Pryde and joy as Treshnish triumphs
Musselburgh winner eyes Kelso prize Russell’s mudlark has Haydock shout
Treshnish earned himself a tilt at Grade Two company by landing the feature race at Musselburgh.
Trained by Sue Smith and ridden by Danny Cook, the 3-1 chance saw off Asum by two lengths in the Gerry Mcgladery is 50 Handicap Hurdle.
Owner Douglas Pryde, who also saw his colours carried by Grand National hero Auroras Encore, said: “He didn’t enjoy the heavy ground at Haydock last time and this going suited him much better. We are looking at the Premier Hurdle at Kelso for him next month and he has the potential to be the best horse I’ve ever had.”
Lucinda Russell saddled a double with Derek Fox-ridden Misfits and Jump For Dough partnered by Tom Willmott.
The latter was following up a recent all-the-way success when storming away with the Happy 50th Birthday Gerry Mcgladery Handicap Hurdle by six lengths.
Selkirk-born Willmott said: “That’s my fourth winner so I will lose the right to claim 10lb after one more win. This horse loves racing and he jumps for fun. He really is a great ride and I wouldn’t be afraid to run him on a left-handed course.”
Meanwhile, Russell can enjoy more success today at Haydock where Forest Des Aigles’ fondness for a ruck in the muck should serve him very well in the Peter Marsh Chase. The seven-year-old has plenty to find on the ratings, but he is in pretty inspirational form, having won his last three races over fences.
The expectancy, too, is that he is still progressing ahead of what will be just his ninth start since thoughts turned to chasing. Forest Des Aigles has gone up 21lb since his winning spree began at Hexham in October, but above all else with this race in mind is his expertise on heavy ground.
Conditions are likely to be pretty desperate on Merseyside, which must surely be a worry for a good chunk of the field.
Not so Forest Des Aigles, who cannot have it wet enough. And after having proven his stamina with a fine success over three miles at Bangor in mid-december, everything looks in place for a big show.
Un De Sceaux is expected to put the novice Brain Power firmly in his place when he goes for a third consecutive victory in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
Brain Power has been the talking horse in the build-up to the Grade One, with the bookmakers desperate to tell us about the big-money gamble on him.
But Un De Sceaux has been there and done it all before and is unlikely to be too ruffled by this latest pretender to the crown.
Willie Mullins’ ten-year-old is arguably one of the most underrated jumps horses in training.
Despite having won an extraordinary number of races, seven of which at the highest level, he rarely gets a mention in the same bracket as the more-vaunted leviathans from the Mullins yard.
There is, of course, little argument he is better when the mud is flying, so the forecast for further wintry showers in Berkshire will be greeted with quiet satisfaction at Closutton.