Brindisi Breeze will give Cheltenham Scottish flavour
Cheltenham: Trainer Lucinda Russell. Picture: Dan Phillips
A SUPERB front-running performance from Lucinda Russell’s Brindisi Breeze to win the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at Haydock yesterday means there will definitely be a serious Scottish contender at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 9-2 co-favourite of four for the three-mile stamina test turned the race into a procession, giving him a hat-trick under Campbell Gillies. Brindisi Breeze galloped relentlessly to score by 12 lengths from Harry Topper.
Both Ladbrokes and Betfred were impressed, slashing the six-year-old to 12-1 to give Milnathort-based Russell her first Cheltenham Festival success in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
“That was amazing,” said Russell. “He’s not an overly-big horse but he has an amazing attitude and amazing ability – he’s awesome.
“He’ll go to Cheltenham for the three-mile novice and we’ll see how we get on.” Also at Haydock, Giles Cross put up a tremendously game performance when leading from to pillar to post in the Betfred Grand National Trial over 3m 4f. Denis O’Regan gave the Victor Dartnall-trained ten-year-old a superb ride in the testing conditions, Giles Cross withstanding the brave late effort of the top-weight Neptune Collonges.
At Wincanton, 2010 champion hurdler Binocular’s unexpected appearance in the Kingwell Hurdle proved a success when he scored under Tony McCoy from Celestial Halo. Nicky Hednderson’s charge now faces an intriguing match at Cheltenham with reigning champion, Hurricane Fly.
At Ascot, Riverside Theatre made the perfect return to action as he landed back-to-back runnings of the Betfair Ascot Chase.
The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old, part-owned by actor Jimmy Nesbitt, had not been seen since his triumph in this race 12 months ago but stayed on well to beat Medermit.
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