Saturday afternoon sees Cheltenham stage its final race day of a memorable 2024 as the two-day Christmas Meeting concludes. However, fans won’t have long to wait before the Prestbury Park venue strides into view once more as Cheltenham returns with another excellent meeting on New Year’s Day.
Focussing on this Saturday’s action, the December Gold Cup takes centre stage, but the seven-race card also includes trial contests for the JCB Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Star Names on Roll of Honour
Going by the same name as its Cheltenham Festival counterpart, the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is a notch below the March event. However, the race regularly falls to a runner who goes on to success on the biggest stage, as evidenced by the subsequent exploits of the following previous winners:
- Remittance Man (1989) – Arkle Challenge Trophy (1991), Queen Mother Champion Chase (1992), Melling Chase (1992)
- Bindaree (1999) – Grand National (2002), Welsh Grand National (2003)
- Iris’s Gift (2002) – Liverpool Hurdle (2004), Stayers Hurdle (2004)
- Comply Or Die (2003) – Grand National (2008)
- Coneygree (2012) – Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (2014), Cheltenham Gold Cup (2015)
- Blaklion (2014) – RSA Chase (2016)
Rapid Improver Rides Wave of Wins to Cheltenham
Only time will tell if the 2024 winner goes on to scale the heights of some of their predecessors. However, with a final field of seven now confirmed, we have a selection of intriguing contenders set to tackle the 3m trip. The most interesting runner of all is the current favourite for the race, Skyjack Hijack.
Hailing from the Staffordshire yard of Jennie Candish, this son of Jet Away has progressed from relative obscurity to Graded company in double-quick time. Beaten in his Point to Point and a 28 length seventh on his hurdling debut at Aintree in October 2023, the good-looking bay offered little hint of what was to come in 2024.
Not that the six-year-old found his feet immediately, but three placed efforts from as many outings represented a marked improvement on all that had come before. And then he took off.
Revealing that he was a rather talented performer, after all, Skyjack Hijack scythed through the opposition at Cartmel, Perth, Aintree, Newcastle (twice), and Exeter to reel off a six-race winning streak. Wallowing on an official rating of 97 on the 26th of August, he now sits on a rather lofty perch of 138. With the average winning distance for those wins coming in at a shade under 12l, the handicapper had little option but to take evasive action.
Biggest Test to Date
Kicking off his spree of victories in Class 5 handicap company, Skyjack Hijack’s most recent win came in a Class 2 Novice event at Newcastle. Having given weight and a 9½l beating to his five rivals that day, the only place left to go is further up the racing ladder.
Six timer landed! 🙌
Skyjack Hijack makes all at @NewcastleRaces for a sixth win on the bounce, outclassing all rivals for @SquinlanSean and @JCandlishracing… pic.twitter.com/5rj6dTgyGc
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 30, 2024
Reports following that Newcastle win suggested that the newly prolific performer would head off for a break before returning in early spring. However, it appears that there has now been a rethink. Possibly keen to strike while the iron is hot, Skyjack Hijack will bid to extend his sequence to seven on Saturday afternoon.
Lying in wait amongst the opposition are the unbeaten Clondaw Warrior from the yard of Kim Bailey, the hattrick-seeking Western Knight from the Joe Tizzard operation, Carlisle winner Aboutdamntime, and promising French raider Jet Blue. Can Skyjack Hijack pass his toughest test and continue an unlikely journey to the Cheltenham Festival? Saturday at 3pm is the time to find out.
