ANNO POWER MAKES WINNING HURDLES DEBUT

It was brilliant to see Anno Power make a winning debut over hurdles ridden by Johnny Burke at Sandown on Sunday, 10 November although the narrow margin of victory didn’t tell the full story. She’s a mare I’ve always rated highly and she proved top class in her bumpers last season.

Her schooling has been electric over hurdles this autumn ahead of a hotly contested maiden hurdle at Sandown in the colours of Pat and Edward Dolan-Abrahams.

She travelled powerfully at the rear of the field before making eye-catching progress between the last two flights. Things got messy going to the final hurdle where Anno Power made a mistake which cost her a lot of momentum just as she was poised to take the lead.

For a second or two it looked as though Anno Power’s chance was gone, but she rallied bravely, and her class told as she finished strongly on the far rail to snatch the verdict by a short head.

On another day with a more solid gallop and a clearer run, I’d like to think she could have won on the bridle. She will have learned plenty, and we can now look forward to a programme that will hopefully take Anno Power to the Mares Novice Hurdle final at Cheltenham in March.

We’ll see how she comes out of Sunday’s race before deciding whether to send her to Newbury for a Listed Novice Hurdle in three weeks time. If not we will look for a similar race shortly afterwards.