Moulin Riche wins Novices' hurdle
Francois Doumen fought back from the disappointment of stable star Baracouda’s defeat yesterday with the victory of Moulin Riche in the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham this afternoon.
The 9-1 shot was completing a quick double for jockey Robert Thornton, who also took the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle on Penzance.
Bob Bob Bobbin and Brewster went for home from two out in the inaugural running of the three-mile contest, but Thornton was always travelling well on the French five-year-old.
Moulin Riche struck for home at the last and raced clear to secure a two-and-a-half-length success from the fast-finishing Over The Creek. Brewster stuck on for third, a further neck away.
Not many horses really got into the contest, with the field having ambled along at a steady pace behind early leader Gaelic Music.
Bewleys Berry took a heavy fall on the first circuit, while Over The Creek was at the back of the field for a long time and was on and off the bridle when he made his move towards the leaders.
But the white-faced Moulin Riche was always tracking his rivals, and even when first Brewster and then Bob Bob Bobbin made breaks for glory down towards the second-last, Thornton stayed cool.
“He missed the one at the top of the hill, but it didn’t affect him at all. It was just a case of not getting there too soon, which I probably did,” the jockey told Channel 4.
Doumen told Racing UK: “Every year it gets harder to win here, so to win two (the other was Kelami on Tuesday) I feel a bit spoilt.
“Last year he won a couple of good steeplechases in France and he ended up having to give weight to older horses, so we switched him back to hurdles this spring.
“He’s always been a good horse and a promising horse. He just needed three miles.
“Chocolate (Thornton) is marvellous, having taken over from my son – two young kids. I wish I could carry on like this forever.
“Apart from Baracouda I am very satisfied with the meeting as a whole.
“Moulin Riche will have another few runs over hurdles and may go jumping at some point back in France. Long-term he is the ideal sort for a King George.”
Over The Creek’s owner David Johnson said: “He ran right to the line – I thought they were going to swallow him up at the top of the hill, but he really battled on.
“I don’t think we will see him again this season, but what a prospect he will be to go chasing.”
Ian Williams, Brewster’s trainer, reported: “He has run a great race, but the ground was a bit too lively for him.
“If it came up soft, he may have a run in the three-mile hurdle at Aintree, but he would not go there on lively ground."
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