Torphichen

There was no gallop on early in the two-mile juvenile hurdle at Sandown on Friday, and that wouldn’t have suited the warm favourite, Torphichen, who had quickened up nicely to win on his hurdling debut at Ludlow at the end of January. That said, McCoy had him in the ideal position throughout, given that there was a dearth of pace, on the rail in the front rank. He settled well, he jumped more than adequately, he quickened nicely off the home turn and had his rivals under pressure very quickly before coming away readily to have the race in the bag well before the final flight.

Torphichen was a decent horse when trained by Michael Jarvis on the flat. He joined David Pipe in November and has apparently always jumped well at home from the beginning. The market seems to indicate that it will be the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle that this fellow run in at Cheltenham and not the Triumph. If that is the case, with his four-year-old’s weight allowance, the hint should be taken. (Indeed, whatever juvenile Pipe runs in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has to automatically go on your shortlist, given the strength that the Nicholashayne team appear to have in that department this year.)

13^th February, 2009