Bossman Jack another useful novice for Top 40

Jump racing returned in the UK on Thursday with Ffos Las and Taunton staging seven race cards. The most interesting race of the day was the opening two miles novice hurdle at the former track with Top 40 entries Bossman Jack and Starzand going head to the head. Indeed, the pair dominated the event once the pushed along Blowers departed at the third last and victory went to Dan Skelton's six year old. The Jack Hobbs gelding, who is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Gidleigh Park, had shaped promisingly on his hurdles debut at Warwick in November finishing third behind the sidelined Cristal D'Estruval. The form of that race had worked out well and, in receipt of seven pounds from the Philip Hobbs & Johnson White trained runner, he took advantage leading inside the final furlong. A length and three quarters separated the pair with twenty six lengths back to the third. While the testing ground was something of an unknown, Bossman Jack looks an out and out two miler at the moment, whereas Starzand is very much a stayer and the Skelton runner had too much speed for his market rival. Expected to improve with racing, the winner looks an ideal candidate for a valuable handicap in the spring - the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr in April could be tailormade for the lightly raced gelding. His stable won it with another novice Ch'tibello in 2016. It won't be long before Starzand returns to winning ways when returning to further in future.

Evan Williams has endured a frustrating spell - no winners for nearly a month - and that continued when Juby Ball came down at the third last in the two miles three novices' handicap chase later on the same card. Racing beyond the minimum trip for the first time, the half-brother to Fifty Ball had won on his fencing bow at Carlisle in late November and was expected to maintain his unbeaten record over the larger obstacles here. Racing off 129, he had jumped soundly and was still full of running when hitting the deck. This was one which got away and hopefully it won't be long before regular rider Adam Wedge is back on board. Soft ground brings out the best in the seven year old and he remains a potentially very good chaser. 

The entries for the eight Grade 1 races at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown (31st January & 1st February) were published on Thursday. The novice hurdles, in particular, make for interesting reading, especially the juvenile hurdle on the opening day.