This was a strongly-run race in the early stages which turned this into a proper test of stamina.
For the second festival in a row he has put up a season’s best performance at the festival. Last year he was probably the best horse in the race despite finding a way of throwing away the Kim Muir in the closing stages. He made no mistake this time around and showed once again how well suited he is to this stiff uphill finish.
He jumped the second last fence alongside the eventual winner so can have no hard luck stories attributed to this narrow defeat. He certainly had every chance if good enough and is beginning to look like a horse that might not quite put it all in at the business end of his races.
After making most of the running he only just gave best from the last fence to the winning line. A fine front running performance and an improved display over this longer trip.
After being outpaced down the hill he made rapid late headway to close on the front three horses without ever quite looking likely to get his head in front.
His mistake at the third last fence came at a vital time and resulted in him losing ground coming down the hill. He did rally without ever appearing likely to get close to the group that had drawn clear.
Aside from one mistake at the 13th fence his jumping was as fast and fluent as usual. Unfortunately his mistake was serious enough to put him out of his rhythm. I am not sure he was traveling quite as well thereafter. I suspect his jockey was caught napping when losing fifth place on the line.
After being seriously hampered at the 13th fence he could never get back into the race.
I am less keen on him when competing at Cheltenham as I do not feel the stiff uphill finish plays to his strengths. His record at Kempton reads: 1 1 2 – and hopefully his connections will find another three-mile contest at that flat right handed course.
I suspect it is a case of all roads lead to the Grand National for him. Hopefully he will run another big race at Aintree in early April.
He probably has not enjoyed the easiest of preps coming into the 2026 festival. He raced towards the fore here before making a mistake four out and then dropping away after the next fence.
His saddle slipped after a mistake at the 12th fence and he was pulled up soon afterwards.
He was towards the rear on the rail when making a minor error at the eighth fence. He then hit the tenth fence very hard and almost lost his jockey. After being hampered by a faller at the 13th fence he was soon pulled up.
I would guess he was trading as the favourite when hitting the final fence hard and losing his jockey. I don’t know whether or not he would have won the race; however, he certainly would have gone very close.
