Ben Jones (photographed) landed Sandown’s Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase on Handstands, another from the Ben Pauling conveyor belt of classy novices. He set a fair pace for this 2m4f contest on heavy going, knowing his mount had won over three miles and that his chief rivals didn’t have equally great reserves of stamina. He didn’t put a foot wrong and repelled the challenge of the favourite Jango Baie by galloping determinedly up the hill to win by a short head. Jones praised the horse after the race. “He is so hardy. The ground suited him, so I wanted to make it a good test. He’s a slick jumper, and he’s done it the hard way nicely.”
In the last ten years winners of the Scilly Isles have included Bristol De Mai, L’Homme Presse and Gerri Colombe. Handstands will probably go to Aintree rather than encounter faster ground at Cheltenham.
This helped to alleviate the disappointing news that The Jukebox Man, in Jones’s view the best horse he has ever ridden, was injured and will miss the rest of the season.
Lingfield’s Sunday meeting brought a winner for David Probert. This was the Owen Burrows colt Just Like Magic, the 8/1 outsider of four in a five-furlong race. Having his fourth start, and his first in a handicap, he hampered himself by being slowly away and green in the closing stages. But by the conclusion of the race he was clearly on top, and is sure to improve with experience. With thirteen winners so far this year Probert is in his customary place in the top ten of the flat jockeys’ table.
Evan Williams has trained twelve winners in the last two months, his best total in such a period for almost three years. His Libberty Hunter was raised seven pounds to 151 for his Cheltenham victory in December and is 33/1 for the Queen Mother. Williams will doubtless be considering other less lofty targets as well.
James Bowen took the ride on Intense Approach for the County Meath stable of John McConnell in the Saturday’s Scottish Stayers Novice Hurdle at Musselburgh. Having scored last time out at Cheltenham’s October meeting over three miles, Intense Approach had the form and the stamina and successfully made all the running. He is 40/1 for the Albert Bartlett at the Festival. James’s record for McConnell is now 4-8 but Nicky Henderson is likely to claim him for one of his in that race.
James went to Leopardstown on Sunday to ride Warren Greatrex’s maiden hurdler Good And Clever in a Grade 1 and by finishing an admittedly remote third they collected 13,500 euros in prize money and split the Willie Mullins battalions, which came in first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth.
Sean Bowen failed to ride a winner this weekend but leads the title race by thirteen from Harry Skelton.
Our next meeting at Chepstow is this Sunday 9th February. The first of seven races is off at 1.20pm and there’s a great value restaurant package on sale for £69 per person including admission, lunch in The View restaurant and a race day programme.
