JACOB RIDES A REAL CRACKER
Bristol fashions repeat win
JUMP RACING’S super heavyweights Might Bite and Native River were left reeling by a knockout blow from underdog Bristol De Mai in a thrilling Betfair Chase.
The Grade One contest at Haydock was meant to be a rematch between the Cheltenham Gold Cup’s top two.
But Nigel Twiston-Davies’ flying grey was fitter and slicker over the fences to win the race for the second year running.
Daryl Jacob made most of the running on the winner who outjumped his four rivals. All five had a chance turning into the home straight but Might Bite was the first beaten.
Gold Cup winner Native River plugged on to be second with stablemate Thistlecrack a gallant third on his comeback run. Clan Des Obeaux was fourth with Might Bite trailing in the last of five.
Some jockeys and trainers were critical of the size and stiffness of the Haydock fences but Twiston-Davies was not complaining.
The race was the first leg of the Jockey Club’s £1million Chase Triple Crown and Twiston-Davies said he would aim Bristol De Mai at the second leg – the King George on Boxing Day.
He joked: “Hopefully they will stiffen the fences at Kempton on Boxing Day.
“It’s more fun in life being the underdog. When you know you can’t win, it’s great when you do.
“Bristol De Mai is always brilliant first time out. We had him fit. Maybe the others weren’t fit, I don’t know.”
In March, Native River and Might Bite produced one of the best equine battles in history. Native River was the winner on points after an attritional battle up the hill at Cheltenham on heavy ground.
But they had to play second fiddle yesterday and Might Bite’s run left jockey Nico de Boinville and trainer Nicky Henderson perplexed.
De Boiville said: “I don’t think the fences were fair. They were too stiff.
“He reverted to type a bit there and we will have to get him back home and get him slick and quick over his fences. He was being a bit careful.”
Henderson said: “He was ponderous over his fences. They built big fences for today and he was not the only one of my horses who they caught out.”