Friday 11th December 2020 - another winner keeps the score board ticking over nicely.....

Having been placed in Graded bumpers and novice hurdles, it was lovely to see Thebannerkingrebel winning on his chasing debut at Plumpton earlier this week.  The winner of the race qualifies for a £40,000 bonus should they follow up winning at this seasons Cheltenham Festival, so the dream is alive…..  He jumped well in the main, but that’s all he had to do as there were only 3 runners – one was withdrawn on the morning of the race, and the other fell at the first – so his task was made all the simpler, but he did give us one scare as he blundered at the 4^th last! 

Thebannerkingrebel wins on chasing debut.

I was thrilled to see Datsalrightgino improve to go one place better when he was 2^nd on his second start in bumpers.  He settled well and travelled through the race more professionally, and quickened up in the style of a decent horse and stayed on well through the line to be beaten only by a length.  He’ll improve again for this, and I do think he could be a smart horse when novice hurdling next autumn.  We’ll take our time with him, and he’ll stay in bumpers this season.

Another horse who hit the crossbar this week was Exod’ela who went down by less than a length when 2^nd at Bangor today.  He qualifies now for the Challenger series final worth £50k, so that will be his end of season target, and he should go well in that bigger field handicap.  That was our 24^th second of the season, which continues to show the horses are running well – but still frustrating that we’ve hit the woodwork so many times……

Ga Law ran a cracker in defeat when 3^rd in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novice’s Chase at Sandown last weekend.  The drop back to 2 miles didn't look to play to his strengths, as he was outpaced down the back straight, but he stayed on well up the hill and was closing from the back of the 2nd last.  Interestingly the time was quicker than the Tingle Creek and on a strict comparison we were only 2 lengths behind Politologue, which goes to show what a cracking effort it really was.  He’ll have a mini break now and come back for the Grade 2 Pendil at Kempton in February, and then hopefully onto the Spring Festivals.

Thomas Macdonagh filled the 3^rd spot at Chepstow last weekend too, when racing over 3m.  He travelled powerfully through the race, jumped superbly and looked the winner at the last but he just failed to get home after ‘over racing’ and being a touch too free early.  We might drop him back a furlong next time out.