Silviniaco Conti

Silviniaco Conti was a really impressive winner of the Grade 2 Persian War Hurdle at Chepstow on Saturday, a race that was won by subsequent Punchestown Grade 1 hurdle winner and the Neptune Investment Management Hurdle runner-up Reve De Sivola last season. Sam Twiston-Davies really tried to stretch them out on Frascati Park going off on his own in front, but Paul Nicholls’s horse travelled really well through the race, and Noel Fehily always looked confident, even when the well-regarded Philip Hobbs horse Captain Chris appeared to be travelling as well as him just before the straight. Silviniaco Conti picked up to join Frascati Park before the fourth last, and Fehily never had to get serious with him, only pushing him out hands and heels. He jumped the last really well, and went on to win by 10 lengths from Captain Chris who stayed on well into second, with a further gap back to Frascati Park in third.

This was a really impressive performance from Silviniaco Conti. The runner-up Captain Chris, is very highly regarded and he is actually due to lose his novice status by the end of this month. He was coming back from a long absence and he may not have liked the ground, but it was still a really impressive performance from Silviniaco Conti to beat him so convincingly. The pace of the race was solid, as Frascati Park tried to burn it up early on, and the form has a real solid look.

The son of Dom Alco was due to go chasing this season, but he impressed in the manner of his effortless win on his British hurdles debut two weeks earlier, and he looked like a high class recruit to hurdles here, so chasing has been put in hold for now. He is unbeaten in his four starts to date, two in France and now two in the UK, there could be more to come from him as he learns more about the game and he seems versatile with regard to ground at this stage of his career. He will be interesting wherever he turns up next.

23rd October 2010