Gerri Colombe adds touch of star quality to Scilly Isles

Gordon Elliott’s unbeaten six-year-old takes Grade One challenge at Sandown.

Gordon Elliott’s decision to split his aces has led to Gerri Colombe sidestepping this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival in favour of a trip to Sandown for the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten in six starts thus far, with a point-to-point success followed by two bumper wins, two triumphs in novice hurdles and two victories over fences.

He struck Grade One gold for the first time in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over the Christmas period, but is set to encounter considerably quicker conditions in Esher this weekend.

“He’s a nice horse and doesn’t do anything too fancy at home, but everything he’s done we’ve obviously been pleased with on track, so we are looking forward to a good weekend,” said Elliott.

Gerri Colombe could quite easily have remained on home soil and lined up in Sunday’s Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown, but Elliott has Mighty Potter lined up for that particular top-level prize and he saw little merit in allowing the pair to lock horns.

He added: “There are no soft Grade Ones. Ireland looks fairly competitive, and the race at Sandown looks a good race as well.

“You’ve got Olly Murphy’s horse (Thunder Rock) and the Paul Nicholls horse (Monmiral) in there and you have to respect them, but we are trying to split our horses up as much as anything.”

Thunder Rock has won seven of his 11 starts under rules for Murphy and was particularly impressive in winning his first two outings over fences in novice handicaps at Uttoxeter and Ascot respectively.

Murphy admitted to being disappointed with the Shirocco gelding’s third-placed finish in the Grade Two Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and is hoping he can raise his game.

He said: “He’s in very good form. We’re really looking forward to running him as we’ve had this in the back of our minds for a while.

“I’m really looking forward to Saturday and if he gets into a rhythm then hopefully he’ll run very well.

“He just didn’t jump and travel with the same kind of enthusiasm that we saw in his first two starts over fences at Cheltenham last time.

“Whether he got caught out around the track going a good gallop over the extended two and a half miles, I don’t know, but I know that he is better than that run.”

Nicky Henderson relies on Balco Coastal, having decided not to declare Bold Endeavour.

Balco Coastal and Nico de Boinville impressed at Kempton
Balco Coastal and Nico de Boinville impressed at Kempton (John Walton/PA)

The seven-year-old has had two starts over fences and won a novices’ limited handicap over an extended two and a half miles at Kempton on Boxing Day with a degree of ease last time out.

Henderson said: “He was very impressive at Kempton and he’s more like a Grade One horse than the other one is.

“He was very good and was impressive. He deserves his chance in a race like that. We’ll try him and see how we get on.”

Grade One hurdle winner Monmiral was runner-up to Jonbon on his chasing debut at Warwick for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

He then chased home The Real Whacker at Cheltenham, finishing a head in front of Thunder Rock in third.

“He has come up against two very smart horses in his first two races over fences,” Nicholls said in his Betfair blog.

“He was far from disgraced behind Jonbon at Warwick and then finished second again at Cheltenham to The Real Whacker, who had the run of the race in front.

“We will make plenty of use of Monmiral who is in good shape, jumps fine and will enjoy the stiff track at Sandown. He has a sound chance.”

Ben Pauling is under no illusions of the task facing Bowtogreatness, who is officially rated 135, some 19lb below Gerri Colombe.

Part-owned by former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp, the seven-year-old was beaten a short head on his seasonal bow at Exeter before placing third behind Complete Unknown at Ffos Las last month.

Bowtogreatness and Kielan Woods know they face a stiff task
Bowtogreatness and Kielan Woods know they face a stiff task (Mike Egerton/PA)

Pauling said: “He has got it all to do on ratings, but I have always liked this horse a lot and I’m at the stage of the season where I don’t want to lose his novice status for a pony race.

“So I’d rather he ran well in Graded races than lose his novice status next year. He will be a novice next year and I think hit the heights I fully expect him to do.

“By all means, if he goes and wins one of these, we’ll be delighted.

“Both times this season he’s needed it. The first time he needed it slightly and the second time I ran him quick after we had a lot of snow and he’d missed a lot of work, and he’s just a big, burly horse who takes a lot of getting fit.

“We go there with our eyes wide open, hoping for a nice performance.”

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