Top 40 winner Heron In The Park (85/40)

Former champion trainer Nicky Henderson stole the headlines on Saturday with a big race across the card double. Jonbon claimed his eleventh Grade 1 victory when winning the Clarence House Chase at Ascot for a second successive year. The ten year old was forced to dig deep though only collaring the admirable Thistle Ask on the run-in. The Cheltenham Festival is likely to be next with a decision to be made over whether he lines up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase in a bid to end his March hoodoo (0 from 3). The latter would seem the more likely, although J.P.McManus has Fact To File earmarked for the middle distance contest and Majborough is also entered in both. One can't feeling for the runner-up at Ascot who was seeking to extended his winning run to six races. Harry Skelton's mount gave his all taking both Gidleigh Park and Il Etait Temps out of their comfort zone from an early stage. Still in front approaching the last, he was run out it soon after the final fence going down by three lengths. It was a valiant effort by the nine lengths claiming another £51,021 in prize-money. It remains to be seen whether Cheltenham will suit but the Celebration Chase at Sandown in late April looks tailormade for Dan Skelton's charge. 

The Seven Barrows team have won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle on five occasions and Henderson is now responsible for the ante-post for the 2026 version following Old Park Star's eighteen lengths win in the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle at Haydock. The Well Chosen gelding, who was bought for €120,000 as a store by Paul Nicholls, failed to win any of his three outings in bumpers last term. However, he has proved a different proposition since jumping obstacles scoring at Kempton and Cheltenham before producing an even better display at the Merseyside track. Always to the fore, the six year old bounded clear in the homestraight to provide Henderson with his seven win in the contest - none of which followed up in the Festival opener, although Amaretto Rose (2007) and Jonbon (2022) were placed. Everything about the performance was impressive, including the time, but it remains to be seen whether he can cope with the speed of El Cairos and co.

In terms of One Jump Ahead, it was a productive afternoon with Top 40 entry Heron In The Park finally showing what she is capable of over timber. Too keen on her first two outings over hurdles, Tom George's ex-pointer fell at Kempton last time. However, champion jockey Sean Bowen appeared to make a huge difference managing to anchor the mare in behind the leaders at Taunton, settling much better and then picking up when asked for her challenge between the final two flights. Forced to battle, the daughter of Walk In The Park managed to get the better of Beauty In The Park by half a length with the pair clear. Her jockey feels she will stay further with the mares' final at Newbury (21st March) an option. Unlikely to harshly treated, she will hopefully enjoy a productive spring.

As discussed, Willie Mullins' bumper horses appear to be clicking into gear and further evidence was provided by The Irish Avatar who ran away with the concluding event at Navan. Featured in Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers article in One Jump Ahead, the Poet's Word gelding had finished runner-up in his point for Colin Bowe before changing hands for £200,000 last spring. Reported to have taken time to come to hand, the five year old stretched away in the closing stages to register a nine lengths victory. Vying for ante-post favouritism for the Cheltenham Festival bumper, as a result, he is another bright prospect for Closutton.

Finally, the decision to include an interview with Sam Thomas in the Christmas Special has been fully vindicated with the Gold Cup winning jockey sending out a double at Ascot on Saturday. Vincenzo (6/4) gained a much deserved success in a valuable handicap following two near misses at Cheltenham towards the end of last year, when running on dourly to win the £100,000 handicap over two miles five. Sam commented on page 12 re Whiskey Yankee: "Full brother to Ed Keeper, he is a very nice horse with an excellent pedigree...... He is a lovely young horse with a lot of potential." The Hunter's Light gelding duly won the concluding novice hurdle at the Berkshire track on his first spin over obstacles at the rewarding odds of 14/1 We can't say we weren't told.

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