At Fishers Cross

At Fishers Cross put up a nice performance to win the three-mile handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last Friday. The Rebecca Curtis-trained gelding’s jumping wasn’t foot-perfect, but it was a lot better than it had been on his previous run at Newbury, and he was very good when he met one on a stride. Travelling well through the race for AP McCoy, he and the well-backed Inish Island were the only two who had yet to be asked for an effort on the run to the final flight. At Fishers Cross did have first run on the Willie Mullins horse, and he had the rail to help him up the run-in, but it is difficult to argue that he wasn’t the best horse in the race.

JP McManus’s horse stayed this trip well and he handled the soft ground, so that gives him lots of options. The handicapper has raised him 13lb to a mark of 145, but this was just his fifth run over hurdles, he was defying a 9lb hike here for his Newbury win, he is only five, he should improve again as his jumping improves even more, and he has lots of potential for progression. As well as that, he probably won with plenty in hand from a useful and progressive rival, and the pair of them were far superior to the rest of their rivals.

At Fishers Cross jumped his hurdles fairly big on occasion, he looks like a chaser in-waiting, but he has lots to offer over hurdles now before he goes chasing in time.

14th December 2012