The first of the two Grade 1s at Sandown on Saturday, the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is often contested by a future Tingle Creek winner. GG’s in-house tipster Joe Napier gives his verdict on the upcoming renewal.
There was a big shock in the 2023 running as the outsider of the sextet, Le Patron, scored at 16/1 for Gary Moore.
L’EAU DU SUD
(Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton)
A bridesmaid in his two seasons over hurdles for Dan Skelton, L’Eau Du Sud, is beginning to look like a different proposition over fences. The grey was runner-up in both the Betfair Hurdle and County Hurdle last term before a 1½-length fifth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle despite his mark continuing to soar.
However, in two chase starts, he has won by a combined 21 lengths, barely ever coming off the bridle. At Stratford, he made one bizarre jumping error, but has otherwise been more or less foot perfect over his obstacles. It was only a Grade 2 in name that he won at Cheltenham last time but he could not have won much easier and has an excellent chance of securing a first Grade 1 here.
DOWN MEMORY LANE
(Gordon Elliott/Mark Walsh)
There has been no Irish-trained runner in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase since 2015, so Gordon Elliott is breaking relatively unchartered ground by sending across two runners here. Down Memory Lane only has four rules starts on his resumé, but boasts a profile that suggests he could be yet another talented JP McManus-owned novice chaser.
He was well-fancied for the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown last Christmas, but desperate ground ensured that race was unrecognisable compared to the majority of renewals. He still finished third, albeit distantly, but won a strong beginners’ chase at Navan recently in emphatic fashion. A similar display puts him right in the mix as long as the ground does not turn heavy.
RUBAUD
(Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden)
Paul Nicholls wisely decided there were hurdles prizes to be claimed with Rubaud to open up this season, and his admirable six-year-old secured them at Kempton and Wincanton, both races he had won the season before too. However, it has evidently been the plan to get him over fences sooner rather than later.
A measure of the faith shown in him is that this Grade 1 will be his chase debut. Should he transfer his hurdles ability, he will definitely have a shout, but it requires a degree of faith to back him to win against some decent rivals.
TOUCH ME NOT
(Gordon Elliott/Jordan Gainford)
The second of Gordon Elliott’s runners, Touch Me Not is one of just two Graded winners over the larger obstacles so far. Due to the ownership of Elliott’s pair, market signals appear to dictate that Down Memory Lane is the more fancied of the duo, but it could be all change on the day if this five-year-old is well-backed.
It took him five starts to win over hurdles, but after a narrow runner-up effort on his chase debut, he beat his much more vaunted stablemate Farren Glory to win by six lengths in Punchestown’s Craddockstown Novice Chase last time out. That owed much to his more natural jumping ability, but he won really well, and with jumping often the name of the game at Sandown, he could well be dangerous.
SOUL ICON
(Keiran Burke/Gavin Sheehan)
The oldest and most experienced of the field, Soul Icon is plagued by seconditis. He has now been the runner-up on his previous five starts, remaining winless over fences through eight starts. However, his last two second-placed finishes have been high quality efforts, the first coming off 11st 13lb in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen before a narrow defeat when overhauled late on in the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase.
Even with that in mind, he is still the least likely winner of this contest, and it would be more of a comment on the remaining quartet’s failures were he to emerge victorious.
VERDICT
Market signals and tactics are likely to be the keys to this race regarding Gordon Elliott’s pair. For all that L’Eau Du Sud has been impressive so far, it is the Irish raiders who are more tempting, with DOWN MEMORY LANE preferred to Touch Me Not. However, should the Gigginstown runner set off in front and be supported in the betting, the race could turn on its head, although on evidence so far there looks to be more to come from the selection. Rubaud will require some effort to win this on his chase debut, but is not ruled out.
- Down Memory Lane
- L’Eau Du Sud
- Touch Me Not
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