racing_news/

Goulanes Gains Towton Glory
02/02/13

1 Goulanes 12/5F
2 Super Duty 5/2
3 Fentara 10/1
NR: Houblon Des Obeaux (FR)
6 ran Distances: hd, 7l, 1¾l
TIME 6m 48.30s (slow by 57.30s)

Goulanes defied his inexperience to win the Grade Two totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby.

Goulanes
© Racehorse Photos

David Pipe's 12-5 favourite landed a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in November and Pipe showed the regard in which he holds the seven-year-old by throwing him in at the deep end for his chasing debut.

His success looked unlikely at the second-last as Super Duty was working hard to see off the challenge of the mare Fentara, but Tom Scudamore would not be denied and as he began to stay on strongly, Goulanes gradually got on top to score by a head.

Scudamore said: "I've won three times on him now and we think a fair bit of him. Whatever you throw at him he keeps coming back for more, he's very tough and very likeable and has guts and talent.

"It was a good performance. He's not a flashy horse, but he knows where the winning line is and that's all that matters.

"We went a good gallop with Restless Harry in front and there were horses with serious RSA aspirations in there with Super Duty, and the ground was very tough.

"He's still unbeaten, so the world is his oyster. We'll see where we go now but I'll leave that to David and Roger (Brookhouse, owner). We've got a lot of strength in the novice chase department."

Speaking on , he went on: "You couldn't compare him to Dynaste (Pipe's RSA Chase favourite), they are different types, but the thing they have in common is that they are both unbeaten over fences.

"Goulanes is more of a grinder, but Dynaste you could run over any trip and he's got a very high cruising speed.

"He's run in two point-to-points and he didn't show any signs of inexperience over the last few fences today when I really needed him, as he responded."

Totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase
£30,500 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Soft, Heavy in places