Taranis gives Nick Scholfield festival fillip

Published on Sunday 31 January 2010 22:48

NICK Scholfield may have earned a decent ride in the Gold Cup after shining aboard Taranis in the Argento Chase on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The Devon-born jockey is often used by trainer Paul Nicholls for his reserve horses, and with Ruby Walsh set to partner Kauto Star in March and another top name for Denman, Scholfield had a fine chance to throw his name into the mix.

Taranis won the Ryanair Chase and the Jnwine.com Champion at Down Royal in 2007 but had been off since damaging a leg in the King George of that year.

Scholfield had him settled beautifully before passing 7-4 favourite Carruthers on the turn for home and he galloped all the way to the line at the handsome odds of 16-1. Nicholls said: "He'll go straight for the Gold Cup now. It was a very bad injury after the King George and his owner Mrs Yeoman has been really patient.

"Obviously Kauto and Denman are out in front but if this fellow improves a bit, and he should, he won't be far behind them. Funnily enough, I had been thinking about entering him in the National too. He jumps well and it would be interesting to see what weight he gets."

A return to the smaller obstacles seems to have reignited the fire in Tidal Bay as he bounced back to his best with a fantastic display in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle. Trainer Howard Johnson said: "We'll keep him ticking over now, but I think we might as well keep him over hurdles for the time being and go for the World Hurdle."

Restless Harry had Robin Dickin dreaming of Festival glory after outgunning General Miller and Royal Charm in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle. "His next race will be the one before the Cheltenham Gold Cup back here in March (Albert Bartlett]," said Dickin.

Kawagino earned his annual jaunt to the Cheltenham Festival with a gutsy success at Plumpton yesterday. The evergreen ten-year-old will make his fifth successive appearance at jumping's premier meeting after outgunning Youngstown in the Friendly And Personal Service At Star Sports Novices' Handicap Chase. There was nothing between the pair at the second-last, but a superior leap at the final fence for Philip Hide sealed victory and the 4-1 chance got home by seven lengths. The Pertemps Hurdle Final on 18 March is the target for the Seamus Mullins-trained gelding, who actually ran twice at the 2007 Festival – with his best effort being fifth in that year's Champion Hurdle.

"He's a great family horse and what a servant he's been," said Mullins. "He pops around Plumpton very well and Philip Hide knows the horse well enough."

Elna Bright maintained his new lease of life in the 16,000-added betdaq.co.uk Conditions Stakes at Kempton. Now with a fourth trainer, Brett Johnson, the five-year-old has returned to the highest handicap mark of his career. Owner Peter Crate now plans to tackle a valuable event at Lingfield on 20 March before a possible attempt at the William Hill Lincoln.

Elna Bright (11-4 joint-favourite) had not scored over six furlongs since his juvenile days but a finishing kick did for Orpenindeed inside the distance.

Today's jumps fixture at Kempton was abandoned due to an unfavourable forecast. Saturday's meeting at Hereford also fell victim to the weather.