The New Kid On The Block (DK)

While all the talk over the other side of the Irish Sea has been about Detroit City, yesterday we saw what the Irish had to offer in Iktitaf.

Detroit City has his Triumph Hurdle to his name from his novice days, and even though Iktitaf did not goto Cheltenham he has some more than useful form to his name. Since getting his win under his belt, possibly down to the addition of a tongue tie, he has beaten the soft ground specialist in O'Muircheartaigh in the Royal Bond, and only suffered defeat to Mounthenry, when he ran a mile injured. Even that defeat to Mounthenry isn't all that bad, as he finished 1l behind the RSA winner in Nicanor over 2m4f later on in the season.

That injury could have been a blessing in disguise, as when he came back for the Champion Novice Hurdle, he came back a different horse altogether.

People will no doubt err on the side of caution when looking at this piece of form, as Straw Bear finished 2nd in the Supreme, and also won well at Aintree before taking his part in this race. But could an on song Straw Bear cope with Iktitaf on that day, through Sublimity he'd have had one tough task, and though Sublimity, he arguably ran to form as Sublimity had finished a good 3rd to Noland in the Supreme Novices. Today Sublimity was 5l behind Straw Bear and 12l behind Iktitaf. RPR rated that performance as 148+, but I think through Sublimity and Straw Bear, he ran upto a mark of 160 in my eyes. Another example of why I rated his victory so high on that day, was the time he posted. He ran 3m 50.50s eased down, and later in the week, when the course was drying out, Macs Joy posted a time of 3m 51.80s yet was rated 170+ by RPR, and all he beat was an over the top Brave Inca, somehting which AP confirmed later in the year, and an under par Hardy Eustace, who was never right that year.

This season Iktitaf has followed a relatively similar route to Detroit City. Whereas Detroit City had the Cesarewitch as his target throughout the summer, Iktitafs run was used as a prep for the up and coming NH season, yet he was still able to rally in the manner of a good horse to win going away. Following these runs he had two relatively simple assignments in two spins over hurdles competing against Davenport Democrat, where in effect it ended up as two pieces of work for him.

Coming into yesterday's race, Brave Inca was deemed to be in better shape than he was when winning this last year, and Asian Maze was deemed in good from and ready to start her campaign, and Newmill was in the need of the run, so all in all Iktitaf's credentials were going to be seriously tested.

With Newmill setting a decent pace up front, there was no need for Barry Geraghty and Brave Inca to try and wind it up from the front, and they were all jumping well, with Iktitaf held up, and arguably jumping the best of them. Come the home turn, Newmill had ran his race, and Asian Maze took it up, come the last flight, after a big leap Iktitaf was able to take it up and win relatively cosily from Asian Maze, with Brave Inca 3rd.

Looking at this race I feel that Asian Maze has posted her best effort over 2ms, arguably her career, and the reason for that was the ground, it made it a test, and she was able to put her stamina to some use. Was Brave Inca fully wound up, I'm happy to say he wasn't, but if the trainer thought he was further in his work than last season, then I'd be disappointed, and hope that a reunion with AP will bring back the true Brave Inca, so where does that leave Iktitaf?

Iktitaf, for me, posted a better performance than any other Champion elect has this season. He gave 5lbs to a mare who relishes the track and the condtitions, and gave Brave Inca a 8 1/4l beating. Did he idle or was he feeling the ground when taking it up, personally I feel it was a bit of both. Bar the Cesarewitch, this was his first proper race of the season, and arguably he'll come on for this run, and I think many people are wrong to think that his best form is on soft ground, as the ground at Punchestown was true good ground when winning the Champion Novice, so anything from Good to Soft/Heavy ground will not be a problem for him come March.

RPR have rated this effort as 165 , but I'd have no hesitation in rating this in the early 170s at the very least, an effort that is what Brave Inca posted to win last seasons Champion Hurdle, and for him to be still a bigger price than Detroit City, is nothing short of mind blowing imo.

We still have to see a few more contenders run, and no doubt the picture will change month on month before March, but I think we've seen a very strong contender for the championship in Iktitaf, and it'll take some horse to beat him.