Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Haydock 14:05 £30,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 144y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 21st January 2017 | |
1 Neon Wolf 4/5F
2 Elgin 3/1
3 Crievehill 12/1
7 ran Distances: 9l, 2l, 4l
Time: 3m 55.80s (slow by 15.80s)
Neon Wolf extends away from Elgin like a very good horse indeed to maintain his unbeaten record
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Trainer Harry Fry is enjoying a fantastic spell since the turn of the year with his small but select team of horses and Neon Wolf, backed into 4/5 favouritism, maintained his unbeaten record under Noel Fehily in tremendous style.
Fehily was keen to sit handily on the shoulder of the early leader Golden Town and after tanking to the front on the long run towards the third-last flight of hurdles it was clear he was going to be an extremely hard horse to pass.
A prodigious leap at that obstacles gave him a commanding advantage and although Elgin closed to within a couple of lengths up the home straight, Alan King's Kempton winner never looked like bridging the gap and the winner continued to gallop and jump all of his rivals into submission.
There were nine lengths between the front two at the line and the sponsors were suitably impressed to cut the the winner to 10/1 from 25/1 (NRNB) for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Fehily told Racing UK: "I thought this track might be a bit tight for him because in time he's going to want three miles but he handled it fine. You forget how quick a track it is around here but he showed a tremendous turn of foot. It was unbelievable how he picked up and winged away up the straight there.
"He's got masses of potential but his owners are very patient and his future is chasing further down the road.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he missed Cheltenham myself, there's Aintree and Punchestown to consider too obviously.
"He's just a very good horse and he's in the right hands."
Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle
(Registered As The Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2)
£30,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 144y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Neon Wolf (IRE) 4/5f | N D Fehily 11-8 |
H Fry | 6 | |
| 2nd | 9 | Elgin 3/1 | Wayne Hutchinson 11-11 |
A King | 5 |
| 3rd | 2 | Crievehill (IRE) 12/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-8 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 5 |
| 4th | 4 | Mohaayed 12/1 | Harry Skelton 11-4 |
D Skelton | 5 |
| 5th | 9 | Craggaknock 8/1 | Jake Greenall 11-8 |
M Walford | 6 |
| 6th | 12 | Master Of Finance (IRE) 25/1 | B Hughes 11-4 |
J M Jefferson | 6 |
| PU | Golden Town (IRE) | H Brooke | J Moffat | 6 |
