A 17-2 winner at Haydock

4:23pm Wednesday 20th February 2008

Last Saturday's Haydock Park meeting was littered with Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National trials. The recent dry spell had dried out the ground and the going was officially good to soft.

Readers who took my advice that the Robert Alner trained Miko De Beauchene was a good thing for the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup never had an anxious moment. The 17-2 winner was given a very cool ride by Andrew Thornton who beat the 66-1 rank outsider Flintoff cosily by a length. L'Adventure was a remote third some 19 lengths back. This win would be a welcome boost for Alner, who is still recovering in hospital after a serious road accident. He was represented at Haydock by his assistant, Nick Mitchell, who said that his guvnor favoured the Scottish National at Ayr, and added that he may run in the Pertemps hurdle final at the Cheltenham Festival as well.

Peter Bowen's Triumph hurdle contender Serabad put his credentials on the line in the opening J W Lees Victor Ludorum juvenile novices hurdle. The Priolo gelding had to fight to hold off the sustained challenge of Pagan Starprincess by half a length. Winning jockey Paddy Brennan was not unduly concerned when I spoke to him afterwards. He said: "He has learnt a lot today, as he was in front from a long way out, and he was always holding on well."

The Real HolidayReports.com Rendlesham hurdle was a really good pointer for the World hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Victory went to the French raider Kasbah Bliss, who won very stylishly by four lengths from Lough Derg, under a very confident ride from Barrie Keniry. Winning trainer Francois Doumen said afterwards that he was worried about the ground, adding that this was the only race he could have run him in before the world hurdle. Bookmakers reacted by cutting Kasbah Bliss to 8-1 from 25-1 for the World hurdle. They will be wary of Doumen who won that race a few times with the mighty Barracouda.

The most impressive winner of the day was the Keith Reveley trained Tazbar, who won in carpet slippers in the Prestige novices hurdle. The Tiraaz gelding was winning his third race of the season; the distance of 12 lengths flattered the runner-up, Sound Accord. Reveley was keeping his options open when I spoke to him afterwards. He said: "He is best suited by flat galloping courses, like Aintree. I have not ruled out him going to Cheltenham, but I feel Liverpool would be more his course."

The best finish of the day was reserved for the Pertemps Handicap hurdle over three miles. Paddy Brennan on the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Ballyfitz and Brian Harding on the Nicky Richards trained Gunner Jack fought out a titanic struggle, with Ballyfitz getting back up in the final stride to win a thriller by a head. When these two meet in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, my money would be on the runner-up to gain revenge.

This Saturday I will be at Newcastle. Readers with long memories will remember the likes of Peaty Sandy winning the Eider Chase, which will once again be their feature race on the card. This is a marathon trip over four miles and a furlong. If the weather forecast is right then the trip will take some getting in testing ground. This race can go to the Irish raider Newbay Prop (Nap); the gelding is trained by Tony Martin, who has made no secret of the fact that he has laid the horse out for the race. Off his current handicap mark I will not oppose him. The best of the home bunch is the dual Kelso winner Scarvagh Diamond from the in-form Nicky Richards yard. It is very difficult to see past the Howard Johnson trained Striking Article in the two mile hurdle. The Frech bred gelding has won all three starts, and will need to win this impressively on his way to Cheltenham Over at Doncaster the Paul Nicholls trained Arkle will take all the beating in the Pendil Novices chase; if absent, Hobbs Hill.