wake along way from home. He is a relentless galloper who devours the ground and his clash with Sir Gino at Prestbury Park promises to be the race of the week. Two superstar five year olds going to head. 

Sandown also staged Grade 1 action with Handstands gaining his third win from four starts over fences in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. The Getaway gelding had already won Grade 2 novice events at the same track and Ffos Las earlier in the season and he showed a terrific attitude to fend off the persistent challenge of Jango Baie. Ben Pauling's charge jumped superbly and thoroughly deserved his win. He is likely to head to Aintree for the Grade 1 novice over either two and a half or three miles. 

St Pancras (33/1) was nominated as a juvenile hurdler to follow in the November Update having been bought for 95,000gns at the Newmarket Horses in Training Sale in October. Rated 86 on the Flat when handled by Richard Hannon and Martyn Meade, the son of Siyouni had finished fifth on his jumping bow at Ascot behind potential star Lulamba and improved on that effort to win the Listed Scottish Triumph Hurdle at Musselburgh by a length and three quarters. 

Mossy Fen Road looked a horse with a bright future when winning the second division of the bumper at Wetherby. Another highlighted in the Irish Pointers, Harry Derham's charge strolled clear inside the final furlong to win hard held. He is a smart prospect for next season and beyond. 

Finally, there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from the two ante-post selections for the Grand National in the February Update. Fingers crossed they take their chance at Aintree and we get a run for our money.