Oskar takes a starring role at Cheltenham

Simon Milham
December 9, 2022 3:57 pm

Welsh National a possible option for Vaughan-trained winner.

Eva’s Oskar put himself in the Welsh National reckoning following a hard-fought success in the featured Dahlbury Handicap Chase at a frosty Cheltenham on Friday.

The 8-1 chance, ridden by Alan Johns, jumped for fun in the three-and-a-quarter-mile event and just had enough to spare to thwart Spiritofthegames by half a length.

Cut to 16-1 from 33s by Paddy Power for the Coral-sponsored contest at Chepstow on December 27, it seems a natural stopping point for the Welsh handler.

Vaughan said: “He has been super consistent this year. The only concern was the ground. Not that he can’t handle good ground, it is just (softer) slows everyone else down.

“He stuck on doggedly, so I’m delighted. It is nice for the horse, nice for Alan, nice for me, nice for the owners – who are lovely people – and it is great for everyone.

“He is in the Welsh National and it is definitely a thought. Why not? If it came up soft, we would definitely look at it. The view was if he didn’t come here and win, he wasn’t going to win a Welsh National. That is the rationale we had.”

Eva's Oskar returns to the winner's enclosure — Eva’s Oskar returns to the winner’s enclosure (David Davies/PA)

However, Newcastle and Aintree are also in the thoughts. He added: “Obviously he need to take another step forward, but a longer trip and softer ground would put more things in our favour.

“We’ll see, but in my head the Eider would be the race for him. It is just a little bit of a lower grade than the Welsh National, and possibly a Grand National would be a lovely dream.”

The Scottish Grand National was on Dan Skelton’s mind after Hidden Heroics (10-11 favourite) took the Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase in a canter in the hands of Harry Skelton.

Hidden Heroics could be a Scottish National horse (David Davies/PA)

Dan Skelton said: “He jumped nicely, a little bit out to his right. I ran him at Aintree at the start of the season and dropped him in and he ran like a hippo with a hernia – he was awful.

“So we said we’d go an make the running over fences now and he’s two from two and hasn’t come off the bridle twice. He has not competed in the deepest races of all time but he has done what is required of him and he has had a clear round around Cheltenham which, as a novice, is not the easiest task in the world. So, we are very happy with him.

“We keep going as we are, find some novice handicaps and we’re not going to step up dramatically in grade, but come the springtime, we might look at something like a Scottish National.”

Attacca outstayed his Cheltenham rivals (David Davies/PA)

Nicky Henderson paid tribute to jockey Nico De Boinville’s timing as he made sensible fractions for a front-running success on Attacca (5-1) in the British EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.

Henderson said: “He was very slick. Nico’s clocking was brilliant. The horse does jump, doesn’t he?

“I think he does want another half a mile, but that is why we set those fractions and he set them well, too. I would think we will step him up to two and a half and ride a normal race next.

“The Sidney Banks would be a lovely race for him. We’ll see what happens over the New Year. He really enjoyed that and so did I.”

Dame Du Soir (left) gave Lily Pinchin a Cheltenham winner (David Davies/PA)

On a bitingly-cold afternoon, David Bridgwater ironically came off the cold list when Dame Du Soir was delivered with a perfectly-timed run by Lily Pinchin to win the CF Roberts Electrical & Mechanical Services Mares’ Handicap Chase by a head.

The handler said: “It is a welcome winner. When you need one, there is no better place. If you haven’t got the horses, you can’t compete. She was 19lb better off this year, because she wasn’t right last year.

“I thought she would have been placed last year off 11st 8lb but she made a mistake at the last.

“You haven’t got to be a rocket scientist to work out with 19lb off her back, she isn’t going to be far away.

“Lily was superb – I think she is an absolutely wonderful girl. I wanted to go to Fontwell on Tuesday, but Graham (Clarkson, co-owner) wanted a day out.”

Punctuation struck for Fergal O'Brien — Punctuation struck for Fergal O’Brien (David Davies/PA)

Punctuation made it four in a row since joining Fergal O’Brien as he defied a 6lb rise to take the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle by three and three-quarter lengths in the hands of Paddy Brennan.

O’Brien said: “We were delighted with that. It was Paddy’s call to come here. He has done it so well – I can’t believe how well he’s done it. I was worried about the ground being a little quick for him, but Paddy says he loved it.

“We will look at maybe coming back for Trials day.”