Newton Tornado
Newton Tornado put up a good performance to finish second behind Diva Luna in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday. The winner led from early, but Newton Tornado tracked her from flagfall. Still on the bridle as they rounded the home turn and as the front two pulled clear of their rivals, the runner-up had to check as the pair of them made their way over towards the stands rail, he was squeezed out of it a little as the favourite moved across in front of him. He wasn't badly hampered, but he had to check his stride and his momentum, and he had to switch towards the far side and mount his challenge again. When he did, he closed again on the run to the final flight, he probably got to about a neck or maybe a half a length of the leader as they started off up the run-in, but he couldn't get any closer and, in the end, he went down by two lengths.
It was still a big run by Rebecca Curtis' horse. The winner is a talented mare, she won the Grade 2 mares' bumper at Aintree in April. He did well to get as close to her here as he did, with the pair of them well clear of their rivals. A point-to-point winner for Harley Dunne, this was Newton Rambler's third run over hurdles, and it was his best yet. Out of a half-sister to the top-class Nickname, he stays this intermediate trip well, and he should be winning his maiden hurdle soon before moving on to better things.
Cheltenham, 1st January 2025
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