L'Ami Serge and Barry Geraghty on their way to victory at Ascot yesterday PICTURE:DAVID
DAVIES/PA
L'Ami Serge laid down a marker for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices'
Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with an impressive victory at Ascot.
Nicky Henderson's four-year-old is 12-1 with Coral after he comfortably landed the three-runner Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle.
The
even-money favourite looked a star in the making as he followed up his
Newbury success when taking the two-mile contest by seven lengths from
Killultagh Vic, after his market rival Emerging Market fell at the
second-last flight.
"He's good and he's grown up a lot from Newbury," said
Henderson. "The great thing about him is he has a lot of experience in
France.
"He ran a stack of times and it was surprising he didn't get his head in front, given the way he goes.
"He is an out-and-out two-miler and is no slouch. I suppose
we will go for the Supreme. It wouldn't hurt to go left-handed. That's
why we thought about the Challow – if he has a bias, it is going left.
"If there's a two-mile trial at Cheltenham (Trials Day), we'll go there."
L'Ami Serge's rider Barry Geraghty completed a 33-1 double
on the Andrew Balding-trained Supasundae (16-1) in the Ascot
Underwriting Championship Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
The
huge Galileo gelding travelled well throughout and lengthened away in
the closing stages to record a two-and-a- quarter length success from
Yarnworth.
Geraghty said: "He did it well. He picked up well from four
furlongs out. I'd never sat on him before, but he ran on well and I'm
delighted."
Geraghty
and Henderson were out of luck with Josses Hill in the Mitie Novices'
Chase. Sent off 10-11 favourite to make a winning debut over fences,
Josses Hill made several mistakes and had to play second fiddle to the
Nicholls-trained Ptit Zig (6-4).
The five-year-old, who had winning form at the top level
over hurdles in France last season, had the benefit of two successful
runs over fences and put that experience to good use, running out an
impressive nine-length winner.
Ptit
Zig was given an 8-1 quote for the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham
Festival from Coral, who also make him the same price for the Racing
Post Arkle.
"He jumped really well today. His experience was not lost on him," said Nicholls.
"Sam
(Twiston-Davies) gave him a kick in the belly two out and he took off.
He's a proper horse. He won his Grade One in France last year and ran
well in a Champion Hurdle, and ran well at Aintree, but he's not that
pacey a horse. We've always looked for him to go chasing.
"He is only five and he has so much improvement to come,
physically and mentally. He will be entered in races over two miles or
two-and-a-half miles. You wouldn't want to run him over two miles on
fast ground. Everyone goes on about Cheltenham, but it is not the be all
and end all.
"I
haven't thought beyond today. He could possibly go for the Dipper
Novices' Chase at Cheltenham over two miles and five furlongs.
"The further he goes the better he might be. I see him as a middle-distance horse who could drop back in trip."
Batavir
(5-2 favourite) was very well supported to land the Mitie Handicap
Hurdle and David Pipe's representative did not let his supporters down,
romping to an easy four-length win from Spartan Angel under Tony McCoy.
"He's a nice little horse and it wasn't complicated – they
gave me an easy lead. I hoped he'd get this trip and he's done it
nicely," said the champion jockey
Trainer
James Evans admitted he could afford to "dream a little" after
Desilvano (3-1) followed up his Market Rasen bumper success in the Two
Circles "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle by a length and a quarter from
Bally Beaufort under Liam Treadwell.
The Nick Mitchell-trained Dance Floor King (10-3) was foot
perfect in the Champagne Bollinger Novices' Limited Handicap Chase as he
defied a 13lb penalty.
11:09 AM
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