Racing: Business still trades at Gold standard

The gilded, promising youths here and at Wincanton here yesterday had to bow before a pure golden oldie. At the age of 13, which translated to human terms is an age more suited to woollen mittens and Saga brochures than charging about muddy fields, See More Business gave the day's young shavers a lesson in how to race into people's hearts.

The valiant veteran, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup four years ago, jumped and galloped his rivals silly in the Jim Ford Chase at the Somerset track and the West Country faithful gave their local hero an appropriate reception, cheering him at every fence in the home straight as he left Iris Bleu nine lengths in his wake and for every perky stride of his walk back to the winner's circle.

In Ruby Walsh, See More Business had the right partner to harness his defiant attitude to the opposition and his years. The pair bounced off in front and stayed there, jumping fast and professionally, and as Iris Bleu, backed to 13-8 favouritism, and First Gold closed approaching four out, the screw was turned further and the chasing pair were in an instant floundering.

Walsh's absolute enjoyment of the experience was apparent. "He's some old horse," said the Irishman. "I just couldn't believe the gallop he set, and going past the stands first time, when they gave him a bit of a shout, he just took off with me again. I just needed to put my two hands on the neckstrap and leave it to him."

The victory was See More's 18th from 34 starts, and his continuing vitality and enthusiasm are a huge testament to trainer Paul Nicholls and his team at Ditcheat, just eight miles from Wincanton.

Paul Barber's warrior followed last year's success in this race with an against-the-odds third in the Gold Cup and has now been cut to as low as 14-1 (Victor Chandler) for the blue riband. Since its inception in 1924, no horse has ever regained a Gold Cup and no 13-year-old has ever won one but, given his favoured easy ground, Nicholls puts him thereabouts again.

"You just cannot say he can't win it," he said. "If he was an eight-year-old, he would be favourite by now. He is definitely a better horse this year than he was last. I don't know why, but the only time we really had him right last season was when he was in the Gold Cup and he ran a blinder."

Walsh is carded to partner last year's Gold Cup runner-up, Commanche Court, who has his prep at Navan today, at Cheltenham for his father, Ted. But he said yesterday: "Never say never. Let's see what gets there on the day."

Thankfully, racing is a game with a heart, but it also has a head, and some of the shrewdest brains in the game forced Rhinestone Cowboy down to 5-2 new favourite for the Champion Hurdle in most lists after his annihilation of fellow novice Thisthatandtother and title holder Hors La Loi in the Kingwell Hurdle.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained seven-year-old took his unbeaten record to four over hurdles in his first venture into senior company and has yet to take more than a stride or two off the bridle. It appeared that the jockey Norman Williamson's neck was a swivel as he threw contemptuous glances to left and right over the final two flights.

"This fella has real speed at the end of a race," he said, "and he did everything I asked without any fuss."

According to O'Neill, there is still a choice to be made for Rhinestone Cowboy between the Champion Hurdle and the first-season equivalent, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but the debate is surely notional. There is little doubt that the senior race, for which his main challenger in the betting is his stablemate Intersky Falcon, will be the option for the Be My Native gelding, who runs for the Magnier family.

O'Neill was in Berkshire to supervise the consummately easy success of another of the rising starlets at Jackdaws Castle, Keen Leader, in the Reynoldstown Chase. The bay's task was made simple by the departure of his chief market and form rival, Jair Du Cochet, four out and O'Neill, while happy to have taken the three-mile Group two prize, was as disappointed as any that battle was never joined. "We didn't learn a lot," he said, "but it wasn't his fault."

Keen Leader heads the lists for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and, to complete yesterday's symmetry, the two-mile novices' showdown at Wincanton went as easily to one of Paul Nicholls' future stars, Azertyuiop, who is favourite for the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy. The six-year-old had already brushed aside Got One Too when that one fell at the last.

Otherwise, the day belonged to Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy, with an 85-1 treble here, courtesy of Shemdani in the opener; Korelo, who beat favourite Chopneyev in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle; and Tiutchev, who took his second Ascot Chase in three years.

Tiutchev's main target is the world's richest chase, the Grand Jump in Japan in April, but after this rout of a Grade One field Pipe plans to take in the Champion Chase too.