Gallops Report
Thursday 11 December 2014 14:03, UK
The latest news from our gallops mole includes updates on The New One and Splash Of Ginge.
THE NEW ONE looked in imperious form in his warm-up spin for the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Nigel Twiston-Davies' charge looks at this stage the only British-trained horse likely to bustle up a Champion Hurdle dominated by horses trained in Ireland.
His unfortunate experience, when left with too much to do in the 2013 Champion, is a memory erased to a large extent by successes in each of his last three starts.
Anything other than a clear-cut triumph at the weekend will dampen his chances of taking the hurdling crown next March.
BLAKLION has proved a good servant to the stable with his sequence of victories this season.
That run was ended at the hands of a highly-rated rival last time.
More to the point, he has worked with aplomb and looked razor sharp in his latest stretch up the Fibresand strip.
MAD MOOSE is a complete law unto himself.
His problems in lining up and jumping off are well documented, but he works like a good horse and it is hoped he will be competitive in either the International Hurdle or, more likely, the Relkeel.
SPLASH OF GINGE's chasing campaign has not gone silky smooth, but he is still a definite player in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and he grabbed the ground in manful style in his latest practice up the Fibresand hill.
LITTLE JON is likely to head for a novices' chase at Cheltenham after working satisfactorily midweek.
ASTRACAD makes his customary appearance in the extended two-mile handicap chase.
He has not shown much for a while, but has worked well enough to hint that a revival in fortune could be close at hand.
