Weekend Review

A review of the weekend's action in which Solo emerged as a JCB Triumph Hurdle candidate.

Solo propelled himself to Cheltenham Festival favouritism with a brilliant British debut at Kempton.

An impressive winner at Auteuil in November, the son of Kapgarde was a 6-4 shot for Paul Nicholls in Saturday's Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Adonis Juvenile Hurdle - and he certainly did not disappoint.

Ridden on the pace throughout by Harry Cobden, Solo eased clear from the home turn, and his dominant 13-length success saw him cut to a general 3-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Prestbury Park.

Nicholls said: "I'm obviously delighted. He showed us at home he was quite smart, but I wanted to see that sort of performance.

"He has been a joy to train and does everything nicely. He is dead relaxed and did that impressively.

"The Triumph will suit him nicely."

Song For Someone provided Tom Symonds with the biggest win of his fledgling training career when narrowly outpointing Diego Du Charmil in the re-scheduled Betway Kingwell Hurdle.

The 11-8 favourite got the better of the Nicholls-trained runner-up by half a length, with Ch'tibello a close third.

Symonds said: "It's huge. I know everyone will be (thinking) what a trial that is for the Champion Hurdle, because he is not in the race, but the fact is it is huge for us.

"He is a horse that stands out, because he is the best we have and should get better and better.

"Two and a half miles at Aintree, we could go, perhaps."

Tom Cannon steered home the winners of the two other Grade Two events at Kempton, part of his treble on the card.

The jockey first teamed up with boss Alan King to land the Betway Pendil Novices' Chase with 10-1 shot Who Dares Wins, before later striking gold in the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices' Hurdle aboard Chris Gordon's progressive youngster Highway One O Two (4-1).

King said of last year's Northumberland Plate winner Who Dares Wins: "He is a very good horse. He is a marvellous animal and has taken us everywhere - Ascot, Cheltenham and Liverpool, the Northumberland Plate.

"I want to go home and think about where we go, but I wouldn't be afraid of going three miles with him."

Highway One O Two is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles - and while he is not entered at Cheltenham, Gordon could look towards the Imperial Cup in the run-up to the Festival.

The increasingly formidable combination of Jonjo O'Neil jnr and Colin Tizzard plundered the feature event at the Sunbury track, with Mister Malarky proving two lengths too good for Black Corton in the Betway Handicap Chase.

Tizzard said of the 9-1 shot: "The ground has come right, and it proves he wasn't quite 100 per cent early on in the season. I would say that is his best ever run.

"He is in the Ultima (at Cheltenham), and I'm sure he will go there if he comes out of this race OK.

"I've no doubt we will talk about the Grand National next year."

Frankie Dettori was the star of the show at Lingfield, producing a masterful front-running ride aboard John Gosden's Dubai Warrior (13-8) to wini the Betway Winter Derby.

A return to the track for the Easter Classic on Good Friday appears next on the agenda.

Of Dettori, Gosden said: "He's a clever old boy. Leave him alone, he's good. Don't complicate him with instructions!"

The Listed Betway Hever Stakes went to Karl Burke's 5-2 favourite Hareem Queen, with PJ McDonald also seen to good effect in the saddle.

Willie and Danny Mullins teamed up to claim the two big prizes at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Burning Victory (7-1) made a winning debut over jumps in the Norman Colfer Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle, before Acapella Bourgeois (15-8) provided the champion trainer with a 10th success in the Grade Three Bobbyjo Chase.

Mullins said of the latter: "Conditions suited him great today - very heavy ground and a good test of stamina. He jumped very well.

"He's in the English and Irish Nationals. There are a lot of connections, and they are probably more leaning towards Aintree. I'd imagine at the moment that's winning the vote in the Carlow camp."

Leighton Aspell announced during Kempton's card that he would retire after riding in the closing bumper at Fontwell on Sunday.

The dual Grand National-winning jockey did so, having finished second on Itsnotwhatyouthink - for trainer Nick Gifford, with whom he has had a long association - in the Watt Fences Ltd Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race.

On reaching the end of his famous career in the saddle, Aspell told Sky Sports Racing: "I've had a great time, and no regrets - none at all.

"I look back on it with great pride."

Nico de Boinville could do the same after his persistence on Nicky Henderson's 5-1 shot William Henry paid off with an improbable length-and-a-half victory in the Grade Two feature Stella Artois National Spirit Hurdle - overhauling both Quel Destin and favourite Thomas Darby after the last.

Over at Naas, Henry de Bromhead's Jason The Militant sprang a 25-1 shock in the Grade Two Paddy Power Betting Shop Novice Hurdle - by a nose from Beacon Edge, but at the expense too of third-placed favourite Andy Dufresne.

In the opening WhatOddsPaddy? Chase, the victory of Ted Walsh's Any Second Now gave him further prominence in the ante-post market for the Randox Health Grand National.