American Trilogy

American Trilogy looked good in landing a two-and-a-half-mile beginners’ chase at Kempton last Friday, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he used this as a springboard to get his chasing career off the ground now. Kept to the outside throughout by Nick Schofield, he gave away plenty of ground in so doing, but the objective was obviously to get him around, which he did, before quickening up on the run-in to come clear of Zazamix and Patsy Finnegan. He did jump to his left, so he will be interesting back on a left-handed track, and he will be even more interesting back at the Cheltenham Festival, given that he is a County Hurdle winner. Rated 152 in his prime over hurdles, he should benefit significantly for this experience, his first completion over obstacles since April 2009. A lot depends on what the handicapper does, but he can’t be too harsh in allotting him a chase rating, runner-up here Patsy Finnegan is rated 122, so you have to think that, when American Trilogy is awarded a rating, it will be significantly lower than his hurdles rating. Trainer Paul Nicholls said afterwards that the son of Sendawar wasn’t as good as he was two years ago, but he would have been aware that the handicapper would have been listening, and if he is even nearly as good, he gets interesting now for a handicap at Cheltenham. The fact that he has now won over two and a half miles opens up options for him, he looked like a horse who didn’t quite get the distance on his sole attempt over it at Ascot in February 2009, but that was on heavy ground, and it could actually be his optimum trip on good ground. He would be interesting in the new two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap event, the Centenary Chase. A rating lower than 140 would enable him take his chance in that.

11th February 2011

© The Irish Field, 19th February 2011