Sadler's Risk

Sadler's Risk put up a nice performance to finish second to Perfect Gentleman in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 3 novices' chase at Cork on Sunday.

Henry de Bromhead's gelding nodded a little on landing over the first fence, but his jumping after that was generally quite good, if a little to his right. Settled in fourth of the sixth runners after the first fence, he moved into third place as they set out on their final circuit. His jumping down the back straight was particularly good, and he went on when leader Un Beau Matin made a bad mistake at the last fence in the back straight. From there, he stretched his rivals out. Perfect Gentleman was the only one who was able to go with him, but he was travelling far better than his rival on the run to the third last. Still two lengths clear and travelling well at the second last, he got in tight to that obstacle and gave Perfect Gentleman a chance. Back on terms at the last, the two of them jumped the obstacle in unison, both horses jumped it really well, but it was the Willie Mullins horse who proved the stronger on the run-in, coming away to win by three lengths.

This was a good race, it was run in a good time and the first two pulled nicely clear. Perfect Gentleman is nine years old, but he is lightly-raced, and this was just his second chase. He should progress again for this experience, and for the step back up to three miles. However, he had had the benefit of a recent run, and that may have been significant. Sadler's Risk had not run since he won his beginners' chase on soft ground at Roscommon in May. A dual winner on the flat for Mark Johnston - he beat Hardwicke Stakes winner Sea Moon for his second win - and a good juvenile hurdler for Philip Hobbs three seasons ago, when he was second in the Adonis Hurdle and sixth in Countrywide Flame's Triumph Hurdle, he shaped nicely on a couple of occasion last season in staying hurdles for Henry de Bromhead. He ran well in a Pertemps Qualifier at Punchestown last February, and he was not disgraced in finishing sixth in the Grade 1 World Series Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in May.

By Sadler's Wells out of a Dynaformer mare, he stays two and a half miles well, and that may be as far as he wants to go over fences. It may be that he is a two-and-a-half-mile chaser more than a three-mile chaser. Either way, he is a classy recruit. He was rated 150 at his peak over hurdles, and, still just a six-year-old, there is no reason why he cannot attain at least a similar level over fences. He should progress from Sunday's run, effectively his seasonal debut and just his second chase, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

2nd November 2014

Back