Simonsig lands Williamhill.com Novices' Chase at Kempton
Just six days after his dazzling performance at Royal Ascot, Simonsig showed another great exhibition of jumping, and notched up the first position in the Grade 2 Williamhill.com Novices' Chase (Registered As The Wayward Lad Novices' Steeple Chase), hosted
by Kempton on Thursday, December 27th.
Carrying the highest odds of 1 to 6, Nicky Henderson’s charge showed no mercy to his four rivals. With the help of an electric display of jumping, he comfortably took the victory by 35 lengths.
In the hands of Barry Geraghty, he made all, and mainly jumped very soundly. After the fifth fence, the Simon Tindall-bred was a clear leader. He tackled all the threats well, and looked completely out of danger four fences before the wire.
Kept stretching his advantage, he went 14 lengths ahead of the runner-up a couple of fences before the wire. He went further clear in the final stages, and eventually bagged the first prize of £13,326.30 with ridiculous ease.
Hinterland, who was completely unable to challenge the winner, defeated the rest of the pack conveniently. Under R. Walsh, the Paul Nicholls-trained chased the winner in the beginning, but was at least eight lengths down at the halfway.
Since the 4-1 chance was not fluent in the middle stages, he completely failed to aim for the first rank. The second place came to him by 11 lengths though.
The third was secured by Wings Of Smoke, who was lucky to be in the frame. The Tim Vaughan-trained claimed the third place only by a head’s distance. Simonsig’s next ambition is to win the Racing Post Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The trainer said after the race: "I like the way he went about that today. He was professional, tidy and in that ground there was no need to be flashy. He's probably not as flashy as Sprinter Sacre but he's still got all the gears.”
He continued: "You always worry about coming back quickly that you'll get egg on your face. It was just practice we needed. If he had that today and one at the end of January then he has a good run into Cheltenham."
Tags: