As well as excellent action from across the sea, Cheltenham provided some jump racing eye-catchers from their two day Christmas meeting.
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: December 18th 2024
Bo Zenith caught the eye on his first run for Nicky Henderson. Having been practically at the top of Cleeve Hill on the turn from home, he absolutely flew home in the two-mile handicap hurdle to finish third behind Mirabad, who slipped the field. Given connections, you would imagine a Festival handicap is under consideration.
Transmission was once again given a considerate ride over the Prestbury fences. It appears that his main target is the National Hunt Chase and he will be campaigned over hurdles until then. You would most definitely want him on your mind for that race.
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: Awesome Elliott
Patrick Mullins has heaped praise on Kalypso’chance, calling him the best bumper horse he has seen this season from the Willie Mullins yard. The glowing assessment came after the horse delivered an authoritative victory in the Listed bumper, a race that boasts past winners like Don Cossack and Samcro.
The win marked a rare ride for Mullins aboard a Gordon Elliott-trained horse, as Harry Swan, the usual amateur for the Cullentra operation, opted for Classical Creek instead. However, Classical Creek could only manage third place, finishing behind his stablemate.
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: Bowe Beauty
The Bowe family, long associated with iconic front-runners like Limestone Lad and Solerina, returned to winning ways with Glen Kiln. The five-year-old delivered a textbook front-running performance in the 2m4f handicap hurdle under a perfectly judged ride from Brian Hayes.
Representing his brother Michael Bowe, who is currently in hospital, John Bowe expressed his delight at the win: “He comes from the family of Sweet Kiln and Limestone Lad, so it’s special to win here again. Navan has always been lucky for us, but it’s been years since we’ve had a winner here. Glen Kiln is a horse for the future, and we’re thrilled with him.”
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: Nostalgic Navan
It was a nostalgic day at Navan, with memories of the legendary Danoli coming to life as Pat Foley, son of the late trainer Tom Foley, saddled Verdant Place to victory in the 3m handicap chase. Under a perfectly timed ride from Simon Torrens, Verdant Place justified his status as a 3-1 favorite, despite being double that price earlier in the day.
Foley was overjoyed, saying: “This is a brilliant win. Fair play to Simon—he knows the horse inside out and has now won on him three times. He’s not the easiest horse to handle, but Simon doesn’t need any instructions—he just gets the job done.”
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: Crafty Cromwell
The meeting at Navan saw Gavin Cromwell extend his red-hot form, notching a double on the day. Midnight It Is triumphed in the 2m handicap chase at 10-1, while the 10-11 favourite Individualiste claimed victory in the 2m4½f handicap chase. These wins brought Cromwell’s tally to ten winners over the past fortnight, cementing his dominance in recent weeks. Also, across the sea, Stumptown scored in cheeky fashion in the Cross Country, at Cheltenham. A return to HQ in March is on the cards.
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: Leper Lecky
Lecky Watson (10/3) delivered an impressive performance to take the opening beginners’ chase at Naas, holding off the odds-on favourite Slade Steel. Ridden by Paul Townend, the Willie Mullins-trained gelding set the pace early in the extended 2m4f contest, jumping confidently throughout his first chase start. Settled at the front, Lecky Watson showed composure and accuracy over the fences, a significant improvement from his hurdling days.
The 8/15 favorite Slade Steel shadowed him closely but lacked the same fluency in his jumping. The race came down to these two contenders as they approached the final fence. Lecky Watson cleared it smoothly, maintaining his momentum to finish a length and a quarter ahead of Slade Steel.
Jump Racing Eye-Catchers: More Mullins Domination
There was also promise in the performance of Blizzard Of Oz (10/1), another Mullins runner, who stayed on well to claim third, just under two lengths behind his stablemate. This victory marked a notable step forward for Lecky Watson, who had previously finished just half a length behind Slade Steel in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Navan last December.
By Cathryn Fry
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