Big Saturday winners can mean more than Cheltenham and Calico demonstrates Skelton's placing prowess

The week began with confirmation that dual Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle would go to the Mares' Hurdle for her final race before retirement and there was concern over the lack of British-trained entries in the Grand National. There were upsets galore at Newbury on Saturday with every favourite beaten, but Jonbon avoided a long odds-on defeat in a match on the same day at Warwick. Here are three things we learned from the past seven days in racing . . .

1. Never discount Philip Hobbs

Since Racing Post records began in 1988 this is the first year Philip Hobbs failed to send out a winner in January. The trainer is operating at a strike-rate of nine per cent this season, his lowest since the 1988-89 campaign, so Zanza’s shock win in the Denman Chase on Saturday provided a timely reminder that it would be foolish to underestimate Hobbs.

Success for the 16-1 shot in the Newbury Grade 2 brought up a landmark 3,000th career winners for Hobbs, who became the 12th British-based trainer to achieve the feat. While he may not currently have the numbers to saddle a century of winners in a season – a feat he has achieved on 14 occasions – the 67-year-old can still dine at the top table.

Thyme Hill’s Kauto Star Novices' Chase victory on Boxing Day was a 28th Grade 1 winner during a 38-year training career for Hobbs, who will be joined by longtime assistant Johnson White on the licence in the near future. The pair have Thyme Hill to look forward to in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

2. Big Saturday successes can mean so much more than Cheltenham Festival winners

There is a relentless focus on the Cheltenham Festival, but Chris Gordon’s pride at landing Newbury’s feature Betfair Hurdle highlighted how major Saturday handicaps still resonate deeply with the sport’s participants.

Gordon said success for Aucunrisque was “better than winning any handicap at the Cheltenham Festival”. The £155,000 prize was bigger than any on offer in the nine handicaps at the festival next month, but this was about more than monetary value.

Chris Gordon: enjoyed a Saturday ITV double at Newbury with Annual Invictus and AucunrisqueCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gordon fondly recalled when the race was called the Schweppes Gold Trophy, and was clearly moved with personal and professional satisfaction at landing a handicap he said had the reputation of being won only by “clever” and “shrewd” trainers. Having son Freddie ride a winner for him on Annual Invictus in a supporting race in front of the ITV cameras also helped contribute to what he described as “one of the best days of my career”. 

The Cheltenham Festival will always be the pinnacle, but staples of the Saturday jumps calendar like the Betfair Hurdle can still produce life-long memories and career highlights.

3. Calico another sign of Skelton's placing prowess

Dan Skelton has a knack of finding good opportunities for picking up valuable prize-money in Graded races, which was demonstrated again at Warwick on Saturday. Calico earned £11,753.50 for chasing home Jonbon in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices’ Chase, over two grand more than he earned when winning a Southwell handicap on his previous start.

Of course, Skelton wasn’t to know Haddex Des Obeaux and Bass Rock would defect on raceday to make it a match, but it was still an example of the shrewd placing the trainer has proved a dab hand at.

Earlier this season, 129-rated hurdler Uhtred picked up £10,700 for finishing third in the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle. The presence of Constitution Hill in the race put off most connections, only for the Champion Hurdle favourite to be withdrawn due to unsuitable ground.

Maracudja collected £16,050 for his third behind Defi Du Seuil and Un De Sceaux in the 2020 Clarence House Chase, while 50-1 shot Solomon Grey earned £7,490 as the infamous duel between Cyrname and Altior unfolded 63 lengths ahead of him in Ascot’s 1965 Chase in 2019.

With small field sizes a common occurrence in Graded races, placing like this will help Skelton towards his long-term ambition to become champion trainer. Who knows: if they run as well as Calico did, some enterprising runners may even nick first prize rather than just place money.

Read these next:

Philip Hobbs hits 3,000 career wins as Zanza springs 16-1 surprise  

'It's better than winning any handicap at Cheltenham' - Aucunrisque foils Filey Bay for Chris Gordon  

Tom Segal had a 16-1 winner on Saturday - get 50% off for three months 

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