Super Survivor continues resurgence with Huntingdon success

Super Survivor put himself in contention for a run at the Cheltenham Festival when winning the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon on Thursday.

Trained by Jamie Snowden, he was once a staying chaser on the rise and was sent off at only 11-2 for the Welsh Grand National in 2023.

However, having lost his way over the larger obstacles, he has proved rejuvenated for a switch back to timber and having already qualified for the final of the Pertemps season when third at Sandown before Christmas, cemented his credentials with this battling victory.

Snowden would be a keen for a tilt at that contest if soft ground appears in the going description at Prestbury Park, and after scoring as the 3-1 favourite in Cambridgeshire, his odds were duly cut to make an impression in the Cotswolds.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to bits. He was one of the favourites for the Welsh National, but we just lost him, absolutely lost him,” said Snowden.

“He completely lost his confidence and it has taken us a year to get him back. Last time we just saw a glimpse of the old ‘Super’ and he’s done that quite nicely.

“It’s been a good team effort and he qualified for the Pertemps at Sandown earlier in the season so we didn’t come here with the aim of qualifying.

“He probably needs to be plus 130 to get in that race so we will see where we go and if it came up soft then he would have a nice weight and it could prove a nice target.

“We could go back over fences one day, but why it’s clicking over hurdles why change it?”

All eyes were on Nicky Henderson as he unleashed €1.4million purchase Palladium and while the Triumph Hurdle hope obliged in division two of the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle, he also claimed the opening first division with La Pinsonniere (8-15 favourite) who showed plenty of bravery to hold off Alan King’s Nap Hand.

“She was tough and she was good. Nico (de Boinville) said after Windsor she wasn’t mad with that soft ground and watching her there, she doesn’t pick her feet up a lot and I don’t want it too soft,” said Henderson.

“Normally if they’ve gone round Auteuil they love it proper soft, but I’m not sure she does and I’d like to keep her for one of those good races when it dries up a bit. We don’t want to use her up too much when it’s like this.”

Meanwhile, Alastair Ralph’s Phillipa’s Choice (5-2 favourite) may have booked her ticket to a hot contest before the season is out having landed a gamble in the concluding Pertemps Network Mares’ Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race.

Ridden by Jonathan Burke, she showed plenty of likeable attributes to hold off Slack Alice for a length-and-a-quarter victory.

Burke said: “I was trying to make it a test and get away from the bottom of the straight, but she was just waiting for company.

“I liked her when I rode her at Chepstow and learned plenty about her and I was keen to make it some sort of test today.

“When you win a bumper at this time of year it is not the time to be going hurdling so they may as well go and have a day out now, whether that’s the nice bumper at Sandown before Cheltenham or Aintree.”