Randox Handicap Chase |
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| Cheltenham 13:50 £50,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 22nd October 2016 | |
1 Coologue 8/1
2 Keltus 8/1
3 Silver Man 14/1
NR: Any Currency (IRE), Bucking The Trend
12 ran Distances: 1l, 10l, 1½l
TIME 6m 22.40s (slow by 17.40s)
Richard Johnson gets Coologue back up to beat Keltus
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Coologue continued the good run of form for trainer Charlie Longsdon in the opening race of the day, the £50,000 Randox Handicap Chase over three miles and a furlong.
The eight-year-old, with champion jockey Richard Johnson up, led turning into the straight and fought off the strong challenge of Keltus (Paul Nicholls/Nick Scholfield, 8/1) after the last to win by a length. Henryville (Harry Fry/Noel Fehily), sent off the 5/1 favourite, was pulled up.
Johnson said: "Coologue is usually a weak finisher but Charlie said he had a wind op over the summer and that seems to have definitely helped him today.
"They went a good gallop and then we took it up halfway down the back straight. I could feel Keltus coming at me and you're always worried when that happens up the Cheltenham hill because it is a long way to the winning post.
"Charlie's yard is in great form and, when it's like that, the horses usually run up to their best form."
Randox Handicap Chase
£50,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 2
12 ran
Going: Good
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Coologue (IRE) 8/1 | R Johnson 11-9 |
C E Longsdon | 7 | |
| 2nd | 1 | Keltus (FR) 8/1 | Nick Scholfield 11-5 |
P F Nicholls | 6 |
| 3rd | 10 | Silver Man 14/1 | Nico de Boinville 11-4 |
J Hughes | 9 |
| 4th | 1½ | Alternatif (FR) 8/1 | T Scudamore 11-2 |
D Pipe | 6 |
| 5th | 5 | Seefood (IRE) 16/1 | D A Jacob 11-0 |
Dr R D P Newland | 9 |
| 6th | 20 | Theatrical Star 12/1 | Brendan Powell 11-1 |
C L Tizzard | 10 |
| PU | Henryville 5/1f | N D Fehily 11-12 |
H Fry | 8 | |
| PU | Full Shift (FR) 6/1 | B J Geraghty 11-3 |
N J Henderson | 7 | |
| PU | Fear Glic (IRE) 25/1 | James Best 10-13 |
Miss J Du Plessis | 10 | |
| PU | Empresario (IRE) 33/1 | A P Heskin 10-13 |
Matthew J Smith | 7 | |
| F | Cogry 6/1 | Ryan Hatch (3) 11-3 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 7 | |
| UR | Racing Pulse (IRE) 8/1 | Jonathan Moore (3) 11-5 |
Miss R Curtis | 7 | |
| NR | Any Currency (IRE) 16/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-8 |
M Keighley | 13 | |
| NR | Bucking The Trend 8/1 | Alan Johns (3) 10-13 |
Tim Vaughan | 8 |
