Racing review: Pied Piper outshines Chantry House and Champ on Trials Day

Hands up if you thought Pied Piper would be the headline-writer on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Mine are firmly down by my side (or on the keyboard, if you want to be precise). 

On a card that featured multiple Grade 1 winners Chantry House and Champ, it would have been brave to predict the best performance would come from a juvenile hurdler. However, that was the case as Pied Piper barely broke sweat en route to a nine-length victory in the Triumph trial, which has been won by Fakir D’Oudairies (2019), Defi Du Seuil (2017) and Peace And Co (2015) in recent years.

The bloodless victory for Gordon Elliott’s unbeaten four-year-old hurdler was an ominous sign for the Brits ahead of the festival in March, and that feeling failed to relent after sub-par showings from Chantry House, who jumped poorly yet still landed a sub-par Cotswold Chase, and Champ, who was run down by staying stalwart Paisley Park despite gifting him 15 lengths in the Cleeve Hurdle.

Will the Irish challengers dominate again at the festival in around six weeks’ time? I would be very tempted to put my hand up this time.

Life Is… Great!

Two champions lined up in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on Saturday, but the winning photograph pictured just one horse. Life Is Good, fresh off the back of a breathtaking victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, outshone his chief market rival Knicks Go with an all-the-way victory for trainer Todd Pletcher and rider Irad Ortiz.

Unlike the brilliant match race between Shishkin and Energumene in the SBK Clarence House Chase a week ago, this contest was won in the first few strides thanks to an exquisite break and instant acceleration that allowed Life Is Good to cross over to the rail and force Knicks Go (pictured below, right) to check in behind runners.

Life Is Good is better than good - he is great - and now rightly possesses the crown in the route dirt division. But for how long? There’s a new horse on the scene in Flightline. Watch this space!

Doncaster feature marred by loss of a legend

There was in-running carnage during Doncaster’s showpiece 3m handicap chase as high-risk punters steamed into eventual runner-up Storm Control, who was caught by resurgent longshot Windsor Avenue inside the final 100 yards. However, the late drama was overshadowed by the sad loss of the immensely popular Midnight Shadow, who sustained a fatal injury at the seventh fence.

A three-time Grade 2 winner and successful at Cheltenham earlier this season, Midnight Shadow was the flagbearer for Sue Smith’s Yorkshire yard and gained numerous fans, including myself, during his glittering career. A tilt at Grade 1 company might have been in the offing in March, but unfortunately we never got to see the gutsy and game chaser run at the top level in open company. 

Midnight Shadow’s tremendously sad loss was a reminder that horses and jockeys put it all on the line when they go out to race and it is a blessing when they all return safely.