Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Chase |
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| Cheltenham 16:20 £20,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 3f 166y, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 28th October 2017 | |
1 Double Treasure 9/1
2 Two Taffs 3/1
3 Midnight Shot
6 ran Distances: 3¾l, 8l, 1l
Time: 4m 58.60s (slow by 13.60s)
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The six-year-old, owned by Arsenal chairman Sir Chips Keswick, looked set for second as Two Taffs (Dan Skelton/Davy Russell) loomed up jumping the second last but battled gamely to prevail by three and three-quarter lengths.
Trainer Jamie Snowden said: "I thought that we were beaten at the top of the hill. Gavin has given Double Treasure a peach of a ride - he has jumped, galloped, stayed and was probably outpaced when the pace quickened up.
"I had stopped shouting for him and then he got a nice seam up the inner, jumped the last particularly well and stormed up the hill. It's just a shame that Sir Chips can't be here today - he has had a winner at Cheltenham twice and he hasn't been here twice.
"It didn't make any sense coming here today off a mark of 137 with a penalty taking on horses rated 150 but he had won his last three and this was the last time that he was able to run in a novice chase, so we thought that we would take our chance.
"He looks a straightforward horse now, but he was like a bull in a china shop in his younger days. He wanted to do everything at a million miles an hour and you couldn't control him, so it has taken a lot of hard work to get him to this stage and all credit must go to my head girl, who rides him every day.
"I think we will go for the BetVictor Gold Cup (£160,000, G3, 2m 4½f, November 18) now. That was the plan before today and hopefully the handicapper doesn't over-react on something like this."
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Chase
£20,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 3f 166y, Class 2
6 ran
Going: Good (Good to Soft in places)
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Double Treasure 9/1 | G Sheehan 11-11 |
Jamie Snowden | 6 | |
| 2nd | 3¾ | Two Taffs (IRE) 3/1 | D N Russell 11-11 |
D Skelton | 7 |
| 3rd | 8 | Midnight Shot 16/1 | J J Burke 11-11 |
C E Longsdon | 7 |
| 4th | 1 | Alcala (FR) 7/4f | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-11 |
P F Nicholls | 7 |
| PU | Cultivator 4/1 | Nico de Boinville 11-3 |
N J Henderson | 6 | |
| F | Tintern Theatre (IRE) 13/2 | Jamie Bargary 11-3 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 6 |
