Masterson Holdings Hurdle
Cheltenham 14:35
£40,000 added,
4yo only,
2m 87y, Class 2   
Saturday 26th October 2019

BetGoodwin

1 Quel Destin 7/2
2 Soviet Pimpernel 7/1
3 Torpillo 4/5F
7 ran NR: Construct, Fanfan Du Seuil
Distances: ¾l, ½l, 8l Time: 4m 12.70s (slow by 21.70s)

Quel Destin  showed a very high level of form last season, winning Chepstow's G1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle and finishing fifth in the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle, and the four-year-old showed the benefit of a recent Flat outing with a game victory. 
 
Shouldered with an 8lb penalty for his Chepstow success, the Paul Nicholls-trained hurdler raced wide throughout under Harry Cobden but looked to be in trouble as 4/5 favourite Torpillo went on after the penultimate flight. 
 
Quel Destin rallied to hit the front soon after jumping the final flight and stayed on bravely up the hill to score by three-quarters of a length over Soviet Pimpernel, with another half-length back to Torpillo. 
 
Paul Nicholls said: "All of our horses are just needing a bit of a run this year, which is of no harm, and Quel Destin had a lovely run on the Flat the other day at Bath. That brought him forward - I went to Bath not to win the race but to have a prep run to put him right for today. All the rain helped him and, with an 8lb penalty, it was a brilliant run. 
 
"If he keeps progressing, he wouldn't be unlike Rigmarole, who ended up winning The International here. We might have a look at something like that. He progressed all last season and I think he will keep progressing now. He is tough and he stays - it just shows the benefit of a run makes a huge difference to horses. 
 
"We said that we would go wide with our horses today. Ruby [Walsh] always used to do it and Harry said in the car coming up that was exactly what he was going to do. It's as good a place to be as any and it was a very good ride." 
 
Harry Cobden said: "I ran around the course beforehand and Paddy Brennan rode three winners here last November by going wide on heavy ground, so I thought that we would go our own route and try our luck. 
 
"Quel Destin had a penalty today, so has done really well to win. He had a nice run on the Flat the other day, which put him right, and I am delighted with him. We were a bit long down to two out but he puts his little head down, sticks his neck out and tries really hard."

FormRatings

Masterson Holdings Hurdle
£40,000 added, 4yo only, 2m 87y, Class 2
7 ran
Going: Heavy

POS DIST HORSE AGE WEIGHT TRAINER JOCKEY
1    Quel Destin 4 11-6 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 7/2
2 ¾ Soviet Pimpernel 4 10-12 Peter Fahey Kevin Sexton 7/1
3 ½ Torpillo 4 11-2 Nigel Twiston-Davies Daryl Jacob 4/5F
4 8 Havingagoodtime 4 10-9 Henry De Bromhead Richard Johnson 20/1
5 4 Nelson River 4 11-2 Tony Carroll Harry Bannister 14/1
6 34 Effernock Fizz 4 10-5 Miss Katy Brown Adam Short 40/1
7 9 Kaizer 4 10-12 Alistair Whillans Tom Scudamore 16/1
NR 4 - Construct 4 10-12 John C McConnell NON RUNNER
NR 5 - Fanfan Du Seuil 4 10-12 Tom George NON RUNNER

Trainers Quotes