Gift supported in Gold Cup market
Iris’s Gift is now as low as 10-1 for next year’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup after slamming his rivals in the Ian Williams Owners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
The 2004 Stayers’ Hurdle winner made it three on the bounce over fences when surviving several mistakes to beat Sweet Diversion by 17 lengths.
William Hill trimmed Jonjo O’Neill’s charge to 10-1 from 14s while Ladbrokes go 12-1 from 16s, although the sponsors left him unchanged at 14-1.
“I’m very happy with him – when they keep winning you are always happy,” said O’Neill.
“He’s got plenty to learn and that was obvious to see but he’s still only a novice and experience is the only way to learn.
“His jumping got better later on and after the water jump second time, you couldn’t fault him at all – he was definitely hairy early on and I was white-knuckled.
“He’s in the Hennessy (Gold Cup) and we’ve entered him in everything, although not the Paddy Power.
“It doesn’t bother me what price he is the Gold Cup, we’ll just see how it goes.”
Christian Williams started the day in fine form by taking the opening Jim & Muriel Ward 35th Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle aboard Darrias.
The partnership appeared to be cruising to victory as they took up the running approaching the final obstacle, but the 10-11 favourite slipped into the flight, almost unseating his jockey.
Williams managed to hang on though and after slightly colliding with second-placed Double Dizzy, Darrias rallied up the run-in to score by a length and a half.
Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He now has to run in handicap hurdles or go novice chasing and if he does go fencing, he’ll benefit from the four-year-old’s allowance.”
Williams wasted no time in completing a quick double on Nazimabad, who made every yard of the running to take the Arkle Bookshop Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Cantgeton also made all in the Club 16-24 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, initiating a 760-1 treble for champion trainer Martin Pipe.
The Tom Malone-ridden winner justified 7-2 favouritism by two and a half lengths from Reiziger, who also put in a good showing after 587 days off the track.
“Tom rode a great race although he must be deaf. I told him to hold him up but he realised there was no pace and went on on his own merit,” said Pipe.
Pipe gained the second leg of his treble when Itsmyboy (12-1) took the Jewson Handicap Hurdle Final by a length from Theocritus, with Fandani eight lengths away in third.
“He fought back gamely and he was the only one of mine that was qualified for this final,” said Pipe.
“He’s a chaser in the making and he’ll probably stay over hurdles for the rest of the season.”
Pipe’s treble came courtesy of another 12-1 shot in Whispered Secret, who took the Studd Challenge Cup Handicap Chase under Rodi Greene.
Pipe said: “Rodi gave him a brilliant ride and that was a good performance carrying top-weight of 11st 12lb.”
The stewards were not so enamoured with Greene’s ride, giving him a four-day ban (November 6-9) for using his whip with excessive frequency and not giving his mount sufficient time to respond.
