Le Frimeur could be Punchestown bound after Newbury strike

Le Frimeur could have booked an outing to the Punchestown Festival when making it two from two over hurdles at Newbury.

A winning graduate from the pointing field, the five-year-old was a good winner on his hurdling bow for trainer Harry Derham at Chepstow in November.

Held-up by a setback since, he made up for lost time in the hands of J J Slevin, running down the smooth travelling hat-trick seeker Came From Nowhere after the last in the BetVictor Novices’ Hurdle, with his trainer now eyeing a move up to Grade One company on Irish soil for the 2-1 chance.

Derham said: “I was very pleased with that. He had a setback after Chepstow which was obviously disappointing.

“I’ve not said too much before this as obviously when you have a nice horse you want them to go and do it and he’s won that very nicely.

“I’m relieved more than anything because I was so gutted when he got his little injury and I don’t train many horses of his quality. I’m delighted with that.

“I’ll speak with the team but he could go to Punchestown now for a Grade One and then we’ll decide if he goes two-and-a-half miles or three.”

There was a double for Derham when stable newcomer Spirou rewarded his connections’ patience by defying an 852-day absence to spring a 20-1 surprise in the BetVictor Handicap Hurdle.

Derham said: “He last run was in November 2023 and I’m genuinely dumbfounded by that. Don’t get me wrong, we bought him thinking he was a nice horse but he’s had so long off.

“I said to Paul (O’Brien, jockey) to try his best but whatever he does look after him, but I’m shocked – a nice shock.

“We had to give an awful lot of time and in the autumn he was training nicely and had another setback. Fair play to the owners as they have been so patient with him.

“He’s obviously a pretty decent horse and I’m looking at him as a chaser but I said to his owners we wanted to get some racing into him this spring because if we waited until the autumn then it would be so long off. The main thing is he is OK tomorrow and if he is then we have a nice horse.”