Saturday Review

Alan King claimed his fifth win in the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton with Tritonic maintaining his unbeaten record over obstacles with a ten lengths success. Rated 99 on the Flat, there is no doubt the gelded son of Sea The Moon is a talented horse and he readily pulled clear after the last to win impressively. However, I am not convinced he should be as short as 3/1 in places for the Triumph Hurdle and still feel he needs to improve to trouble Zanahiyr. There is an argument for saying the stiffer track at Cheltenham will suit Tritonic and there is less emphasis on jumping on the New course at Prestbury Park, plus he was a superior horse on the level compared to Gordon Elliott's four year old. It is worth recalling though Solo produced a similar performance in the Adonis twelve months ago only to disappoint a few weeks later at the Festival. In terms of form and jumping technique, Zanahiyr warrants his place at the top of the ante-post market. It is ten years since Zarkandar completed the Adonis / Triumph Hurdle double.

The other juvenile hurdler who caught the eye on Saturday was the unbeaten Teahupoo at Fairyhouse. Contesting the same Grade 3 event which Burning Victory landed en route to Triumph Hurdle success, the ex-French gelding had been left clear at the last on his first run for Gordon Elliott over the same course and distance last month. On this occasion, the Masked Marvel gelding didn't need any assistance as he strolled clear to win by seven lengths. It remains to be seen whether he will line up at Cheltenham - I suspect he will swerve the meeting and kept at home for the Fairyhouse and Punchestown Festivals. The four year old appears to have size and scope and will have no trouble jumping fences one day. Indeed, he would be an exciting novice chaser next winter receiving an age allowance. His jumping and galloping are his biggest assets.  

Teahupoo, who was bought by agent Alex Elliott on behalf of Robcour, was featured in the November Update and so, too, was Cape Gentleman (5/2). The Irish Cesarewitch winner had won on his hurdles debut at Punchestown in December before disappointing in Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. Emmet Mullins' five year old was back to winning ways in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton as he outbattled another ex-Flat racer Calico by three parts of a length. Entered in the Ballymore and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, he may be the sort to win a decent handicap over timber as opposed to a top level event. 

Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers continue in superb form with Guardino (3/1) landing the bumper at the Sunbury track. Ben Pauling's charge, who finished runner-up in his only point for Denis Murphy before changing hands for £170,000, had finished a well held third in a bumper at Carlisle in late November. Absent since, the Authorized gelding benefited from a break and the better ground before staying on strongly to beat another former pointer Unanswered Prayers by a neck.