Another Saturday, another Class B...
Following on from ADMIRAL's exceptional performance at Chepstow the week before, it was BILL'S ECHO's turn to step up to the plate at Huntingdon on Saturday and land the biggest prize of his career in the extended 2 mile Handicap Chase, reversing Carlisle form with stablemate WET LIPS in the process. Held up in last by the increasingly impressive William Kennedy, Bill's Echo was produced to challenge between the last two fences and won cosily by 7l.
There is a sense of closure about this victory, as Bill's Echo's first run over fences was in a handicap over C&D eighteen months ago. Timmy Murphy employed very similar tactics to Kennedy's, a really lovely ride, and it looked like it was going to pay off until the horse capsized when going best of any at the last. Where today's race is concerned, Bill's Echo was improving on his fifth place finish in it last year, when it was run at its usual home of Kempton. Wet Lips did nothing wrong in second, and I don't think the 6lb rise for his defeat of Bill's Echo was prohibitive; rather, the sharper track played into the winner's hands and out of his. He is clearly a better stayer over fences than hurdles, and an ultra-stiff 2 miles like Carlisle's is an optimum for him over the bigger obstacles.
The only other Richard Guest runner on Saturday was CERESFIELD, making yet another comeback over the C&D (Stratford, 17.5f) where she went wrong and pulled up a year ago. Since then she has only raced once every four months before disappearing again - this was her first start since a remote fourth in thick mud at Uttoxeter in June. She sulks when not being allowed to lead, yet connections must clearly be worried about her abilities to lead from the front any longer, as she was held up here again as per the Uttoxeter run. In the event she emptied completely from 3 out and was beaten out of sight in seventh place. She has been a fabulous servant to connections since her arrival from New Zealand three years ago, landing six chases, but she has already had ample help from the assessor to get competitive once again; she raced off 96 here, and all bar one of her victories have come off this mark or higher. Rising 10, I do wonder whether retiring her to the paddocks rather than pursuing small pots (despite her being increasingly difficult to train) would be the most sensible option now.
There is a sense of closure about this victory, as Bill's Echo's first run over fences was in a handicap over C&D eighteen months ago. Timmy Murphy employed very similar tactics to Kennedy's, a really lovely ride, and it looked like it was going to pay off until the horse capsized when going best of any at the last. Where today's race is concerned, Bill's Echo was improving on his fifth place finish in it last year, when it was run at its usual home of Kempton. Wet Lips did nothing wrong in second, and I don't think the 6lb rise for his defeat of Bill's Echo was prohibitive; rather, the sharper track played into the winner's hands and out of his. He is clearly a better stayer over fences than hurdles, and an ultra-stiff 2 miles like Carlisle's is an optimum for him over the bigger obstacles.
The only other Richard Guest runner on Saturday was CERESFIELD, making yet another comeback over the C&D (Stratford, 17.5f) where she went wrong and pulled up a year ago. Since then she has only raced once every four months before disappearing again - this was her first start since a remote fourth in thick mud at Uttoxeter in June. She sulks when not being allowed to lead, yet connections must clearly be worried about her abilities to lead from the front any longer, as she was held up here again as per the Uttoxeter run. In the event she emptied completely from 3 out and was beaten out of sight in seventh place. She has been a fabulous servant to connections since her arrival from New Zealand three years ago, landing six chases, but she has already had ample help from the assessor to get competitive once again; she raced off 96 here, and all bar one of her victories have come off this mark or higher. Rising 10, I do wonder whether retiring her to the paddocks rather than pursuing small pots (despite her being increasingly difficult to train) would be the most sensible option now.
posted by Jeremy Grayson @ 12:38 PM
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