Irish domination apparent in Hunters' Chase entries as exciting types set to appear at the weekend

Entries for the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase were revealed this week and indicate the strength in Ireland’s challenge.

Last year’s winner, the Bradley Gibbs-trained Premier Magic, is batting for the home team, but horses trained in Ireland fill the first three places in betting lists and the seven-year-olds Ferns Lock and Its On The Line have age on their side. Why Ferns Lock is favourite ahead of Its On The Line, who was second in the Hunters’ Chase last year, is a surprise to me. 

Its On The Line is quirky, as he showed on his latest start when almost gifting a race to Billaway, but he has beaten Ferns Lock this season and scores on stamina. There is no reason to suggest Premier Magic cannot win again, but the home team’s defence was weakened when progressive seven-year-old Tigerbythetail missed qualification when falling while clear at Fakenham recently, and his Tom Ellis-trained stablemate Fairly Famous has not hit top stride yet this season.

He runs in a point-to-point on Sunday, but is not entered for Cheltenham. Good ground would help Time Leader, although Aintree might suit him better, while course-and-distance winner Quintin’s Man, a seven-year-old trained on the edge of Dartmoor by John Heard, is better than some of his runs this season suggest. A big horse who will not be hindered whatever the ground, he can be backed at 33-1 in places and is a fair choice for each-way punters.

Statistics are against the three mares in the field, all trained in Britain, one of whom, Highway Jewel, is set to run at Didmarton tomorrow. The last time a mare won was in 1969 when Queen’s Guide, trained in County Durham by farmer Willie Wade, was ridden to victory by his son Geoffrey. On recent form, the most likely heroine this year is Sine Nomine, jointly-owned and trained by Catterick manager Fiona Needham. 

Put aside a defeat at Cheltenham last year by Miss Seagreen – who is also in the Hunters’ Chase – and Sine Nomine has been quietly progressive. Needham says: “I always thought she was good enough, but was beginning to doubt myself until she won at Wetherby, beating Bennys King. After his win on Tuesday [at Leicester] I’m feeling better.” 

Bennys King beat the Gordon Elliott-trained Hardline, who has form against some of Ireland’s best hunters, by 23 lengths, suggesting Sine Nomine’s challenge is not without hope. 

Weekend preview

Taunton hunter chase winner Regatta De Blanc is among a number of quality pointers set to run this weekend. Owner Rupert Swallow, who heads The Pendil Partnership, says the six-year-old will run under trainer Will Biddick at Charlton Horethorne where she is likely to face just a handful of rivals in the mixed open race.

Biddick, who is riding as well as ever, but – despite 17 winners this season – is nine adrift of James King in the men’s title race, can also take the restricted race on Summer Jam. Cullever Steps, a sister to Cheltenham Festival hopeful Quintin’s Man, is among a number of interesting prospects in the young-horse maiden race.

Olive Nicholls is today hoping to gain medical clearance to return to race riding, and if successful she could partner old faithful Shantou Flyer and the very promising Mr Glass at Didmarton, where Fier Jaguen will be hard to beat in the mixed open race.

At the same meeting, Martin Keighley’s son Freddie makes his point-to-point debut. Freddie, who turned four on Thursday – well, it is a Leap Year – but officially 16, rides the 15-year-olds Sametegal and Mr Mafia, trained by his mum Belinda. She has been box walking all week, and says: “I’m a control freak so I’ll drive the lorry there to make sure we arrive, but someone else will have to drive home.”

An interesting mixed open race at Brafield-on-the-Green could fall to the Tom Ellis-trained Master Templar, although Ragnar Lodbrok and Rebel Dawn Rising are serious dangers, while Ellis is also taking runners to Charm Park’s Yorkshire Jockeys’ Club meeting. He plans to run Fairly Famous in one of the two open races, but only if the ground is not too soft, while his Latenightrumble tackles the intermediate race.

John Dawson trains and rides Wottinger in the restricted race, but that means Nick Orpwood steps in for the spin on Red Delta, who trainer Fiona Needham describes as, “nice, but still a baby”. Red Delta won nicely at Duncombe Park and can follow up.

Saturday
Brafield-on-the-Green, Northants, NN7 2BD – first race 1.00. 6 races, 73 entries
Buckfastleigh, Devon – postponed to March 10
Didmarton, Glos, GL9 1EA – 1.00. 6 races, 114 entries

Sunday
Ampton, Suffolk, IP31 1NS – 1.00. 7 races, 66 entries
Charlton Horethorne, Dorset, DT9 4LJ – 1.00. 6 races, 62 entries
Charm Park, Yorkshire, YO13 9QU – 12.30. 7 races, 116 entries

More information at pointtopoint.co.uk and gopointing.com

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