Cheltenham review:Restless Harry had Robin Dickin dreaming of Festival glory when outgunning General Miller and Royal Charm in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Having opened up at 11-2, the six-year-old was backed into 7-2 at the off and made most of the running under Henry Oliver.
Dickin’s charge was in full control from the bottom of the hill and stayed on all the way to the line to see off the previously unbeaten General Miller by eight lengths.
Restless Harry is now likely to be stepped up to to three miles for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle back at Prestbury Park on March 18, for which he is 6-1 with Paddy Power and Sky Bet.
“He’ll be turned out with 14 others in a big field with a herd of fallow deer at Alscot Park and his next race will be the one before the Cheltenham Gold Cup back here in March (Albert Bartlett),” said Dickin.
“I bought him myself and he’s very special and while it sounds bullish, I think he’ll be even better over three miles.
“You have to keep dreaming. When this horse won at Towcester the only place to go was the Challow where although he was beaten, he showed what a good horse he is.”
There was another bold front-running display in the Betfair Trophy Handicap Chaseas The Sawyer secured back-to-back successes by resisting the strong challenge of Private Be up the punishing hill.
The Sawyer, whose end-of-season target is the Topham Trophy at Aintree, was beautifully handled by Nathan Sweeney of whom winning trainer Bob Buckler said: “The kid can adapt and always rides to orders. He has a brain in his head.”
And of The Sawyer, who was supplementing a similarly bold forcing success at Ascot just a week ago, Buckler added: “He’d done very little since Ascot and when I sat on him on Thursday he frightened the life out of me, so I knew I had to run him.
“When he runs two races in quick succession he does seem to be even better the second time.
“Two miles and five furlongs is his preferable distance on a stiff, galloping track and the Topham would be a possibility.”
Hey Big Spender is 33-1 for the RSA Chase with Victor Chandler and Paddy Power after putting up a fine weight-carrying performance to land the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chasefor Colin Tizzard and his son Joe.
The 5-1 shot was in command approaching the final fence and stayed on strongly up the final hill to score by 10 lengths and six from Edgebriar and Midnight Chase.
Now trainer Tizzard will juggle a target of either the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase or RSA Chase at the Festival in March.
He opined: “He’s a progressive horse but when he ran here last year he seemed to stop up the hill and we’re really not sure what his best distance is.
“Joe thinks that on this ground today’s two miles and five is best, but that if it’s quicker he’d be better going up to three miles.”
Baccalaureate stunned the crowd when taking the prized scalp of Pistolet Noir at 100-1 for local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in the Betfair Finesse Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
Paddy Brennan’s mount travelled superbly throughout the contest and had everything in trouble, including the 8-15 favourite, rounding the home turn.
In the popular silks of the Yes No Wait Sorries cricket-mad syndicate, he scored by a comfortable two lengths.
Twiston-Davies said: “It was a shock because we knew he likes better ground, but why he was 100-1 I don’t know. He wasn’t beaten that far last time and I thought he’d be around 20s.”
There was a well-backed winner of the Stellar Football Handicap Hurdlein the shape of Arctic Magic, who scored by a length and a quarter from strong-travelling Aather.
Aather looked certain to claim the spoils when heading the Stuart Kittow-trained Arctic Magic at the last, but Tom Scudamore kept nagging away at the leader who had nothing more to give in the final 200 yards.
Kittow said: “I’ve run her twice here and she obviously likes the uphill finish, but I don’t think she’ll be coming back for the Festival.”