Harry Redknapp could have another top prospect on his hands after Taurus Bay made a winning chasing debut in the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Aintree.
A lot of the pre-race chatter revolved around Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End making his eagerly-awaited fences bow and he was sent off the 8-11 favourite.
However, Ben Pauling’s five-year-old was a more than useful hurdler in his own right last term and always seen as more of a chasing prospect.
With No Drama This End’s tank flashing empty on the run to the last it was left to Ben Jones on board Taurus Bay to outbattle the match-fit Dan Skelton runner Talk To The Man after the last, edging a one-and-a-quarter-length verdict at odds of 13-2.
With Redknapp and Pauling’s King George hero The Jukebox Man currently sidelined with injury, Taurus Bay could very much fill the void in the silks of the former West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur manager as the season progresses, having scooped Grade Two honours at the first attempt over fences.
Pauling said: “He won his two novice hurdles as he liked last season and then ran in the gloom at Cheltenham, when he ran a mighty race.
“That race left its mark, and I didn’t think we were going to get to the Festival but I said to Harry and Geoff, let’s go for some experience. He wasn’t in the form I needed him to be, but I wanted him to get the big occasion and get some experience. He travelled until two out (in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle), he then rooted two out and Ben just stood up on him after that.
“We always knew he had the ability but today was a good race. Ben said he just took a blow like all mine do, so he will improve a lot for it.
“I was amazed with his performance today. So far this season, ours have just needed it when they get into a battle against horses who are more prepared than we are.
“This horse hadn’t had an away day and is not a big, burly horse so you wouldn’t want to do much early doors in the season with him. Today was very much to get him where we wanted him and, hopefully, we can go on from here.
“I was very keen to keep him over two miles, but it was just finding a race that was safe for him to run in. We had no ambitions to come straight for a Grade Two but that’s where we’ve ended up. I do think he’s a very quick horse – he’s not a fast horse at home but shows lots of speed on the track.
“I don’t know whether we will go to two or two and a half miles next. He seems very versatile and we’ll play it by ear.”
Alexei makes winning return at Aintree
Alexei justified 4-7 favouritism in the William Hill Molyneux Hurdle at Aintree to make both a winning return to action and lay down an early Champion Hurdle marker in the process.
Fourth in the Cheltenham Festival showpiece last season, he arrived on Merseyside ready to confirm he was one of the leading names in Britain this term, with his task in the Grade Two event made easier with the absence of Dan Skelton’s Mydaddypaddy, who was withdrawn on Friday.
Joe Tizzard’s six-year-old was being ridden for the first time by Harry Cobden who was deputising for the injured Brendan Powell, and he tracked the early pace set by Nicky Henderson’s Lucky Place in third place, with Gordon Elliott’s Mange Tout closest to the leader in second.
Nudged closer by Cobden entering the straight, Mange Tout was left in front after a mistake two out from Lucky Place but Alexei breezed alongside and as the two main protagonists jumped the last in unison, Cobden soon asked his mount to assert with an instant response.
Alexei was kept up to his work for a four-length success over the Irish raider and saw his odds for the Champion Hurdle shortened to 12-1 from 20s by Paddy Power.
Tizzard said: “That was smashing and a lovely reappearance, you couldn’t ask for much more really.
“I thought he was a bit sleepy for the first half of the race but then came alive and got the job done well giving plenty of weight to a good mare.
“He looked to have Gordon’s mare covered and I think a better run race will suit us better as he’s a good traveller through a race.
“I couldn’t have wished for a nicer start and I think he’ll improve no end physically for that run and I think it will really sharpen him up.”
Alexei will now head to Newcastle at the end of the month for the Fighting Fifth, with the Venn Farm handler charting a path back to the Festival in March for another crack at the opening day feature.
Tizzard added: “We’ve got three weeks now until the Fighting Fifth and then after that we’ll go to the Christmas Hurdle. We’re going to treat him as a Champion Hurdle horse.
“He ran well in the race last year and going back there is what we want to do. We’ve said that throughout the summer and he only needs a little bit of progression and he is right in the mix.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
