Sublimity’s return to winning form offers little threat to Binocular December 30th, 2008
Nicky Henderson was saddling yet another winner at Newbury yesterday while, across the Irish Sea, his prospects of Cheltenham glory were being considerably enhanced. Ireland has no shortage of Champion Hurdle contenders but, on the evidence of the December Festival Hurdle, none that will deny Binocular his destiny.
This riveting centrepiece of an otherwise humble card featured three past champions but none of them started favourite. Sizing Europe, fit to run despite a scare with a bruised foot, maintained the faith of punters still recalling his spellbinding win on this course in January.
That performance, however, looks ever more illusory. Sizing Europe travelled smoothly and surrendered tamely, just as he did at Cheltenham in March and, to some extent, at Punchestown in November. His demise, and the graphic dismay of Henry de Bromhead, his trainer, may prove more significant than the hard-earned victory of Sublimity over Won In The Dark.
In a race that indicated Hardy Eustace can no longer defy his age, and that Brave Inca would benefit from a longer trip, it was the most recent Irish-trained champion hurdler who prevailed. Sublimity had not won since his Cheltenham triumph and has also changed trainers, John Carr being replaced by Robbie Hennessy, son of owner Bill.
Hennessy, whose yard contains just 11 horses, thus has the rare distinction of a grade one prize for his first winner. Sublimity did him proud, too, but a half-length victory over a horse officially rated 25lb his inferior is not the form to intimidate Binocular. Ladbrokes reacted sharply, shortening the Champion Hurdle favourite to evens and offering 10-1 bar.
Given the poverty of their chasing ranks, starkly showcased by the Lexus Chase on Sunday, the Irish craved evidence that their hurdlers can regain supremacy after the crown was ceded to Katchit in March. More than 10,000 arrived bright-eyed on a bonechilling day but few can have gone home with the same anticipation.
Good weighing-room judges have always questioned the validity of Sizing Europe’s visually arresting win in the AIG Hurdle and their scepticism looks well-merited. Once more, he cruised into the race looking a certain winner. Once more, it came to nothing.
Andrew McNamara, his jockey, shrugged in bewilderment. We’ve no excuses, he said. De Bromhead mused that a faster pace might have helped, then sensed that it might have helped his rivals rather more. They left us standing, he admitted. He emptied, and I’m very disappointed.
Sizing Europe will probably return here for the race he won a year ago but it will be in hope rather than belief that he can overturn yesterday’s form in what is likely to be a similar field.
As expected, the two old-stagers contested the early lead but neither Hardy Eustace nor Brave Inca has quite the speed of old and the gallop was far from hectic. Hardy Eustace buckled first and, though Brave Inca battled on with his innate gameness, he could not live with the first pair.
Won In The Dark was Ireland’s best juvenile last season and finished third in the Triumph. He is a decent horse on good ground but seems most unlikely to win a Champion and hence diminishes the merit of the winner.
Not that such theories bothered Hennessy or Philip Carberry, his jockey. Sporting rakishly long hair, Carberry said: He jumped great on this ground and I kept having to take him back, as we’d agreed not to get there too soon. But he had to outbattle them from the last.
More will be required at Cheltenham if Binocular turns up in his recent form. His trainer, who has stated he will not run again beforehand, continues in the most prolific spell of his long career and a treble at Newbury further illustrated the depth of his stable strength.
Nick Williams’s Devon yard has no comparable resources but it does have a horse coveted by every trainer in these islands. Diamond Harry is now unbeaten in five starts in bumpers and over hurdles after a spreadeagling victory over some serious competition in the grade one Challow Hurdle. Bookmakers are now united in making him favourite for the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at the Festival, a position he should have held long ago.
One more quote offered yesterday was William Hill’s 8-11 against Hayley Turner making history for female jockeys by completing 100 winners in this calendar year. A double on Dover Street Art and Chalice Welcome yesterday leaves her on 98 with two days remaining.