Living Des dream
IT’S HAT-TRICK FOR MESSIRE DES OBEAUX
ALAN KING is already dreaming of what Messire Des Obeaux may do over fences next year.
Having made a winning reappearance in a Bangor handicap before claiming a Grade Two prize at Sandown, King’s charge was chasing a hat-trick in the Betfred Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
The 100-30 chance travelled powerfully throughout the Grade One showpiece – won in the past by the likes of Denman and Grand National hero Bindaree – in the hands of Daryl Jacob and cruised to the lead between the final two flights as pacesetting outsider Major Mac began to falter.
Gordon Elliott’s Irish challenger Baltazar D’Allier emerged as a threat jumping the final obstacle, but Messire Des Obeaux kept up the gallop on the run-in to score by two lengths in the two-mile-five-furlong contest.
Robin Roe, the strongly-supported 7-4 favourite, was just beginning to make his move when he came to grief at the third-last.
King said: “I felt it was one of the best Challow Hurdles for some time.
“I was hopeful he’d run well, but I certainly wasn’t confident he’d win.
“I’ve said all year I can’t wait to see him over fences next season, but he is not doing too badly over hurdles. He might well go to Cheltenham at the end of January for trials day.”
Rebecca Curtis has Grand National ambitions for Potters Cross as he made the most of a step back up in trip in the Betfred Mandarin Handicap Chase, giving amateur rider James King a notable Saturday success.
The 11-2 winner earned a 50-1 quote for Aintree with BetVictor and Curtis said: “I’d love to have a go at the National with him, as I think he is tailor-made for it. “He needs to go up in the weights, but we don’t want him to go up to much.”
Final Choice might line up at Cheltenham in March after he gave the Jockey Club Ownership syndicate their first winner when going one better than on his debut in the Betfred “£5K BTO Cash Draw Today” Juvenile Hurdle.
The three-year-old stuck to the task well in the extended two-mile affair, pulling clear of early pace-setter Siruh Du Lac by eight lengths in the hands of Gavin Sheehan.
Trainer Warren Greatrex said of the 8-1 chance: “Maybe we can look at something on trials day at Cheltenham and if he proves he is not going to embarrass everyone then we might have a day out in the Triumph.”