Festival options for another Williams chaser as 'improving' Ibleo strikes again

It is not just Cheltenham Gold Cup talking horse Royale Pagaille who Venetia Williams has worked wonders with this season.

The admirable Ibleo could have festival championship races of his own on the agenda after carrying top weight to victory in the 2m½f handicap chase.

Yet to finish out of the first two in seven chase starts, the Bellamy Partnership-owned eight-year-old holds entries for the Champion Chase and Ryanair – and jockey Charlie Deutsch would not be afraid of aiming high.

"He keeps improving and getting more and more confident and I always look forward to riding him," said Deutsch. "He's a quick and efficient jumper, who makes up ground at his fences with his low action."

That Ibleo is even quoted in the betting for the Champion Chase and Ryanair – at revised odds around the 33-1 mark – is quite a turn around for a horse who was off the track for 838 days before returning this time last year.

"He's a very straightforward horse and Venetia has done a wonderful job with him after all the time he had off," added Deutsch.

More juvenile joy for King and co

Six days after Tritonic entered the Triumph Hurdle reckoning with victory at Ascot, Alan King, Adrian Heskin and the McNeill family combined for another notable success when Her Indoors landed the Listed Sky Bet Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle.

While Tritonic was smart enough on the Flat to go close in a Royal Ascot handicap, Her Indoors managed a peak rating of 74 before switching to hurdles.

Her Indoors (near side) proves too strong for Talking About YouCredit: Pool

The 11-2 shot, also part owned by Niall Farrell, was certainly not winning out of turn after finishing second on her first two jumps starts and Heskin was impressed with her attitude.

"She's as tough as nails," he said. "She got in a bit tight to the third-last, but it was a blessing in disguise as it gave me something to aim at. She's a real stayer and the galloping track suited her much better than Kempton, which was also the wrong way round. There's plenty to look forward to with her."

Flinteur flops again

Flinteur Sacre, brother to the mighty Sprinter Sacre, proved a major disappointment when finishing unplaced again in the 2m½f novice hurdle.

Despite being fitted with a first-time hood following his hurdle debut fourth at Newbury, the easy-to-back 11-10 favourite raced far too keenly and was a spent force in the home straight.

In contrast, the penalised Lunar Sovereign finished strongly in the colours of Craig and Laura Buckingham to give jockey Paddy Brennan a double following his success on 18-1 shot Zalvados in the 2m3f novices' handicap chase.

Name to remember

Trevor Hemmings' decision to scale back his operation has in many ways provided positive pointers to the horses he has kept.

Ladbrokes Trophy hero Cloth Cap and Many Clouds winner Lake View Lad are high-profile examples, while Hemmings still has an eye on the future through the likes of Sam Barton, an impressive winner of the 2m3½f maiden hurdle under Adam Wedge.

"He's a fine horse who's still a big baby, and he'll make a lovely chaser," said Wedge.

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