Super Saturday

Dubbed Super Saturday there were several top Festival contenders on display at Newbury and Warwick.

First up was Diamond Harry who put up an average, rather than spectacular, display of jumping in claiming the toteplacepot Novices’ Chase at Newbury. He will need to improve on his jumping if he is to win the RSA Chase at the Festival.

Next up was Long Run at in the totesport.com Kingmaker Chase at Warwick. Like Diamond Harry the jumping has scope for some improvement but he was possibly distracted by the front running King Edmund’s propensity to jump right. Connections are undecided if he will run in the RSA Chase or The Arkle with ground conditions being the deciding factor.

The Aon Chase at Newbury was the next big contest with Denman being ridden by AP McCoy for the first time (a controversial decision in some quarters).
For most of the contest “The Tank” jumped fluently. He made a uncharacteristic blunder four out but worse was to come three out when he made another blunder, this time unshipping McCoy.

To rub salt into McCoy’s wounds and to fan the flames of discussion Sam Thomas, who has previously ridden Denman, stayed on Winterwood at Warwick just 10 minutes later. The Winterwood blunder was far worse than Denman’s and not only did the horse stay on his feet but Thomas not only kept the partnership in tact but rallied the horse to grab victory from a seemingly impossible situation.

The final star on show was Master Minded in the totepool Game Spirit Chase at Newbury. After putting a faultless display of jumping he was a country mile clear approaching the last. However it seems as though he has been taking advice from stablemate Kauto Star as he ploughed through the top of the final fence and Ruby Walsh did well to remain on board. It says a lot for the bravery of the horse that he carried on as if nothing had happened.