Simonsig brings delight for Nicky Henderson in Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle
On Wednesday, March 14, 2012, Nicky Henderson became the winning most handler at the Cheltenham Festival.
The feat was gifted to Henderson by none other than Simonsig, who sealed an emphatic win in the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (Registered As Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle).
It was a forceful performance by the six-year-old, as he did not let his opponents do anything impressive. He was a touch slow in the beginning. The situation got worse, when Simonsig hit third fence.
His fans were sensing a defeat, when the maverick runner turned things around. Ridden by Barry Geraghty, he showed a brilliant performance at the final moments to gain a decent advantage.
Once he established his dominance, there was no stopping for Henderson’s talented gelding. Justifying his highest starting price of 2-1, Simonsig stopped the clock in four minutes and 59.34 seconds.
On beating Fulke Walwyn's previous record of 40 triumphs, Henderson said on the racing day:
"It's lovely but I feel a bit overawed as you're talking about legends like Fulke Walwyn. I've been very lucky over the years. I've got a great team at home and owners have sent me some lovely horses. It's all about the team and it's been fun all the way."
"The one thing Barry and I didn't want was to find ourselves in front too soon - we wanted to wait forever - but he was travelling very well," he added.
Willie Mullins’ Felix Yonger finished second by seven lengths. Under P. Townend, he showed a decent effort, but that was not enough to trouble the winner.
However, his connections would have satisfied with his performances, as his odds of 16-1 were lower than many others.
The third spot was grabbed by Monksland, trained by Noel Meade. The 11-2 chance was not fluent on the racecourse and therefore, he could not challenge the leaders.
As a result, an embarrassing 11-length defeat came to his way. Close House ended up fourth, while Sous Les Cieux completed the list of top five.
It was Simonsig’s sixth career win and second in a row. The R. A. Bartlett-owned has been maintaining excellent standards since his debut in February last year.
Ahead of his fantastic win in the Cheltenham Festival, Fair Mix’s son unleashed his class in the BetVictor Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso. Considering his wonderful stats, one can easily forecast a bright future for the dashing gelding.
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