Jango Baie made a superb start to his chasing career with a slick victory in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old bay was a Grade One novice winner over hurdles, with a second-placed point-to-point run further back on his record.
He returned to jumping larger obstacles under rules in the hands of Nico de Boinville at 7-4, with much of the attention on the Paul Nicholls-trained Caldwell Potter, who was sent off the 11-10 favourite.
The latter was at the head of affairs, but Jango Baie had very close tabs on him all the way around and when the field turned for home it was Henderson’s contender who was able to kick on to an impressive win, as Springwell Bay took second and €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter finished third.
Henderson said: “I always think it’s a big test for a novice to come here first time over fences and I don’t like doing it.
“I was going to go to Aintree last Saturday for a three-horse race, but that was off and I was forced into coming here. My rule is not to come here first time, but this fellow is very clever.
“Nico asked him some proper questions for a baby and he got some proper answers as well. For not the biggest horse in the world, he’s got a lot of scope.
“He certainly wasn’t stopping at the end there over two-and-a-half (miles), he galloped right out. He looks a stayer.
“The owner has got Jingko Blue, who put up a smart performance at Uttoxeter a couple of days ago, as well. We are lucky we’ve got some nice novice chasers this year, so we’ve got to see who is two miles and who is three now there’s no two and a half (at the Festival). They’re high-class problems.”
Of Caldwell Potter, whose ownership group, which includes Sir Alex Ferguson, went to a record price for a jumps horse in training to secure the grey in February, Nicholls said: “Harry (Cobden) was thrilled with him, he said he jumped great and has learnt an awful lot today.
“We didn’t learn a massive amount up at Carlisle, his jumping was good and Harry said he definitely wants slower ground than that.
“He could have gone a gear quicker if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to ask too many questions of his jumping. We’ve learnt a lot today and perhaps you wouldn’t be afraid to go back to two miles if it was really testing ground and just let him roll on.
“Today he jumped well, they sprinted up the straight and he was just done for a little bit of toe, but he only had a few runs over hurdles and is learning all the time. I think there’s a lot to come.
“We weren’t going to run him, but we just thought it would be good to get him some experience around here. Rome wasn’t built in a day and Harry said don’t be disappointed, he’ll be fine.”
King Turgeon surges up the Cheltenham hill for Pipe and Tudor
King Turgeon bagged his second big prize of the season when rallying gamely in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
The David Pipe-trained grey already had a victory over the Grand National fences to his name this season in the Grand Sefton.
King Turgeon
Just like at Aintree, Jack Tudor made most of the running but with three furlongs to go he was headed, this time by both Our Power and the favourite, Chianti Classico.
It was Kim Bailey’s Festival winner who led into the straight under his new jockey Ciaran Gethings, but Our Power was pestering him and a few lengths down Tudor had pulled King Turgeon (9-4) wide for another crack.
He began to stay on powerfully up the hill and he ended up running out a convincing three-length winner, with Our Power edging top-weight Chianti Classico for second.
Connections of the winner may not now be too concerned that their initial target, the Becher Chase at Aintree last weekend, was abandoned due to Storm Darragh.
Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 33-1 from 50s for the Grand National.
Skelton runner best by a Country Mile at Cheltenham
Country Mile looked a smart prospect for the Skeltons as he relished getting back on some decent ground when denting some big reputations in the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
The five-year-old finished second to Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Roadlesstravelled at Haydock on Betfair Chase day in the mud, but looked a completely different prospect on a quicker surface.
Country Mile heads for home
Settled well of the pace by Harry Skelton, the Sam Thomas-trained Palacio set a strong early gallop while all eyes were on Nicky Henderson’s French recruit That’s Nice and Gordon Elliott’s Wingmen, who dominated the market.
However, when that pair closed in on the leader, Skelton was still sat motionless on Country Mile (5-1).
That’s Nice found disappointingly little, leaving Wingmen in front but Country Mile was galloping all over him, with his jockey motionless as he sauntered to a seven-and-a-half-length win.
Delighted trainer Dan Skelton said: “It was a surprise to see him win like that really. They obviously went quite hard and he’s loads of ability, hasn’t he?
“He jumped a lot better today. He didn’t jump all that well at Haydock and I think the ground really got to the bottom of him that day as well.
“We knew he had ability, but I thought if he was ever going to win a race of deep quality he’d do it hard. I didn’t think he’d saunter round like that, but they went so quick in front.
“I don’t know what we’ll do with him now, we’ll see what the handicapper does.”
