• Triumph Hurdle fancy well clear when slipping up two out
• Paul Nicholls reports Kauto Star in great form at home
Defeat, but no disaster. Grumeti somehow managed to enhance his Cheltenham Festival credentials despite failing to finish in a thrilling juvenile hurdle here on Wednesday.
Left in front after outsider Circus Star refused to jump the second flight, the Alan King-trained Grumeti cruised through most of the contest and was in the process of pulling clear for an effortless success when he stumbled on landing after the second-last hurdle and crashed to the turf.
That left Art History clear in front but he started to tire badly under Jack Quinlan, and the 40-1 chance Crafty Roberto, trained by Quinlan's father, Noel, sailed past in the final strides for a shock success met with dumbfounded silence by racegoers. The frustration of Grumeti's owner, Max McNeill, was all too evident as he paced the grass in the winner's enclosure, before calming down once the horse walked back to the unsaddling area seemingly unharmed.
"I'm gutted – I can't believe it's happened again," he said. "Olofi was going to win here at the last meeting until he came down at the same hurdle. We've had some awful luck.
"I know I need to look on the bright side though. He had them all working hard and we think we've got a good horse. We were going to just have one more run before Cheltenham but we might have two now, although I'll need to talk to Alan."
Despite the defeat, the bookmakers Coral promoted Grumeti to clear favouritism at 7-1 for the Triumph Hurdle, but other firms left him unchanged at 12-1.
It is inarguable that he would have won without the fall and Art History and Sud Pacifique, both high-class performers on the Flat, were left struggling behind him from the home turn. Neither showed anything like the aptitude for hurdling as Grumeti – his unfortunate fall aside – and that will stand him in good stead in the Triumph, even if niggling doubts remain as to the worth of his form so far.
Paul Nicholls, back from a break in Barbados to saddle Cedre Bleu to win the novice chase, revealed that he had found it easier to switch off since Christmas than his stable No1 Kauto Star.
"He was supposed to be just trotting last week, but when I rang Clifford [Baker, Nicholls' head lad] he said he was so bloody fresh that he'd been cantering and in fact he's been cantering every day," said the trainer.
"He's just astounding. For whatever reason, last season his races were really taking it out of him but this season he is just as fresh as he's ever been. His coat is gleaming and he's full of enthusiasm."
Meanwhile, the lure of the Cheltenham Festival continues to break new boundaries after Vulcanite, the only jumper in training owned by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, effortlessly broke his duck against moderate rivals at Southwell.
"He had to go and win like that if he has any pretensions for Cheltenham," said his trainer, Charlie Longsdon. Cheltenham is the reason Sheikh Fahad has sent this horse jumping. The whole plan is to go to Cheltenham. If he's not good enough, he'll be running at Meydan on the Flat.
"We'll look at a decent race somewhere in February as another stepping-stone and fingers crossed he'll be going for the Supreme Novice Hurdle."
Robert Winston's appeal against a 22-day ban received for breaching the whip rules will be heard by the British Horseracing Authority's disciplinary panel on Thursday morning.
The panel will also consider a positive urine sample for alcohol provided by jockey Ahmed Ajtebi at a meeting at Beverley last September. The hearing into the UAE-born rider's offence will take place in his absence, with Ajtebi currently riding in Dubai for his boss, Sheikh Mohammed.
Tranquil Sea, 8 Somersby, 10 Albertas Run, 12 Golden Silver, J’y Vole, Punchestowns, Riverside Theatre, 16 Forpadydeplasterer, Joncol, Sizing Europe, Tartak, 20 Breedsbreeze, Captain Cee Bee, Kalahari King, Noland, 25 Deep Purple, Gauvain, Glencove Marina, Medermit, Nacarat, Roberto Goldback, 33 Barker, Crack Away Jack, Kempes, Little Josh, Psycho, Rare Bob, Weird Al, Zaarito, 40 bar.
