Alexei announced himself as a real prospect for Joe Tizzard with his display in the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The German-bred gelding had been runner-up to Celtic Dino in the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his seasonal reappearance and then won a valuable Ascot handicap, form that set him up for his well-backed Greatwood bid. His Chepstow conqueror was a non-runner because of the ground.
Sent off 100-30 favourite under Brendan Powell, Alexei travelled well, worked his way through the field and hit the front up the hill, powering clear after the last for an emphatic six-length victory.
“He went up 7lb for his Ascot performance, (but) came out of it really well and I thought this was the best I’d had him but this was a step up again. To go away like he did after the last, it was a proper performance,” said Tizzard, who also enjoyed an earlier winner on the card with the Powell-ridden Triple Trade.
“Coming to the last, I did just wonder what he was going to find, but Brendan said he wanted company coming down to it because he just has a look when he gets to the last. He won over two-mile-three in his maiden last year, so a fast-run two miles is ideal for him. The ground was my only concern, but it didn’t hinder him at all.”
“I’m just enjoying what he’s doing at the moment, Ascot was only two weeks ago and he ran a blinder at Chepstow, so we’ve had two cracking weekends with him. I’m mindful that he’s done that twice in a fortnight, and on slower ground this time. I haven’t got a plan with him, the plan was these two and that’s where we’re at. Garth and Anne (Broom) are the best owners you can wish for, they deserve every success they get.”
Owner Garth Broom, best known at Cheltenham for Native River’s 2018 Gold Cup success, added: “He was more impressive there than he was at Ascot, wasn’t he? We looked up his German form and he’d run well on soft and heavy over there. I think he could be (better than a handicapper).”
Soldier Reeves sparkled in the mallardjewellers.com Maiden Hurdle, with last year’s Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly fourth on his hurdling debut. Dan and Harry Skelton’s 14-1 winner prevailed by a half-length on his own first run over obstacles, with Gaelic Pride second and Bespoke Tailor third.
James Owen’s Ambiente Friendly, an 11-2 chance under Sam Twiston-Davies, faced a very different test to his 2024 Epsom effort behind City Of Troy. He led for a long way before tiring but kept on without falling away.
Dan Skelton said of Soldier Reeves: “He was way too keen in bumpers and if he ran in bumpers for much longer he was going to learn to over-race. Even at the last there, he over-jumped. He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s got a big engine. I thought he could win, I didn’t necessarily think we would, but I thought he could. I think we’ll stick at two miles for as long as we dare, really. I want to teach him to race properly.”
Anthony Honeyball’s Kdeux Saint Fray showed his aptitude over fences in the Bottlegreen Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. A faller on his novice chase debut, he put in a polished performance to win at 13-2 under Jonathan Burke, with stablemate Jordans Cross unseating when favourite.
“H e jumped like we thought he could today, he handled the ground and is just a nice horse going forward. I thought it was a tough race, top-weight and a five-year-old and I was wondering if I’d done the right thing, but he came through it and toughed it out well,” said Honeyball. “We’ll go for the John Francome at Newbury now.” On Jordans Cross: “He seems fine, I think he’ll be fine, but I’ll see what they say whether he’s got a few nicks. I think he’d have been bang there with the winner.”
The Hine Solicitors Talking Sense Handicap Chase went to the Joe Tizzard team as Brendan Powell steered Triple Trade (7-1) to a neck victory over Torneo. Marble Sands relished a step up in trip to take the Oddschecker Handicap Chase for David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, winning by four lengths at 7-1 under Kielan Woods.
The concluding Three Counties Christmas Open National Hunt Flat Race was claimed by Tom Cooper’s Saint Clovis, a 12-1 shot ridden by Harry Cobden to win by four and three-quarter lengths.