Mob-handed Owen hoping to further strengthen juvenile hurdler hand

The highly-touted Lavender Hill Mob will get his hurdling career up and running when he heads to Newcastle for the Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow ‘Introductory’ Juvenile Hurdle on Saturday.

Trainer James Owen set tongues wagging when suggesting this three-year-old could prove even better than his impressive Cheltenham winner East India Dock and as such his introduction over timber has been eagerly awaited ever since.

Twice a winner on the Flat for Michael Bell, he was last seen finishing a respectable seventh in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and now has the assistance of Nico de Boinville in the saddle for the Gredley family as he enters the National Hunt sphere at Gosforth Park.

When asked where Lavender Hill Mob fits in a juvenile team that not only features East India Dock but also includes the unbeaten Liam Swagger, Owen – whose filly Opec looked smart at Newbury on Friday – said: “He’s obviously got the best form on the Flat. His Royal Ascot run was a good run, he’s done plenty of schooling and he’s ready for his first day out.

“He’s done everything right at home and Newcastle is a nice, galloping track to start him off, so it’s ideal. I’m looking forward to seeing him run, so fingers crossed.”

In the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk ‘The French Furze’ Novices’ Hurdle, it is Jennie Candlish’s Skyjack Hijack who looks the one to beat having racked up a five-race winning sequence this autumn.

Having started his winning run off a mark of 97 at Cartmel in August, he is now rated 132 with his team hoping he can continue showing the progressive form as he takes the next step up the ladder.

“Hopefully the ground will be good, which he likes. There are a couple of unexposed horses in there, but I will be hoping his experience will stand him in good stead against those horses with less experience,” said Alan O’Keeffe, assistant to Candlish.

“He’s done great the last five runs, but he’s stepping up in grade all the time and taking on better and better horses each time.

“He’s up to 130 now and things are going to get difficult but it looks the logical step. He does carry a penalty but you don’t see many horses going into a novice hurdle having won five in a row and we just hope his experience counts and if he turns up like he did at Exeter I would be pretty hopeful of a great run.

“He’s schooled well over fences and that’s for the future but for now he does need to keep improving as he’s taking on a better class of horse. However, he’s doing everything right at the minute and with a bit of luck he will keep that progression going forwards.

“He’s due a break at some point and he doesn’t go on bad ground, so we will see what happens Saturday and it could be that he has a little break afterwards ahead of the spring.”

The concluding BetMGM Rehearsal Handicap Chase has some famous names on its roll of honour, with Cheltenham Festival winners L’Homme Presse and Yorkhill among the recent victors.

FA Cup-winning manager Harry Redknapp will now bid to add his name to trophy as Bowtogreatness – the horse he owns with trainer Ben Pauling’s wife Sophie – skips an assignment at Newbury to head to the north east in search of Rehearsal glory.

“I was really tempted by Newcastle and I think this is the right stepping stone to keeping his season going the right way because he seems in really good form with himself,” said Pauling.

“The ground is good and it was obviously the same ground at Newbury when he won. He’ll have come on a bundle for that first run.”