The flat season drew to a close at Doncaster on Saturday and with all the rain around it meant the ground was heavy come race time and this certainly caused for a few shocks as well as gambles on those who loved soft ground. The feature race, The November Handicap was won this year by Litigant who added this to his Ebor win earlier this season. His trainer has done a great job with him as he has very brittle legs and the soft ground is not only needed but is a necessity.

With the Flat season over it’s time to turn to National Hunt racing and on Saturday we saw the return of Simonsig. He was returning from a lay off of 970 days and also dropped back to hurdles. He was joined in the race by stablemate and former Albert Bartlett, RSA Chase, Hennessy and Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth who was also returning to hurdles. John Ferguson had two in the race in last years Elite Hurdle winner (possibly fortuitously) Purple Bay and multiple winner and youngest in the field at 5 Commissioned. Former Nicky Henderson horse Royal Boy who won the Tolworth Hurdle when trained by Nicky Henderson made up the quintuplet now in the care of Rebecca Curtis who was teaming up again with regular traveller from Ireland now Paul Townend.

With many having questions to answer here most notably Bobs Worth who was a shadow of his former self last year and Simonsig who had the long lay off to overcome it was Purple Bay who was sent off the 6/5 favourite. Simonsig was 2nd in the betting at 5/2 with Commissioned at 9/2. Bobs Worth and Royal Boy were the outsiders of the field at 11/1 and 12/1 respectively.

When the tapes went up it was clear what Nico De Boinville wanted to do aboard Bobs Worth and he went quickly into a lead with only Royal Boy jumping off 4 lengths behind with the rest at least 10 lengths behind. Barry Geraghty was clearly intent on settling Simonsig off this pace however after the 2nd hurdle he was pulling incredibly hard and had closed right up on Bobs Worth and Royal Boy. They turned into the straight for the first time with the 2 John Ferguson horses also closing to within 5 lengths of the leader however it was only really Simonsig who was still pulling fiercely. At the first hurdle in the straight Royal Boy got in far too deep to the hurdle and came down which he got up from quickly.
Back in the race this only lit Simonsig up even more and Barry tried as hard as he could to keep him behind Bobs Worth but he pulled himself to within half of a length of a possibly slowing Bobs Worth.

Passing the post, Commissioned had closed to a length behind Simonsig although was already been gently pushed along and Purple Bay was 2 lengths behind on the inside. By the next hurdle just over a furlong later Commissioned had already dropped off the back and was starting to struggle and the front 2 had put 4 lengths between them and Purple Bay. This was to be as close as Purple Bay got to the front pair as Bobs Worth kept turning the screw trying to bring his guaranteed stamina into play. By the time they turned for home, Bobs Worth was being ridden along in front with Simonsig coming wide under Barry Geraghty who was still travelling hard on the bridle. Purple Bay was beat back in 3rd and Commissioned a distance 4th. Coming to the last Simonsig still hadn’t been asked whilst Bobs Worth was being hard ridden and a mistake at the last by Bobs Worth allowed Simonsig to come up within half a length of him still on the bridle. Halfway up the run in he was shaken up and didn’t quicken past in the rain softened ground. Bobs Worth dug in really deep and fended off Simonsig to win and retain his unbeaten record over hurdles.

Nicky Henderson , was surely delighted with the performances of both Bobs Worth and Simonsig and post race Barry Geraghty reported that Simonsig was actually empty by the 2nd last and simply closed on raw ability. With the rain softened ground and over 2m4f it was probably a bit far but they were keen to run over fences to get the freshness out of him rather than him be too keen in a chase where he would have stood more chance of falling. Bobs Worth is now to run in the Hennessy where if Coneygree runs he is likely to carry just 10-7 compared to Coneygree’s 11-12 however he would need to prove he is back to his best over fences. If he is and comes on for this run then he could be very well handicapped over fences now at just 151 and 9lb LOWER than when winning the Hennessy back in 2012. There are no current plans for Simonsig however a return to chasing looks on the card and it would be no surprise to see him back to 2 miles as well.

With both Bobs Worth and Simonsig back it is next the turn of the superstar Sprinter Sacre who is currently being aimed at next week’s Shloer Chase at Cheltenham.

Whilst all eyes were on Simonsig and Bobs Worth there were also some other very interesting and top class National hunt races in the UK and Ireland. The Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton was won by the improving Drop Out Joe who has now won his first 2 races this season and may be looking for a return to Graded chases having taken on the likes of Kings Palace and Irish Saint last year. He’s likely to go up to a mark of around the 150 now though and looked a real stayer and could be sent for the Welsh National where he would have to carry around top weight. A horse who caught our eye in the Badger Ales was Bertie Boru who despite never jumping a fence in the whole race he plugged on like he always does to finish 6th. He too could be off to the Welsh National where if he can jump better and stay in contention could be doing all his best work down the tiring final straight.

Before the Badger Ales there was the Rising Stars Novice Chase which has been won by some very talented horses in the past including Breedsbreeze, Wishfull Thinking, Silviniaco Conti, Houblon Des Obeaux and Southfield Theatre. The favourite this year was the Paul Nicholls trained Arpege D’Alene who had only had 3 runs over hurdles and was without a run this season. The late and strong money came for the 2nd favourite near to the off who was Junction Fourteen for Emma Lavelle. This money proved spot on with Junction Fourteen making the most of his experience by nigh on making all. Arpege D’Alene jumped well in 2nd on the whole but maybe lacked the fitness of the winner and both are sure to go on to better things as they pulled 34 lengths clear of 3rd place L’Unique.

Also on the Wincanton card was the Elite Hurdle which was won as mentioned earlier by Purple Bay last year, however this was probably fortuitously as Irving had fallen at the last when travelling like the winner. Back for another crack this year he was sent off at 9/2 as there were plenty of interesting improvers in the field including Zarib, All Yours and Francis of Assissi as well as mud-loving Melodic Rendezvouz. The 66/1 outsider Byron Blue assured there was no hanging around and turning for home any number could win. At the 2nd last Melodic Rendezvous had taken over with Irving nearly alongside with Zarib, Olofi and All Yours just behind. Between the last 2 hurdles Melodic Rendezvous who was being hard driven and Irving who was being coaxed into the lead pulled clear of the remainder and with a good jump at the last Irving pulled away to win by 7 lengths much to the delight of Nick Schofield who usually rides Melodic Rendezvous but had chosen to ride Irving today. Melodic Rendezvous just held on for 2nd in front of Zarib and the rallying Francis of Assisi. Irving will now be aimed at the Fighting Fifth which he won last year and will only be running elsewhere if Newcastle can’t stage this meeting.