An Albert Bartlett dark horse, all-weather in the ITV spotlight and a potential British Arkle winner - three things we learned this week

Lingfield's Winter Million festival headlined the best of the action that was able to beat the freezing temperatures, while Allaho was arguably the biggest superstar on show at Thurles on Sunday. Here are three key takeaways from the week . . .

I will be looking at Baie

Navan's Saturday card managed to go ahead after surviving multiple inspections and there was some informative action, including the win of Minella Cocooner in the beginners' chase.

However, the maiden hurdle won by My Trump Card might be worth examining further. Bective Stud's six-year-old did not jump with any great fluency and probably hit the front soon enough, but he battled on bravely to beat a potentially smart rival with wide intervals back to the rest.

It is little surprise Gordon Elliott sees the winner as an Albert Bartlett type, but the performance perhaps highlights the claims of a novice trained by Willie Mullins, who is flying under the radar a little.

My Trump Card was comfortably put in his place at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day by I Will Be Baie, with a further 38 lengths back to the third. Based on three runs in summer bumpers and David Casey's comments afterwards, I Will Be Baie will likely be suited by better spring ground. He is entered at the Dublin Racing Festival and a 25-1 shot for the Albert Bartlett. I have seen worse ante-post options.
Matt Butler

All-weather to the rescue again – and provides one to watch on the turf too

As was the case this time last year, freezing temperatures caused a spate of abandonments that meant no jump racing took place in Britain on Friday or Saturday – and yet again it was down to the all-weather to keep the show on the road.

Wolverhampton had four races shown on ITV3 on Friday, while more than 2,000 happy punters braved a chilling wind at Lingfield, a track that did the heavy lifting when it came to the terrestrial coverage on Saturday, and were treated to a sensational victory from Oh So Grand in the feature Winter Oaks.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the four-year-old showed a devastating turn of foot to leave a good field in her wake and her jockey Jack Mitchell a little lost for words, although he did describe her progression as "mind-blowing" and her change of gear as "electric".

Oh So Grand is destined for great things when the turf season clicks into gear, with Simon Crisford targeting "some fancy races in the summer", and is just the latest reminder to all who need to hear it that you do see top-class horses on the all-weather – it isn't just low-grade stuff.
Harry Wilson

JPR One no forlorn Arkle hope after Lightning success

Allaho shrugged off any suggestions his powers were on the wane with a comfortable win at Thurles on Sunday, and 90 minutes later L’Homme Presse returned from a 13-month absence with a hard-fought success in the Fleur de Lys Chase at Lingfield. In victory, both horses strengthened claims for races at the Cheltenham Festival. 

JPR One earned far fewer plaudits when landing the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase but, make no mistake about it, Joe Tizzard’s seven-year-old is quietly developing into an Arkle contender.

His career had been slightly stop-start since finishing last of five finishers in the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle won by Constitution Hill, but his victory at Lingfield suggested he may prove to be the best of this season's two-mile British novice chasers.

Late jumping errors cost JPR One at Cheltenham and Sandown but he was far more assured over his fences in the Lightning and, although the winning distance was only half a length, he did idle on the run-in and looked value for further.

Bookmakers cut JPR One to 16-1 (from 50) for the Arkle after that win, but even those odds look too big in what looks a below-average race.
Joe Eccles

Read these next:

'Today was the best we’ve seen him' - JPR One lands Lightning after chaotic first-fence collision wipes out leading contender 

Nicky Henderson praises Winter Million fixture changes calling switch to Windsor 'proper good news' 

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