Wednesday 29th October 2025 - winners, Cheltenham, promising youngsters and near misses.....

Having won the Grade 3 EBF Final at Sandown last season, we were always looking forward to seeing Laurens Bay novice chasing this time around.  Thankfully he didn’t disappoint, in fact he was positively brilliant on his chasing debut as he jumped from fence to fence and won as he liked.  He is a super exciting young horse, and we might aim him for the Listed novice chase at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power fixture.

Another novice chaser we were all looking forward to seeing out was Wendigo, and he oozed class and put in some spectacular jumps when he made his chasing debut last week too.  However, he was beaten in a photo finish as Sean Bowen came with a wet sail to deny Gavin who thought we were home and hosed jumping the last.  Although frustrating to be beaten, it doesn’t diminish the fact it was a lovely chasing debut, and he’ll likely head to the Grade 2 at Newbury’s Hennessey meeting. 

We’ve had a string of 2nds over the last fortnight, but I was impressed with Sapphos Word who was 2^nd on her bumper debut at Uttoxeter.  She was beaten less than a length in a bit of a sprint finish, which wouldn’t have suited her, but I think she could be very special.  Legendary Luke was also 2^nd in a bumper under Izzi, and he showed plenty of promise and looks another future staying chaser for the Racing Club. 

Obsessedwithyou has had a wonderful summer winning on three occasions but arguably put up her best performance at Kempton last weekend when 2^nd in a valuable novice chase.  She will have a winter holiday now, and hopefully we’ll target the April meeting at Cheltenham with her.

Talking of Cheltenham, Regarde was only beaten a length at the opening meeting.  He jumped and travelled well through the race and stayed on strongly up the hill.  Unfortunately, the winner took us out quite wide around the final bend and lent on us all the way from the back of the last fence, and we were just unable to have a crack at getting passed up the run to the line.    The interference cost us 2nd to a fast finisher, but it also cost us a chance to try to get passed the winner.  That said, it was still a cracking effort on his seasonal debut.

Of our other recent runners, Jack Sprat was a promising 2^nd on his seasonal return at Bangor under a lovely ride from Izzi, and I was pleased with Tommy Pickles’ racecourse debut when 3^rd at Newton Abbot today.  He looks another 3m chaser in the making.