Salden Licht

Salden Licht put up a nice performance to win his maiden hurdle on his debut over timber at Newbury last Wednesday. Settled in behind the leaders in the early stages by Chocolate Thornton, his jumping was good for a debutant and he took it up, still travelling easily, at the second last. From there, it was plain sailing, he jumped the last well as Nice One Eric challenged, and he picked up impressively on the run-in to win by six lengths, with Nice One Eric pulling 10 lengths clear of the well-touted and well-backed Osric from the Nicky Henderson yard, making his racecourse debut.

Salden Licht is an exciting recruit to hurdling. Winner of a listed race in France, he finished third to the high class Rainbow Peak in a good handicap at Newbury in October, and rounded off his flat season for Janes Eustace by finishing fifth behind Charm School in the November Handicap off a mark of 95. Alan King apparently hasn’t had him long, so there is every chance that he will improve for this, his debut over hurdles. He appears to have the right attitude for this game, and he could take his place among the top novices this season.

16th December 2009