Triolo D’Alene

Triolo D’Alene was really impressive in winning a novices’ handicap chase at Ascot on Saturday over two miles and three furlongs on his British debut for Nicky Henderson. His jumping was more than adequate – although he can improve a little in that division – he travelled comfortably on the outside, he and Ackertac pulled clear over the last couple of fences, with Triolo D’Alene getting on top approaching the last fence and drawing on by a couple of lengths to win well in a pretty good time.

He was weak in the market on the morning of the race, but there was good support for him on course, so he had presumably been showing up well in his work at Seven Barrows since he has come over from France. He can only improve for this, he can’t have been with Nicky Henderson for all that long as he won a chase at Fontainebleau at the end of November. He won this off a mark of 127, he has been raised 9lb to 136, so the Centenary Chase, the novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham, which is a 0-140 race, looks like the race for him. A 9lb rise in not harsh, especially as the runner-up, the slightly more exposed Ackertac, has been raised 5lb himself. Triolo D’Alene won here like a good horse and he could be quite good indeed, much better than his new mark of 136 and possibly even better than a handicapper. It could be that Henderson wants to get some more experience into him before Cheltenham, if Cheltenham is even on his agenda at all, and if so, that may blow his chances of running in the Centenary. He could well be good enough for the Jewson instead, if that is the case, but he would be of big interest now if he went straight to the Centenary.

21st January 2012