Get Me Out Of Here

It was difficult not to be impressed with the performance that Get Me Out Of Here put up in landing the Totesport Trophy at Newbury last Saturday. This is one of the most competitive handicap hurdles on the calendar, and JP McManus’s horse came into the race as a mere novice, who made his debut over hurdles as recently as last October and with only three hurdle races under his girth. Even so, he travelled and jumped like and old hand throughout, he improved impressively on the near side to join the front rank at the third last, and held a slight lead as they approached the last. Then, at full flight, he got the last a little wrong, stumbled, lost his hind legs, lots of momentum, and with it, you would have thought, all chance. Ronaldo Des Mottes shot clear on the far side and looked home for all money. However, AP McCoy re-gathered Get Me Out Of Here and got him going again. Remarkably, he had enough energy left to pick up again, join Ronaldo Des Mottes 100 yards out and surge past to win fairly readily in the end.

The Totesport is always a strong handicap, but indications are that this year’s renewal was stronger than most. All the right horses filled the placings. Ronaldo Des Mottes is a really progressive individual from the David Pipe yard, who was well supported in the ante post market for the race, and the front pair pulled six lengths clear of Manyriverstocross, a 98-rated horse on the flat who jumps hurdles well and was well fancied for this, and Mamlook, who was backed into favouritism just before the off. Furthermore, the time was really impressive, almost three seconds faster than standard, the only time that dipped below standard on the day.

Get Me Out Of Here remains hugely exciting. He has now won his bumper and all four of the hurdle races that he has contested, and there is no telling how high he can go. A son of Accordion, the fact that the ground wasn’t too soft on Saturday probably suited him well, even though he has won on soft ground, and he is from the family of Harbour Pilot and Monty’s Pass, so there is every chance that he will get further than this two-mile trip if connections want to step him up, and in post-race interviews, trainer Jonjo O’Neill did seem to think that he would be better over further. He seemed to win with plenty in hand in the end, and he probably would have been even more impressive than he was but for that really significant error at the last, from which he sustained a fairly nasty gash. The handicapper has raised him 15lb to a mark of 150, which is reasonable enough, you have to expect that type of hike for winning the Totesport so impressively, but it is probable that his new mark still under-estimates his ability. He has numerous options at Cheltenham – the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Neptune as well as the County Hurdle and the Coral Cup – but his owner suggested at Sandown last Friday that the Supreme Novices’ was the most likely target. His rating of 150 is higher than the ratings that the last five winners of the Supreme Novices’ were awarded after they won the Festival curtain-raiser. As long as he has recovered from his exertions, and his cut leg, Get Me Out Of Here will be a live player in whichever race he contests during Cheltenham week.

13th February 2010

© The Irish Field, 20th February 2010