Talking Horses

NORN IRON AND ZURICH TOP GOLD CUP LIST

Winter is coming, and no trainer is looking forward to it more than Harry Derham. He made a massive breakthrough last season at the Punchestown Festival when saddling his first Grade 1 winner, which underlined the progress he’s made in just his fourth season with a licence.

Le Frimeur deserved to steal the headlines, but the yard’s NORN IRON also caught the eye at the same spring festival after finishing runner up to Funiculi Funicula in a 2m 4f novice handicap chase that Willie Mullins has farmed in recent years. Mullins saddled eight of the 22 runners that day, securing an eighth success from the last 11 renewals with the Paul Townend-ridden winner, who was chased home by Norn Iron.

The subsequent Kerry National success of the fourth-placed Ballygunner Castle gave the form a nice boost, as well as strengthening the case for keeping Norn Iron onside in valuable handicap chases this season. One of Derham’s most improved horses last term, the eight-year-old has taken well to fences by winning two of his five starts, and this unexposed second-season chaser has assured with his jumping, which should stand him in good stead in open company.

That Punchestown second represents a clear career-best effort, and Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup (2:20) at Cheltenham is his first major target. A preparatory run over hurdles was missed due to ground concerns at Chepstow, but Derham can be relied upon to have him ready to roll.

The step up to an intermediate trip has been the making of Norn Iron. Two miles appeared to be on the sharp side for the Soldier Of Fortune gelding before winning twice in small-field contests over 2m 4f at Sandown, with the increased distance seemingly bringing about considerable improvement. He certainly belongs on the shortlist for such a valuable prize, especially at double-figure odds, while any rain would only increase stable hopes.

With Mullins keeping his powder dry and staying at home for the following week’s Punchestown meeting, Henry de Bromhead has risen to the challenge by sending over July Flower and ZURICH, with the trainer bidding to end the long barren spell for Irish runners in the Paddy Power-sponsored premier handicap. Last year's race was named in honour of the late Edward O’Grady, who famously saddled the last Irish winner in Tranquil Sea in 2009, and it would be great if one of the Irish raiders were to be successful this time around, with Zurich certainly looking worthy of a small saver.

Stable jockey Darragh O’Keeffe takes the ride on the smart, Graded mare, but Sean Bowen is an eye-catching booking for the yard’s supposed second string. The seven-year-old already knows how to win over this trip on Cheltenham’s Old Course, having struck under O’Keeffe at the October meeting last season. He subsequently held three Cheltenham Festival options, but connections eventually ended up opting for the Plate (Premier Handicap).

Taking on more-seasoned rivals that day, he eventually finished some 14 lengths behind Dan Skelton’s Madara, although he was much closer to the next three home. That run also deserves marking up, as Zurich was among a small group hampered at the first fence, and he now faces the winner on 11lb better terms here. Another year to strengthen up could well see him close the gap.

Zurich ended his season with a narrow defeat in the Silver Trophy, again denied by another Skelton runner in the shape of Riskintheground, who also re-opposes here. The winner looked primed for that race, but Zurich still pushed him close - with nine and a half lengths to spare over the third. A prep run for this is another tick in the box having taken a similar route last season, although that warm-up success was clearly more convincing. However, with his first outing in six months now behind him, he should be sharper here.

Nicky Henderson has been waiting for the ground to ease before unleashing his better horses, with the dry spell leaving Seven Barrows on just nine winners for the campaign - behind its tally at the same stage last season. His string is reported fit and ready to go, however, and a clutch of weekend entries could give the campaign fresh impetus.

JONBON, now rising 11, looks to hold strong claims for a third Shloer Chase (2:20) success at Cheltenham on Friday. Few can match the veteran’s consistency, finishing in the first two in all 28 career starts, and having won this race in 2023 and 2024 before finishing second last year, he has an obvious chance to regain this prize.

An away-day gallop at Kempton pleased connections, and Henderson believes his stable star is further forward than he was for last year’s renewal. Last year’s winner L’Eau Du Sud is absent through injury, leaving a depleted four-runner field without a rival of the same calibre, and with Jonbon’s preparation offering plenty of encouragement, he is undoubtedly the one to beat.

Henderson is seemingly ready to break his own rule by throwing OLD PARK STAR straight into a novice chase at Cheltenham, with the Supreme winner having been declared for Saturday's Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase (1:45). The six-year-old was flawless over hurdles last season, capping an unbeaten novice campaign with Cheltenham Festival glory. And now larger obstacles beckon.

Old Park Star's jumping pointed to a horse made for fences, and he pleased the team in a recent schooling session and racecourse gallop, which should have blown away the cobwebs. He is fancied to pass this first test if Nico de Boinville is happy with conditions underfoot, and punters should take note that the master of Seven Barrows isn’t running scared of current favourite Kabral Du Mathan. Indeed, we could well have a new Arkle favourite following Saturday’s trial.

It’s a bold call to take on any of Dan Skelton’s runners, especially at this meeting, so MONEYGARROW is recommended as one of the stable bankers in the Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (3:30) at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Placed in the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle on his reappearance at Chepstow last term, the six-year-old subsequently won twice at Warwick and Windsor. And despite a truly-run three miles ultimately proving beyond him in the Albert Bartlett, there was nothing travelling better than Harry Skelton’s mount approaching the final hurdle that day. As a result, dropping back to 2m 5f here looks an ideal starting point for this graded performer.

Away from the marquee meeting, Windsor stages a decent card on Saturday - live on Sky Sports Racing - with DOCTOR ON CALL set to make his debut for Sam Thomas fitted with first-time cheekpieces (40% stable strike rate in first-time headgear) in the 3m Fitzdares Telephone & Text Betting Handicap Hurdle (1:25).

Dai Walters’ stable-switcher is now with his retained trainer, whose record is second to none with horses transferred over from other yards, with names such as Al Dancer, Stolen Silver and Our Power all examples of previous success stories. Doctor On Call looked better the further he went when upped in trip at Ludlow, winning a maiden hurdle over this trip in February on his fourth start over hurdles for Paul Nicholls, and the six-year-old has the scope to continue improving now switched to handicap company.

One for the ATR Tracker

Irish point-to-point winner TULLYNAKILL has joined Philip Hobbs and Johnson White at their Somerset base, with a couple of shares still available in the former Stuart Crawford-trained gelding.

The grey son of Capri opened his account at the second attempt in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Portrush last month, getting up close home to score by half a length. A mistake at the last failed to halt his challenge, and he showed a willing attitude to prevail close home.

That success followed a fall in a maiden hurdle at Downpatrick maiden in August, but Hobbs and White liked what they saw when first inspecting him, and he has done nothing but please since making that positive early impression.