Passing Diamond rallies to land Cheltenham Arkle Trial
Ben Haslam's Passing Diamond fights back to win Cheltenham's Grade 2 Arkle Trial, beating Workahead after two leading contenders were withdrawn.
Passing Diamond gave Ben Haslam a first Cheltenham winner when battling back to take the Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase on Saturday, continuing a productive period for the progressive gelding.
Ridden by Richie McLernon, the 13-2 chance prevailed by two and a quarter lengths over the 10-11 favourite Workahead, with Folie Golith third. The five-runner contest had been reduced by the withdrawals of Kabral Du Mathan and Old Park Star, both of whom were taken out because of concerns about the ground.
Passing Diamond and Workahead dominated the race for much of the two-mile trip. The favourite made mistakes but nevertheless appeared to have established the upper hand approaching the closing stages. Passing Diamond responded to McLernon's encouragement, regained the advantage and stayed on to secure a notable success at the November meeting.
Haslam acknowledged that the absence of two prominent rivals had helped his horse's chance, but the trainer was encouraged by the gelding's resilience and ability to respond after looking beaten. The performance was particularly satisfying after Passing Diamond had been narrowly denied a fourth consecutive victory when finishing second over the same course and distance last month.
The winner's previous successes had included races at Cartmel during the summer, a campaign that helped build experience and confidence without necessarily placing the same demands on him as a major winter target. His progress from those assignments to a Cheltenham Grade 2 illustrates how much he has developed over fences.
Haslam indicated that a return to Cheltenham for the Arkle at the Festival in March could be considered, although no firm programme has been settled. He also suggested that the horse may be trained lightly between now and the spring.
Workahead's defeat will prompt further assessment of his jumping, particularly given the errors he made while remaining competitive. The result also has to be interpreted in the context of the non-runners, which removed two horses expected to play a significant role in the race.
Nevertheless, Passing Diamond's determination under pressure was clear. He now has a graded novice-chase victory to accompany his earlier successes and has provided Haslam with a useful contender for the remainder of the season.
By TP Editorial
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