Supreme performance from Jeriko, a National Genius and Impaire's bubble bursts - three things we learned this week

It has been another busy week in the world of racing. Here we pick out three things we learned . . .

Jeriko provides Britain with a genuine Supreme Novices’ contender

The first eight finishers in this year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle were Irish-trained, but the current crop of British novices look a smarter bunch this time around and it may prove that Jeriko Du Reponet is the pick of them. 

The JP McManus-owned four-year-old has been something of a talking horse and was backed into the 4-11 favourite for Friday’s 2m½f maiden hurdle at Newbury on his first start since running out an easy winner of a point-to-point at Kirkistown in March. 

His supporters never looked in any danger of not collecting as a motionless Nico de Boinville eased his mount to a three-and-a-quarter-length success.

Trainer Nicky Henderson claimed pre-race that “if he is good that will be nice, because I've got ten more the same”, but you suspect that was said with a fair degree of tongue in cheek given the Newbury race is one he tends to target with one of his better novice hurdlers, with the likes of Buveur D’Air and Jonbon claiming recent runnings.  

Jeriko Du Reponet’s next run will tell us a lot more about just what we are looking at, but on first introduction he looks every inch a leading Supreme contender.
Joe Eccles

Monbeg Genius a smart choice for the Welsh National

It is unlikely the Coral Gold Cup will turn out to match the incredible subsequent form of last season's Ultima 1-2, but the Newbury performance of the third-placed finisher in both races, Monbeg Genius, firmly puts him in the Welsh Grand National picture.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained seven-year-old looked outpaced turning in but stayed on strongly to the line to finish ten and a quarter lengths behind the winner, Datsalrightgino. 

It was an effort which clearly marked him out as a key player at Chepstow with the longer trip and likely more testing ground in his favour.

Bookmakers agreed, too, as he was slashed into 7-1 (from 10-1) for the race and looks the one to beat.
James Stevens

Monbeg Genius (right): would have a big chance in the Welsh NationalCredit: John Grossick

Impaire Et Passe's Champion Hurdle hopes dented

Constitution Hill’s eagerly anticipated seasonal bow has been put on ice after the cold snap saw a number of the weekend’s meetings abandoned.

Nicky Henderson’s stable star was scheduled to return to the track in Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle only for snow and freezing temperatures in the north east leading to the cancellation of the fixture on Friday.

Instead Constitution Hill spent the night with stablemate Shishkin in Doncaster before making the journey back to Lambourn.

The Fighting Fifth has now been moved to Saturday’s Tingle Creek card at Sandown, but Henderson has suggested his champion's participation is in doubt.

This means we might not see the biggest name in jump racing until the Christmas Hurdle on Kempton’s Boxing Day card, a race he won by 17 lengths last year.

Despite not making it out of his box, Constitution Hill’s claims of securing back-to-back Champion Hurdles were still strengthened over the weekend.

On Sunday the unbeaten Impaire Et Passe lined up in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse. A stunning winner of this year’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the festival, it was a chance to lay down a marker and thrust himself firmly into the Champion Hurdle conversation.

However, it didn’t quite go to plan. The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old travelled well and looked every bit the winner before being reeled in and ground down by the battle-hardened Teahupoo, who was landing the race for a second successive year.

It would be wrong to write off Impaire Et Passe after the first defeat of his career, but his credentials as a credible challenger to Constitution Hill may have taken a hit.
Patrick Madden

Read more here:

Bookies take evasive action after highly touted Jeriko Du Reponet bolts up on debut for Nicky Henderson and JP McManus 

Expert jury: is Impaire Et Passe still the main Champion Hurdle threat to Constitution Hill? 

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