Elliott expresses layoff concerns for injured Kennedy

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Gordon Elliott fears stable jockey Jack Kennedy will be out of action for the “foreseeable future” after suffering a leg injury in a fall at Naas on Sunday.

While firmly established as one of Ireland’s leading jockeys, the 23-year-old has suffered more than his fair share of injury setbacks, including previous breaks to both legs.

Kennedy is now Elliott’s number one rider following the recent retirement of Davy Russell and was in action for his boss aboard Top Bandit in the Rathmore Stud Irish EBF Novice Chase.

The pair came to grief at the fourth fence with Top Bandit fatally injured in the incident, while Kennedy was transferred to Tallaght Hospital for further assessment.

The severity of Kennedy’s injury is yet to be confirmed, but Elliott told Racing TV: “It didn’t look good. I went down to the fence when he got the fall and he looked pretty sore.

“He has a bit of a bump on his lower left leg. He’s gone for X-rays and we’ll hear later on, but I didn’t like what I saw.

“We’re not going to have (him) for the foreseeable future from what I’ve seen, not unless there’s a miracle.”

The injury looks set to be a major blow to Kennedy’s hopes of being crowned champion jockey for the first time. He currently holds an 18-winner lead over reigning champion Paul Townend.

It also threatens his participation at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Jack Kennedy (second right) after winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Conflated
Jack Kennedy (second right) after winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Conflated (Niall Carson/PA)

“We’ll see how he is and see what the doctors say. Obviously we’ve eight weeks to Cheltenham and it’s not ideal,” said Elliott.

“He got a terrible fall there – he just hasn’t been getting the rub of the green.

“It looked like he was in pole position to be champion jockey. If it’s not going to happen this year, hopefully it will happen sometime for him.”

Asked whether Kennedy’s expected absence gives some of his other riders an opportunity, Elliott added: “It looks like it, they are going to have to take it with both hands. It’s their chance now to step up.

“I’ve got Jordan (Gainford), I’ve got Sam (Ewing), Denis O’Regan is in a few days a week and a couple of other jockeys as well, so they’re all going to get their chances.”

Hosie eyeing Cheltenham return for Rock My Way

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Rock My Way is likely to return to Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day following his promising debut at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day.

Recruited by owner/trainer Syd Hosie for £90,000 in November after winning a Castletown-Geoghegan point-to-point the previous month, the five-year-old produced an eye-catching display on his Rules bow.

Sent off a 66-1 outsider for the Ballymore Maiden Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles, the son of Getaway made a mockery of those long odds to press Nigel Twiston-Davies’ 5-4 favourite Weveallbeencaught all the way to the line.

With the winner well-regarded by connections and the front two pulling over 20 lengths clear of the rest of the field, Hosie was delighted to see his confidence in Rock My Way justified.

The Dorset-based handler is now hoping his charge can book his place in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival by coming through his next assignment in the Grade Two Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on January 28 with flying colours.

“We were quite hopeful he would run a nice race, that’s why he went there,” said Hosie. “Sometimes when picking a race like that you think you could be in the wrong place, but he proved we weren’t, so that was good.

“When you get a nice one, you just have to look after them and we’re just making a plan for him. Tom (Scudamore) liked him so that is good news.

“There is the Ballymore race at the end of the month at Cheltenham. It is never normally that strong a race as people have already had their run or don’t want to run. We may as well stick to that sort of company and if he can be competitive there, we can go up in trip for the Albert Bartlett.”

Hosie also feels there should be more to come from a horse he believes has plenty of star quality.

He added: “He’s a big lad and scopey as well. He will definitely be the best looking horse we’ve had here and when he turned up, you could see he was just a bit of a different class.

“He just gallops and gallops at home and I did think it might almost be a bit sharp for him on debut. He just bumped into a good one and I guess you could think we will go where they go because we think ours is the same sort of quality as Nigel’s.

“We didn’t do a lot with him before the race to be honest. We bought him at Cheltenham in November, brought him back home and didn’t do an awful lot with him. I just thought he looks fresh, he was really well at home, so let’s run him. Now he’s gone and done that, we know we have something to work with. Hopefully look out on January 28.”

The Sandhills Farm handler also provided an update Lieutenant Rocco ahead of his outing at Taunton on Monday.

The eight-year-old won twice as a novice hurdler when trained by Colin Tizzard in his formative years, while he added a novice chase victory under the stewardship of Nick Mitchell in 2021.

Lieutenant Rocco is set to run at Taunton on Monday
Lieutenant Rocco is set to run at Taunton on Monday (PA)

The Shirocco gelding will now attempt to score for the first time with Hosie as trainer in the Stables Business Park Handicap Hurdle.

“He’s coming along nicely and is going to have a blast out at Taunton on Monday just to get his fitness back,” said the Sherborne trainer.

“He’s had his problems but we’ve got him back and now he’s getting older, it just takes longer to get him fit. He’s a big, big horse – we feed him as much as he wants but then we have to train it off!

“It would be nice to get a win into him and I’ve never trained him to win myself.

“He probably had hard races as a novice chaser. If you look at his form, he’s finished ahead of Chantry House and just behind Fusil Raffles at Cheltenham and he was not far behind Protektorat in the Dipper when the race was held at Wincanton. The ability is in there, it is just eking it all out.

“We’re looking forward to running him and I would love to get him back to Cheltenham and try to get him back there for the Ultima. But he needs to probably go up a few pounds now.”

Champ Kiely makes all for Grade One gold

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Champ Kiely led from pillar-to-post to provide Willie Mullins with a ninth victory in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle.

The seven-year-old was one of two runners for the champion trainer in the Grade One contest, with the previously unbeaten Grangeclare West the apparent first string as the 15-8 favourite.

Champ Kiely won a Limerick bumper, a Galway maiden hurdle and Grade Three at Tipperary on his first three starts under Rules, but could only finish fourth as the 10-11 favourite for the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse last month and was a 100-30 chance stepping back up in distance.

As is often the case, Danny Mullins got his fractions spot-on in front and Champ Kiely answered his every call in the straight to see off Royal Bond runner-up Irish Point by two and a quarter lengths.

Coral halved Champ Kiely’s odds for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham to 8-1 from 16-1.

“It was a good performance. I got a great feel off this fellow in Tipperary,” said the winning rider.

“The Royal Bond was a bit of a messy race, he was only beaten four and a bit lengths. I believed he had something like that in him, which is easy to say but he’s gone and proved it.

“He’s won over further so the trip was never going to be an issue.”

Grangeclare West was ultimately disappointing in fifth place.

Danny Mullins steered Champ Kiely to victory
Danny Mullins steered Champ Kiely to victory (Tim Goode/PA)

Asked if he was surprised by the finishing order, Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “Not really – they are two very good horses in their own right.

“I’d say tactically the race didn’t work for Champ Kiely in Fairyhouse. We’re back to what he’s good at today and I’d say the step up in trip was a help as well, and soft ground.

“It all fell right and Danny said he was very happy with him, he gave him a great ride.”

Of Grangeclare West, he added: “I haven’t spoken to Paul yet, it looked like he travelled all right and didn’t seem to get home for whatever reason.

“I’ll speak to Paul and we’ll get him checked out and see.”

Jack Kennedy taken to hospital following Naas fall

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Jack Kennedy was taken to hospital after suffering a leg injury in a fall at Naas on Sunday.

The 23-year-old is now very much first jockey to Gordon Elliott following the recent retirement of Davy Russell and was riding for his boss aboard Top Bandit in the Rathmore Stud Irish EBF Novice Chase.

The pair came to grief at the fourth fence with Top Bandit fatally injured in the incident, while Kennedy – who has suffered more than his fair share of injury setbacks – missed the rest of his rides.

Dr Jennifer Pugh of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said: “Jack Kennedy is being transferred to Tallaght Hospital for further assessment on a leg injury.”

Appreciate It stakes Festival claim with stylish Naas verdict

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Appreciate It cemented his Cheltenham Festival claims with a routine victory on his second start over fences at Naas.

A 24-length winner of the 2021 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was due to pursue a novice chase campaign last season before injury intervened. He ultimately only made it to the track once – finishing seventh in the Champion Hurdle.

The son of Jeremy looked the part on his belated fencing bow at Punchestown last month, though, and was a 1-9 favourite to follow up in the Rathmore Stud Irish EBF Novice Chase.

Those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns, with Paul Townend’s mount jumping soundly at the head of affairs throughout and passing the post with 21 lengths in hand over Gaelic Arc.

Paddy Power trimmed Appreciate It’s Arkle Trophy odds to 11-2 from 6-1, while he is 6-1 unchanged with the same firm for the longer Turners’ Novices’ Chase.

“The same as the last day, you’d love to get a lead on him. He’s idle in front and I was trying to teach him today, and win, without doing something silly,” said Townend.

“He showed me the last day that he’s there when I need him. It’s grand to get him out again and you’d have to be happy with everything he’s doing. Every day is experience for him.”

Mullins went on to complete a treble, with Champ Kiely carrying the Appreciate It colours of Michael Masterson to victory in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle in the hands of Danny Mullins before Hunters Yarn predictably outclassed his rivals in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle under Townend.

Hunters Yarn at Naas
Hunters Yarn at Naas (Gary Carson/PA)

The latter won twice in bumpers last season and improved from his third over hurdles at Punchestown on his latest outing to score by 13 lengths at cramped odds of 1-4.

Of Hunters Yarn, Townend added: “He got in underneath one or two (hurdles) but when I wanted him, and I was going on a stride up the straight, he was good and got better at it.

“If I had done that with him the first day he’d probably have won as well. He improved from his first run but I wasn’t happy with myself the first day.”

Telmesomethinggirl secured her first victory since scoring at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival with a determined display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase.

Four runners went to post for the two-mile-one-furlong contest, but it looked a match on paper and so it transpired, with 5-4 shot Telmesomethinggirl and 6-5 favourite Instit bossing proceedings.

The pair traded positions a few times during the course of the two-and-a-half-mile journey, with Instit the more assured in the jumping department for much of the way.

But a bad mistake from the latter when holding a narrow lead at the final obstacle opened the door for Henry de Bromhead’s Telmesomethinggirl and Rachael Blackmore and she went on to score by six lengths.

The other two runners, Choice Of Words and Pont Aval, failed to complete the course.

Telmesomethinggirl with connections at Naas
Telmesomethinggirl with connections at Naas (Gary Casron/PA)

“She didn’t jump with any kind of fluency at all, so we can definitely work on that,” said Blackmore.

“I thought turning in that I would definitely get there, but then I made a mess of the second-last. It’s a long way (home) after the last here as well and I knew if I got over the last, I’d have a chance.

“She’s got lots of ability, the way she jumped she wasn’t entitled to win. She has a lot of raw ability and hopefully we can improve her jumping.”

Cut The Rope made a successful debut for Paul Nolan in the concluding Fifty Stars Standing At Sunnyhill Stud (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, ridden by 5lb claimer Eoin O’Brien.

James Nolan, assistant to his brother, said: “He’s a nice horse. We can’t take a whole lot of praise for this as we haven’t had him very long. We bought him off a gallop after Richard O’Brien recommended him to us.

“We made a mistake last year as Richard told us he’d win the bumper here with Impulsive Dancer and we didn’t act quickly enough. He won and Willie (Mullins) bought him. Thankfully we haven’t made the same mistake twice.

“He’s a lovely, relaxed horse. He showed a great attitude here today and is a real pro.

“Barry O’Neill would ride all our bumper horses, but part of the deal was that Eoin would keep the ride. He gave him a super ride and dictated everything in front.

“He’s a very likeable horse. We have no plans but he might go to Limerick for that Listed bumper.”

Irish Champion Hurdle to determine Honeysuckle future

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Connections of Honeysuckle have effectively ruled out a tilt at the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, stating she will either bid for a third Champion Hurdle victory or be retired.

Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare beat Benie Des Dieux in an epic Mares’ Hurdle in 2020 and has since returned to the Cotswolds to see off the boys in the Champion Hurdle in each of the past two seasons.

Having suffered her first defeat in 17 races when bidding for a record fourth Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month, there were suggestions Honeysuckle could go back against her own sex at Prestbury Park this term, instead of taking on red-hot Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill.

But owner Kenny Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony revealed on Sunday that is not the case, with a decision on whether she will line up in the Champion Hurdle or be retired for broodmare duties hinging on how she performs in her bid for a fourth Irish Champion Hurdle success at Leopardstown next month.

“Henry seems happy with her so, touch wood, we’ll see in Leopardstown in four weeks’ time,” Molony told Racing TV.

“Of course I was watching him (Constitution Hill winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton). He’s a wonderful horse and it’s going to take a very good performance to beat him.

“Honeysuckle been a wonderful servant to us and owes us absolutely nothing. We all love her to bits and just want to get her home in one piece.

“Kenny said last year, before she was ever beaten, that if she wasn’t running to what we think is her optimum she’ll be retired and that’s the story.

“It’ll be Champion Hurdle or retire her – one or the other.”

King mapping out Festival route for Edwardstone

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Alan King is keen to keep Edwardstone busy before a crack at the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Last season’s Arkle winner had a delayed start to the season due to the warm autumn, with planned appearances in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham and in a handicap at Ascot scuppered due to quick ground.

When he finally made a belated return to action, he powered clear of Greaneteen for a nine-length success in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

However, he then unseated Tom Cannon at the fifth fence when a 2-5 favourite in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

His next outing will be in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 21 before he potentially heads to Newbury on February 11 for the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase.

King said: “Edwardstone will go to Ascot on the 21st (January). He schooled the other morning and he was great.

“I think he was just too fresh at Kempton. It was just one of those things.

“So, we will go Ascot and we could easily slot into the Game Spirit. He is a horse who improves for racing.

“The ground has been a nightmare. From the end of last season the aim was to start him off in the Shloer at Cheltenham, have one run and then go to the Tingle Creek.

“He is very fresh at the moment and a few more runs won’t do him any harm.”

I can’t believe it actually happened – Noel Fehily savours a huge day

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Though he has ridden Queen Mother Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle winners in a stellar career, Noel Fehily has seldom had too many better moments than he had at Sandown on Saturday.

The retired jump jockey’s Midas touch has continued out of the saddle, for his burgeoning ownership venture with Dave Crosse enjoyed a golden afternoon when Tahmuras and Love Envoi gave the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates major victories in the Grade One Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle and Listed mares’ hurdle respectively.

Tahmuras was only the syndicate’s second Grade One runner, with Love Envoi having finished a creditable second over hurdles at Fairyhouse last season.

Yet both won in impressive fashion on a rain-sodden afternoon at the Esher track, leaving Fehily, 47, delighted and stunned in equal measure.

Noel Fehily (right) walks in behind Tahmuras
Noel Fehily (right) walks in behind Tahmuras (PA)

“That was some day!” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable day for us, really.

“It is bit different being a jockey when you are riding. It is very hard to compare the two, but it is a great feeling when you get one across the line and you have 10 owners there. Their expectations are high and when you get the job done, it is a massive feeling.

“It is unreal. It has obviously been in the pipeline since they won their last starts, they were coming here. The build-up was obviously going to be big.

“I woke up this morning thinking it would be great to get one of them to win. That would be a massive day for us, but to get two of them to win – and in the manner in which they did – was just unbelievable, really.”

Tahmuras gave champion trainer Paul Nicholls his fifth success in the Tolworth Hurdle, the last coming 15 years ago with Breedsbreeze.

The six-year-old is now expected to go straight to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, providing his jumping improves.

He clattered through the last two flights of hurdles in the two-mile event and while he had travelled supremely well in the soft ground, jockey Harry Cobden did well to regain momentum to score by two and a half lengths.

Fehily said: “He did improve massively over the summer and grew, and he won nicely first time out this season.

“I think that race he won at Chepstow was quite a nice race. Paul said after the race that he would go to the Tolworth, which was a brilliant dream to have, but I thought he might be flying a bit high. But all he’s done is improve.

“He was much better at Haydock (when winning a Listed novices’ hurdle) and I think he was better again today.

“On that ground, to take the last two out of the ground, and stop the way he did, and then pick up again, it is the sign of a very good horse. Only very good horses can do that.

Love Envoi and Jonathan Burke won with plenty to spare
Love Envoi and Jonathan Burke won with plenty to spare (Steven Paston/PA)

“I think he won today despite the ground. I’m not sure he was actually in love with that ground.

“He is a hell of a good horse.”

That completed the double on the card for the syndicate after Love Envoi took her record to seven wins over hurdles from eight starts for trainer Harry Fry, scoring with consummate ease by 13 lengths

Fehily added: “Harry Fry does a brilliant job training her and knows her inside out. I suppose the pressure was on today.

“The pressure is on every time she runs now, because she has been running up such a sequence of wins.

“She was 100-30 on today and was expected to win, and you kind of fear something will go wrong, but I thought she was brilliant the way she went through the race.

“She is getting more professional as she goes, and she finished off the race strong. She just looks to me like she is improving all the time.

“It is quite possible we will go to Warwick with her. We’ll see how she comes out of the race, but there is every chance she will go there before Cheltenham.”

The magnificent brace on a big Saturday was the perfect advertisement for the business, which offers a 10 per cent share in each horse and allows each of the 10 owners to receive tickets and see the horses run each time.

The Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates have 26 horses in training currently and Fehily added: “We have a lot of nice young horses coming through and they’re the ones we want to have, the likes of the Love Envois and the Tahmuras, who start off in bumpers and progress to hurdlers and chasers in time. Those are the types we are buying.

“But honestly, we could not have had a better day. It is unbelievable. I can’t believe it actually happened. It has been a brilliant day!”

O’Toole proves the class act on chasing bow at Newcastle

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Punters did not have to look too far back in the form book to see O’Toole looked well treated ahead of the Best Odds Guaranteed At Vickers.Bet Everyday Handicap Chase at Newcastle – and he rewarded favourite-backers in style.

Trainer Stuart Crawford is a regular visitor to the northern UK tracks from his base in County Antrim and is supported by major owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Their retained rider Daryl Jacob no doubt looks forward to Crawford sending over his raiding parties and with a strike-rate of around 30 per cent when teaming up with the trainer this year, it is no wonder.

O’Toole (13-8 favourite) was a very promising horse in his bumper season, splitting Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard at the Punchestown Festival, but having won on his hurdling debut he failed to progress in two further outings.

Nevertheless, allotted a handicap mark of 130 he jumped satisfactorily for Jacob, who kept him wide, and he had the race won when King Of May came down at the last. Castle Rushen came through for second, beaten three and three-quarter lengths.

“The way it has turned out I could have run him over two miles as the ground is hard work today,” said Crawford.

“I’m well pleased with that, he jumped well and he’s beaten some solid handicappers.

“We’ve always thought there was a big day in this horse, his bumper form is there for all to see. To be honest, when he was running over hurdles he grew a lot and now he’s levelled off again, hopefully.

“He’ll know he’s had a race, I don’t think any horse will like that ground, but it was good experience for him.”

He went on: “We’ll try to pick a sensible target. I know when he ran in the Punchestown bumper that was good ground so he’ll probably handle better ground when he’s got more experience.

“Something like the (Future Champions Novices’ Chase) at Ayr would be ideal further down the line, but there’ll be plenty for him before then.”

They say weight stops trains and that was certainly true in the case of Tommy’s Oscar who found the concession of 19lb too much to Since Day One in the Download The Vickers.Bet App Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

It speaks volumes for Tommy’s Oscar that he was having to give so much weight away to Donald McCain’s seven-year-old, who has now won six of his 10 starts under rules.

A winner on his chasing debut at Ayr, Since Day One (85-40) was arguably an unlucky loser last time out at Gosforth Park when a mistake at the last cost him.

Bounced out under champion jockey Brian Hughes, he jumped assuredly in first time cheekpieces, with his only semblance of a mistake when he stumbled on landing after jumping the second-last.

Tommy’s Oscar had a tendency to jump marginally right at his fences and could never quite get on terms with the leader, eventually going down by four and a half lengths.

Brian Hughes explains to Donald McCain how Since Day One won
Brian Hughes explains to Donald McCain how Since Day One won (Nick Robson/PA0

“He should have won the last day here, he threw it away with a bad jump at the last,” said McCain.

“That’s why we put the cheekpieces on today. He’s a bit gormless so they’ve really sharpened him up.

“We were a little bit out of the weights so it was chancy enough coming ,but we got away wit it.

“He’s a handy horse, he keeps winning. We lost April (Strang Steel) his owner last year and she was the nicest woman in the world. Colin (son) is here today so it’s lovely the colours have carried on.”

Xcitations gives Pam Sly plenty to celebrate at Sandown

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Xcitations jumped with aplomb under Jack Andrews at Sandown to make it four wins from seven over fences.

The Pam Sly-trained gelding drew well clear of joint-favourites Corrigeen Rock and Frero Banbou in the Unibet Horserace Betting Operator Of The Year Handicap Chase.

Sly’s runner had been beaten Elixir De Nutz by a neck on his last run at Doncaster and the runner-up franked that form with an easy success at Wincanton half an hour before flag-fall at Sandown.

Though they all appeared to have a chance three out, Xcitations was always cruising on the outside of Corrigeen Rock.

By the time Grey Diamond unseated when about to challenge two out, 3lb claimer Andrews had the race in the bag and the 7-1 chance came home with nine lengths to spare.

Happy connections with Xcitations
Happy connections with Xcitations (PA)

Xcitations, who received a 20-1 quote from Paddy Power for the Grand Annual at Cheltenham in March, has not been easy to keep sound, as Classic-winning handler Sly explained: “Every time he ran last season he was lame afterwards.

“He won his last two, but it wasn’t until the third lot of X-rays that we discovered he had fractured his pedal bone.

“He’s a nice horse and I’ve always thought that, but as to the future, well I’m not keen on going to Cheltenham.

“We bought the mare in Ireland and there are two more of her foals to run, by Telescope and Dartmouth.

“When I saw he was 16-1 in the betting last night I couldn’t believe it.”

I Have a Voice was a surprise winner
I Have a Voice was a surprise winner (Steven Paston/PA)

I Have A Voice was put into a handicap on his last run following a runaway Southwell Juvenile Maiden Hurdle success and was well held.

Back down into calmer waters of the two-mile Unibet Extra Places Every Day Juvenile Hurdle, the Nigel Hawke-trained Vocalised four-year-old proved much too good for his three rivals.

The Molly and Paul Willis-owned I Have A Voice, sent off a 17-2 chance, made all the running and drew clear between the last two flights under 3lb claimer Tom Buckley.

He went on to score by 17 lengths from Mombasa, with Gary Moore’s 4-11 favourite Bo Zenith a bitterly disappointing third, having been under pressure approaching the second-last.

Hawke said: “At the end of the day we can’t do any more than win, he’s a fit horse that knew his job, he’s genuine and he jumps.

I Have a Voice and jockey Tom Buckley caused an upset in the opener
I Have a Voice and jockey Tom Buckley caused an upset in the opener (Steven Paston/PA)

“Let’s get him back (home) and see what the handicapper does. He will need to go up if he’s going to Cheltenham, but what I would say is he wants this (soft) ground.”

Connections of Bo Zenith, who arrived at the Horsham yard on the back of an impressive win at Auteuil in a race where the form had worked out well, were left scratching their heads.

Moore said: “Jamie (Moore) said he needed the run but was generally disappointing.

“He did have a setback and maybe I’ve rushed him to get him here, thinking he could win when he’s 80 per cent fit?

“He’s grown since he arrived at the yard and I might not have done enough with him. He’s a big, raw horse who has never been away and done a gallop.

“With hand on heart, I think you can draw a line through that run.”

Certainly Red, dropped in trip, followed up his Wincanton success over three miles and a furlong, outstaying his rivals in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Unibet Blog Handicap Chase.

The drop to two and a half miles proved no detriment to the lightly-raced nine-year-old, who stalked long-time leader Gemirande and Precious Elanor, before jockey Marc Goldstein made his move after the Pond Fence and took it up at the penultimate obstacle.

Though running down the final obstacle, the Lydia Richards-trained and bred 9-1 shot quickly galloped clear of Gemirande to score by six and a half lengths.

Richards said: “The owners (Venetian Lad Partnership) go back to Double M, who won 13 races, and I have two older brothers of this fellow, Good News and Venetian Lad, and they won nine races each.

“I knew he would stay the two and a half (miles) as the weather went our way when it rained this morning.

“At the bottom of the hill I knew he would stay and nothing would come to get him from the back.

“In fact, he can bounce off better ground because he’s so genuine, and he goes on anything.”