Ratings Update: Alan King for a day

The logical place to start is the Festival Trials meeting at Cheltenham last Saturday, which featured five graded races on its seven-race card. The best performance on the card—and of the last seven days, in fact—from a ratings perspective came from Smad Place in the BetBright Trial Chase (otherwise known as the Cotswold or Argento) as he beat Many Clouds by twelve lengths, with Theatre Guide finishing placed behind Smad Place for the second start running (third in Hennessy).

Smad Place proved better than ever—now rated 169 from 165—as he jumped well from the front before staying on strongly, and his campaign so far as a nine-year-old this term has been another feather in the cap of his excellent trainer Alan King. However, Smad Place was seen to maximum effect with the very testing ground exaggerating the margin between himself and Many Clouds, and he’s going to have more on his plate up against the likes of Don Cossack (183), Cue Card (181) and probably Vautour (180p) in the Gold Cup, especially if conditions are more typical of Cheltenham in March.

Many Clouds ran respectably (5 lb off his master rating of 168) and was possibly not quite as fully tuned up as the winner. A second National win is still very much on the cards for him, and he’s reportedly more likely to stop off at Kelso for a minor event rather than Cheltenham for the Gold Cup (not at his best when second favourite last year) on the way.

The odds-on Djakadam fell at Cheltenham for the second time in three starts there, departing much too soon to say whether or not he would have won and returning with a cut which required stitches. He should still be able to take his chance in the Gold Cup, but he’s now 5/1 for the race (same connections’ Vautour the new favourite) and has had something to find with the form principals for a while, despite the fact he finished runner-up to Coneygree last year.

Thistlecrack’s performance in the Cleeve Hurdle was right behind Smad Place’s in the BetBright Trial, and Colin Tizzard’s charge remains on a rating of 167p. Thistlecrack made the most of a good opportunity, with his chief market rival Camping Ground failing to stay, doing so with plenty in hand, and he’s clearly the one beat in the World Hurdle (the second highest-rated staying hurdler is 164-rated Dedigout, but he’s yet to return this season).

Martin Keighley did nothing wrong when he trained Annacotty, winning the Grade 1 Feltham with him as a novice, but it’s hard to ignore the fact the eight-year-old has won two of his three starts since joining Alan King, taking his form to a new level with winning the freebets.com Trophy Chase (Handicap) on the Cheltenham card. Annacotty had won the same race in 2015 (off 7 lb lower mark), as well as the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November on his first outing for his new stable.

Perhaps the two big factors in Annacotty’s latest win were the seven-week break (following his sixth in the December Gold Cup) and the return to positive tactics that had shown him to best advantage in the past (strongly-run race when held up in the Paddy Power). It will be interesting to see whether he can defy an inevitable hike in the weights (pulled a long way clear of the third here with Tenor Nivernais who improved 4 lb to 150).

King’s Odyssey won the latest renewal of the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, in which Annacotty finished runner-up in 2014. King’s Odyssey progressed again (now 146p from 140p) on his third start over fences and he appeals as a good long-term prospect, with his ability to handle testing ground so well suggesting races such as the Paddy Power or Hennessy next winter could become targets (if they aren’t already).

Yet another horse to impress at Cheltenham was Yanworth who gave the Alan King yard its third winner on the card, following Smad Place and Annacotty, as he hacked up in the Classic Novices’ Hurdle. Yanworth hadn't shaped as if he needed the three-furlong longer trip, but he showed himself more than fully effective over it with one of the most impressive displays in a graded novice outside the Festivals in recent seasons (now rated 158p). The one minor concern was Yanworth's jinking going into the third-last, but he’s open to further improvement and will undoubtedly be hard to beat whatever his targets for the rest of the season.

There was a surprise in the opening Triumph Hurdle Trial as Protek des Flos, the lesser-fancied of two French recruits making their debuts for Nicky Henderson in the race, stayed on to beat the favourite Clan des Obeaux (remains on 141p). Protek des Flos’s new rating is 137p, and he’ll likely to be aimed at the Triumph after this, though he would probably benefit from some more experience in the meantime. The other Henderson runner Consul de Thaix (133p) wasn’t beaten far in third and looks a sure-fire future winner.

The Henderson yard were also successful up at Doncaster on Saturday with Vaniteux in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase over two miles. Vaniteux had had plenty in his favour, conditions spot on at a track where he'd won over hurdles and receiving 4 lb from his main rivals (including Shaneshill who was let down by jumping), and he didn't need to improve to record a first graded win of his career (rating raised 1 lb to 153). Both the Arkle and JLT are possible Cheltenham targets for Vaniteux, with the fact he was a winner on soft ground at almost two and a half miles as a novice hurdler highlighting he shouldn't have a problem going back up in trip.

There were also wins over the last few days for Fixe Le Kap and Buveur d’Air from the Henderson stable, the former now rated 146p and a general second favourite for the Triumph and the latter now rated 147P and one of the main dangers to Min in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (the Dovecote at Kempton possibly one final port of call beforehand).

A good week for Nicky Henderson was also a good week for his former assistant Ben Pauling, with the icing on the cake provided by Barters Hill‘s win in the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster. Barters Hill isn't overly flashy in how he goes about things as a rule and his latest success (his sixth from as many starts) was a workmanlike, rather idle display, and he didn’t need to match the level of form he ran to in the mud at Newbury four weeks earlier (remains rated 151P). As expected, Barters Hill had no problem with the step up to three miles even having set a strong pace and will be the one to beat in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, though he could do with a cleaner round of jumping if he’s to fulfil all of his undoubted potential this spring.

Pauling’s other notable winners came at Kempton where Local Show (143p) followed up from his winning chase debut with another resolute front-running display over fences, beating Onenightinvienna at Kempton, and A Hare Breath resumed winning ways in a novice hurdle on the same card. The National Hunt Chase is now a realistic target for Local Show, while it would be no surprise to see A Hare Breath hold good claims in one of the handicap hurdles at the Festival.  

In a week that has featured plenty of talking points, despite several abandonments, mentions should also go to smooth Sky Bet Chase winner Ziga Boy (up from 133 to 138 and another notable winner for Alan King) and potential Cheltenham Festival handicap chase contender Doctor Harper (now 139p). While over in Ireland, Smashing (150+) made the most of a much easier task after the fall of his main market rival Avant Tout (145p) in a listed race at Thurles, Limini (135p)showed why she was ante-post favourite for the new mares’ novice hurdle at the Festival when winning a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse and Felix Yonger edged his rating up from 162 to 164 when beating last month’s fortunate Dial-A-Bet Chase winner Flemenstar (162) in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown.

Finally, there was another “des Flos” who scored last weekend, with Balko des Flos (120p) duly leaving his hurdling debut well behind when winning at Punchestown. He looks a good prospect for the Willie Mullins yard, as does Battleford (102p) who made a winning bumper debut on the same card and will now reportedly bid to enhance his trainer’s fine record in the Champion Bumper.