Review Of January Jumps Action In UK

January can often prove to be something of a damp squib for National Hunt racing following the riches of the festive period, but that hasn’t been the case in the UK this month with plenty of big stories to follow.

The early part of month started with a bang as The Jockey Club announced the potential closure of Kempton Park, but that hasn’t detracted from some fine performances on the track with the Tolworth Hurdle the big Grade 1 at Sandown.

It didn’t look the strongest Grade 1 on paper but we saw a very good winner in the form of Finian’s Oscar. An Irish P2P winner as recently as October, the 5YO was snapped up by Alan and Ann Potts in a big money deal and sent to the all-powerful Colin Tizzard yard. That outlay appears to have been money well spent with his Tolworth win down at 2m a very taking one, with at least half an eye on the Festival.

Finian’s Oscar is clearly a versatile horse with regards trip but at this stage it appears as if the Neptune at Cheltenham would be his likely target, although connections are not ruling out a tilt at the Supreme either.

Neon Wolf is one rival that Finian’s Oscar could lock horns with in March, with the Harry Fry trained novice hurdler another one to make a big impression over the past month. The 6YO stepped up from two facile wins to claim the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial at Haydock during January and it was hard not to be impressed by him. Clearly a chaser of the future, Neon Wolf jumped like a stag over the hurdles before demolishing a good field, and provided there is some ease in the ground at Cheltenham, he is expected to take close order.

We also saw Bristol De Mai emerge as a Gold Cup contender on the same Haydock card as the popular grey routed the field to win the Peter Marsh Chase. The Nigel Twiston-Davies trained chaser jumped and travelled like a classy animal on the front end, and such a performance off a mark of 154 does put him in the ‘lively each-way’ bracket for the Gold Cup.

Trials Day at Cheltenham is always an important meeting for a variety of reasons but it took on even greater significance as we were treated to a bumper card this year, with no less than nine top races to enjoy.

Elation turned to despair for fans of Many Clouds on Trials Day as the former Grand National winner collapsed and died just seconds after winning the Cotswold Chase. The Oliver Sherwood trained horse managed to lower the colours of Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack in a race that will live long in the memory.

For the first time over fences, we saw Thistlecrack under pressure and although he fought all the way up the hill, he was beaten and out-stayed by the better horse on the day. That defeat has seen the Gold Cup market explode back into life with plenty of doubts about the favourite brought to the surface. He remains the most likely winner of the blue riband contest but connections of the Stayers’ Hurdle hero are likely to be praying for good ground in the spring.

Elsewhere on the Trials Day card, we saw Unowhatimeanharry strengthen his position at the top of the Stayers’ Hurdle market with another impressive win. The Harry Fry trained Albert Bartlett winner travelled like a class act before fighting off Cole Harden, who himself impressed up the hill, and plenty are already starting to call the 9YO banker material for the Cheltenham Festival.

Defi Du Seuil took advantage of the absence of Charli Parcs to hack up in the Finesse Hurdle and he now goes to the Triumph Hurdle as the one to beat. It is hard to crab Defi Du Seuil given what he has done this term, but his jumping could be tested under pressure, and when push comes to shove up the hill, he will need to prove he can engage in a battle on the final day of the Festival.

Finally this month, we must mention Wholestone who continued his improvement with a win in the Neptune trial for Nigel Twiston-Davies. Dropping back in trip was a worry for his backers, but he was far too good for the field once again to record his second win on the spin at Prestbury Park. The Albert Bartlett looks the most likely option for him in March and he could well be the main British threat to Death Duty.

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