Reve De Sivola
Reve De Sivola put up a good performance to land the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles at Chepstow last Saturday, and there is every chance that he can go on now and fulfil the immense potential that he showed last season. It looked like Noel Fehily had stolen something of a march on his pursuers on Frascati Park as he turned into the home straight. Reve De Sivola and Daryl Jacob began to close the gap, but a mistake at the third last flight halted momentum, and it looked for a little while as if he might not get to the leader. However, Nick Williams's gelding is a battler, a grinder, and he made up the ground fairly readily in the end to take it up between the final two flights before staying on well over the last to win handsomely.
There is a chance that this win will be downplayed a little, given that the Paul Nicholls horse, Aiteen Thirtythree, failed to live up to the pre-race hype. Perhaps the ground was softer than he likes it, perhaps the Nicholls team are not just zinging yet, but he is obviously highly regarded. However, Frascati Park is no mug. It takes a good horse to win three bumpers, which he did last season, and he had it pretty much to himself up front for much of the way, so Reve De Sivola's performance in beating him so well may be more meritorious than the credit that it will get. It is remarkable to think that the son of Assessor is still a novice. He was only beaten a length by Walkon in the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham last January, and he was sixth in the Triumph Hurdle, but he didn't manage to win at all last season, so he can compete in novice hurdles this season. He will be one of the top staying novice hurdlers around. He does enjoy a test of stamina, and he will be at his best during the winter when the ground is soft, so he is one who can make hay in the deep winter months. Next up is the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham's November meeting that Nick Williams won with Diamond Harry, owned, like Reve De Sivola, by the Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership, and it will take a fair one to beat him in that, as long as the ground isn't too fast. Longer term, he has to be on your shortlist for the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at Cheltenham.
24th October 2009
Back
Reve De Sivola put up a good performance to land the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles at Chepstow last Saturday, and there is every chance that he can go on now and fulfil the immense potential that he showed last season. It looked like Noel Fehily had stolen something of a march on his pursuers on Frascati Park as he turned into the home straight. Reve De Sivola and Daryl Jacob began to close the gap, but a mistake at the third last flight halted momentum, and it looked for a little while as if he might not get to the leader. However, Nick Williams's gelding is a battler, a grinder, and he made up the ground fairly readily in the end to take it up between the final two flights before staying on well over the last to win handsomely.
There is a chance that this win will be downplayed a little, given that the Paul Nicholls horse, Aiteen Thirtythree, failed to live up to the pre-race hype. Perhaps the ground was softer than he likes it, perhaps the Nicholls team are not just zinging yet, but he is obviously highly regarded. However, Frascati Park is no mug. It takes a good horse to win three bumpers, which he did last season, and he had it pretty much to himself up front for much of the way, so Reve De Sivola's performance in beating him so well may be more meritorious than the credit that it will get. It is remarkable to think that the son of Assessor is still a novice. He was only beaten a length by Walkon in the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham last January, and he was sixth in the Triumph Hurdle, but he didn't manage to win at all last season, so he can compete in novice hurdles this season. He will be one of the top staying novice hurdlers around. He does enjoy a test of stamina, and he will be at his best during the winter when the ground is soft, so he is one who can make hay in the deep winter months. Next up is the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham's November meeting that Nick Williams won with Diamond Harry, owned, like Reve De Sivola, by the Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership, and it will take a fair one to beat him in that, as long as the ground isn't too fast. Longer term, he has to be on your shortlist for the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at Cheltenham.
24th October 2009
Back