DINO HAS THE POWER
FRENCH raider Master Dino has the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham as his target after an impressive win at Plumpton yesterday.
Master Dino, who was the first winner in Britain for trainer Guillaume Macaire since December 2012, is also on course for a £60,000 bonus if he wins at the Festival.
The 11-10 favourite never allowed frontrunning second-favourite Knocknanuss too much slack out in front and after attacking at the second-last, powered home to a sevenlength success.
Keen
Macaire quickly confirmed the exciting fiveyear-old will run next at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase before taking on the twoand-a-half mile JLT in March, rather than the Arkle Trophy.
“In my opinion, the Arkle could be too fast for him,” said Macaire. “He used to be a bit keen at home, but I’ve worked a lot on relaxing him.
“I will enter him in the Arkle, but the target is the middle distance. That’s the logical step.
“The ground is rarely deep at Cheltenham, so this experience will be very useful – because he’s shown he’s able to follow a good pace but also has stamina.” Knocknanuss tried to pile on the pressure along the back straight but Daryl Jacob, the owners’ retained rider standing in for Master Dino’s injured regular James Reveley, had the situation under control.
“Jamie Moore went very quick up front on Knocknanuss – but this is a good horse,” said Jacob.
“Everything was against him today – track, the ground – and he still pulled up on top.”
The Two Amigos continued his upward curve under top weight with a fine weight-carrying performance in the Sky Sports Racing Sussex National.
Somerset trainer Nicky Martin had had second thoughts about the cross-country trek because of drying ground at the Sussex course, but her seven-year-old led throughout under Matt Griffiths to beat Calin Du Brizais by two and a quarter lengths.
Martin said of the 11-8 favourite: “I’m absolutely delighted. We point-to-pointed him all last season and he absolutely loved it. We worked out that was the way to run him, just let him bowl on at his own speed.
“I’d love to run him at Cheltenham, but I don’t know that the ground will be soft enough for him there.”