Harry floors Newbury rivals
Harry Fry's Albert Bartlett winner continued where he left off last season with an emphatic success with plenty of smart performers in behind him
UNOWHATIMEANHARRY continued his rise through the staying ranks with a runaway victory in the bet365 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
The eight-year-old won each of his five starts for trainer Harry Fry last season, culminating with Cheltenham Festival glory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
Making his first appearance since having been bought by leading owner JP McManus during the summer, Unowhatimeanharry was a 7-2 chance for this Grade Two assignment and travelled strongly throughout under Barry Geraghty.
High-class chaser Menorah, running over hurdles for the first time in almost five years, led the field into the straight, but the big guns were waiting to pounce.
Irish challenger Snow Falcon was still in with every chance when coming to grief three flights from the finish, which left 5-2 favourite Ballyoptic and Unowhatimeanharry to come through and challenge Menorah at the head of affairs.
Fry's gelding jumped to the front at the second-last and readily breezed clear, passing the post six lengths clear of Ballyoptic, with Menorah the same distance away in third.
The Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot is the likely next port of call for the winner.
Fry said: "He gave us a great day in March and had it all to prove today.
"It's taken a while to get him out, but it's been worth waiting for.
"We took him out at Haydock last week because of the heavy ground. It wouldn't have mattered the way he's won today, but we just didn't want to get to the guts of him first time out under top-weight.
"There was this race today, but I could never have hoped or expected him to win like that and I'm thrilled to bits.
"He'll go to Ascot next in three weeks and the races pick themselves."
Barry Geraghty was riding Unowhatimeanharry for the first time and was suitably impressed.
"Harry's done a brilliant job. It was a bigger performance than we expected, we thought he had a chance, but he did it really well," said the jockey.
"He jumped well and travelled at every stage of the race. He's got a good attitude and really enjoys his racing.
"It was a great performance. It will be interesting to see how he fares when he steps up in grade.
"It's the first time I've ridden him and he's a bigger horse than I expected, a little more physical than I thought."
Ballyoptic's trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is relishing a rematch with the winner at Ascot.
He said: "It was a slowly-run race, which probably didn't help us and we're looking forward to the Long Walk, which is over a bit further, which will help us. Hopefully the ground will be softer.
"He's been fine since his fall at Wetherby and hopefully he's still a World Hurdle contender, as off his mark there's nothing else to go for."
Menorah's trainer, Philip Hobbs, said: "I'm delighted with him and he'll probably run at Ascot in a handicap chase in three weeks' time if the ground is all right."
Noel Meade reported Snow Falcon to be none the worse for his unfortunate spill.
"He's perfect. He just came up too soon. He used to be a bit the other way and got in under them (hurdles)," said the trainer.
"He was going well at the time, but it was half a mile out, so you wouldn't know (what would have happened).
"After today the plan was always to go for Christmas, so I'd say the plan will still be the same.
"Hopefully he's OK, he seems OK and trotted away fine."
Jenkins demonstrated why he is held in such high regard by trainer Nicky Henderson after making a winning debut over hurdles.
Although he needed to be urged along early in the home straight by Barry Geraghty, the 10-11 favourite warmed to the task to join Captain Forez at the penultimate flight of the bet365 "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle.
Once sent on, the odds-on favourite continued to find plenty and pulled comfortably clear for a five-length success from the running-on Bags Groove.
Henderson, who won this race 12 months ago with subsequent Grade One scorer Buveur D'Air, said: "He is a lot more laid-back than he ever was last year.
"His schooling is good but we might have to ask for a bit more but I thought he might be a bit like that.
";As Barry Geraghty said, there are all sorts of departments he can improve in.
"He was very good over the last two as he woke up to what was going on. All the gears are still there what we thought he had last year.
"He will have learnt absolute tonnes for that. He will have learnt more than all of last year, I suspect.
"We will wander on quietly and do a bit of schooling. He could go further but he won't be doing that at the moment."
Jenkins was left unchanged at odds of around 10-1 about winning the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Clan Des Obeaux looked every inch a top-class performer in the making when he ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Fuller's London Pride Novices' Chase.
The Grade Two contest, registered as the Berkshire Novices' Chase, has an illustrious roll of honour, with subsequent Gold Cup heroes Denman (2006), Bobs Worth (2011) and Coneygree (2014) among the previous winners.
A small but select field of five runners went to post for the latest renewal, with Clan Des Obeaux a 5-2 chance after finishing fourth on his chasing debut at Chepstow last month.
Our Kaempfer took the field along for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey and remained at the head of affairs rounding the home turn.
However, the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux loomed up ominously in the straight and readily pulled clear once given his head by Sean Bowen.
A huge leap at the final fence sealed a 10-length success, with Virgilio coming through to beat Our Kaempfer to the runner-up spot.
Nicholls said: "We knew he was good, Chepstow was only his fourth run over obstacles.
"He's improved enormously and he's really something to look forward to.
"We'll mind him, I've no big targets but one day he could be very smart."
The champion trainer nominated the Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day as a possible destination for his charge.
He said: "He jumped and galloped and this track suits him. Judging by that, he has got a big future. He won well here over hurdles last season.
"At the end of the day he is only four and we've got to be careful to look after him as this is not his season - he will be better at five and six.
"He wants two and a half miles and possibly further. He jumps brilliantly.
"He takes your breath away jumping and if you have got a horse that jumps a fence like that they are going to go places.
"Sean (Bowen, jockey) just said that is the best horse he has ever sat on.
"I might look at the Dipper as that might suit him."
Bowen said: "I haven't ridden for long, but in the time I've been riding I've never had a novice jump and travel around there like that.
"As soon as I gave him a kick two out, he's just sprinted and I nearly had to take a pull because we had another jump to go.
"He's a very nice horse and very exciting.
"Paul has always liked him and always thought he's definitely one for the future.
"I was very impressed."
Protek Des Flos failed to fire in fourth, but undoubtedly the biggest disappointment was One Track Mind.
Making his chasing debut, having won the Grade One Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in the spring, Warren Greatrex's 15-8 favourite made a bad mistake at the first fence and never recovered, eventually coming home last of the five runners.
