Urban Hymn and Blakemount look set for long rivalry

THE pulsating finish of the Grade Two race between Urban Hymn and Blakemount could just be the beginning of a rivalry between these Yorkshire-trained novice hurdlers who are both top class steeplechasers in the making.
Ryan ManiaRyan Mania
Ryan Mania

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – formerly the River Don Hurdle – was the race of the season so far at Doncaster, even though conditions were atrocious on Town Moor after an unseasonal thunderstorm and rain deluge.

Despite some sloppy jumping, Brian Hughes attempted to make all on the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Urban Hymn and the leader had Sue Smith’s Blakemount under pressure on the turn for home.

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Yet Ryan Mania never gave up on the pursuer and briefly headed Urban Hymn on the desperate slog to the winning line before the courageous long-time leader reasserted. It took two minutes for the photo-finish to confirm the outcome.

“I didn’t think I was beaten,” said Hughes, who noted that Urban Hymn’s size and scope is totally unsuited to hurdles.

Both horses hold entries in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle, the three-mile championship race for novice hurdlers, at the Cheltenham Festival.

After being embraced by Smith at the winner’s enclosure, Jefferson said Urban Hymn could skip the National Hunt Festival.

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“Cheltenham is not the be all and end all. He’s a chaser in the making and he could be very good. We’ve been running him over hurdles just to give him experience,” he added.

Even though Mania, to his exasperation, now has more seconds than winners in his career-best season, he drew enormous comfort from Auroras Encore’s run in the Sky Bet Chase.

The 12-year-old Grand National winner jumped prominently and fluently before fading in the home straight on unsuitably heavy going that could not have a provided a greater contrast with the good ground that the horse encountered at Aintree.

“He’s better this year than last year,” Mania told the Yorkshire Post. “It’s just the ground. It’s odd that he gets four-and-a-half mile on good ground, but can’t stay three miles on soft, but I can’t fault the old boy.”

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The irony is that the race was won by The Rainbow Hunter, the riderless horse which chased home Auroras Encore at Aintree. Owned by the May We Never Be Found Out Partnership, whose number include Racing UK presenter Oli Bell, the winner will be guaranteed a run in the Crabbies Grand National when his handicap mark is revised.

The beneficiary of a minor wind operation to improve his breathing, the horse was expertly ridden by Nick Scholfield, who was enjoying a second successive big race victory on a Saturday after Melodic Rendezvous landed Haydock’s Champion Hurdle trial.

Alan King is targeting a tilt at the Arkle Trophy for Valdez after he made it three from three over fences in the Lightning Novices’ Chase.

There was also a contrasting first and last race double for Malton-born Andrew Tinkler. In a change of tactics, he made all on Nicky Henderson’s Master Of The Game in the opener before Side Step – owned and bred by the Queen – denied Keith and James Reveley’s long-time leader Balmusette on the line in the concluding Bumper.

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As for the opener, the disappointment was Tom Scudamore’s Centasia who was a remote fourth. The jockey had flown to Doncaster for the ride before jetting off by helicopter to Cheltenham where he recorded a notable double aboard The Giant Bolster in the Argento Chase, a key Gold Cup trial, and then runaway Wetherby winner Red Sherlock in the novice hurdle.

Placed in the last two Gold Cups, The Giant Bolster will return to Cheltenham in March after being revitalised by the application of headgear.

Trainer David Bridgwater said: “I said to Tom, this is emotional stuff. He goes so well at home and if you looked at the paper, you’d say he was a certainty. We put a hood and visor on him, and he was in his own little world out there. He’s back in the mix for the Gold Cup again.”

His rivals will include Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase winner Harry Topper, who was third in the 
Argento. “I think the extra distance of the Gold Cup will be a real help to him,” said his trainer Kim Bailey, the man also responsible for The Rainbow Hunter.

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