Edwardstone
27th December 2021 – Kempton – At Kempton on Monday, the Desert Orchid Chase winner and the winner of the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase were both equally pleasing to the eye in the finish. There was not a lot between them when comparing times from the first fence to the winning line; however, the way they went through their respective races was very different.
The novice winner put this race to bed very quickly with an impressive looking burst of speed from before the second last fence.
Edwardstone was around three seconds quicker than Shishkin from the first fence to the first in the back straight. Shishkin gradually reduced this deficit before finishing just ahead of Edwardstone on the clock at the winning post. Edwardstone also comes out very favourably when comparing his performance with that of the Desert Orchid runner up Greaneteen. He was about three seconds quicker than the Nicholls horse from their first fence to the last in the back straight and yet the novice was still a couple of lengths faster from three out to the line.
The Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase was a much quicker run race until the end of the back straight when Shishkin began to close that gap before edging ahead in the latter stages. Shishkin was given two sharp encouraging taps with the whip before the final fence; whereas Edwardstone was given an easier time of it in comparison with both first two horses to finish in the Desert Orchid Chase.
The difference in the Cheltenham Festival markets between Shishkin and Edwardstone is that the Nicky Henderson horse is odds on for the Champion Chase whilst Edwardstone can still be supported each way for the Arkle Chase. Admittedly, Shishkin does look streets ahead of the second-best two-mile chaser around; nevertheless, this only adds to the claims of Edwardstone in the novice event given those favourable time comparisons.
Edwardstone has developed into a reliable chasing proposition, and his chances will continue to be more obvious when he benefits from competing in a race with a strong gallop. Irrespective of the likely pace in the Arkle, we can only guess how he will compare with either of Ferny Hollow or Blue Lord in March; nonetheless, at this moment in time he has comfortably the best form of the British-trained contenders.
Edwardstone has now put up two impressive looking displays in a row in December at Kempton and Sandown respectively. Now that the dust has settled on the immediate post-race reaction to the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, I thought it was a good time to consider the market response to the outcome of that Sandown contest.
Edwardstone was a wide margin winner of the Grade One Henry VIII Chase in early December. On the one hand, his time comparisons with the winner of the Tingle Creek Chase, Greaneteen, show him in a very good light. The fact that his sectional times also compared extremely well with Greaneteen from Kempton on Monday adds plenty of substance to the reliability of those comparisons.
On the other hand, if we focus on his Sandown performance, it would be hard to get too carried away with the quality of this form. The favourite, Third Time Lucki, did not jump well enough out in front and then stopped very quickly up the hill. Only five horses finished the race, and the fourth horse home, Stolen Silver, was tailing off at the seventh before running past tiring rivals.
Do Your Job
27th December 2021 – Kempton – This was an excellent performance as he jumped and travelled well and appeared to be going as well as the favourite on the turn into the home straight. He was quickly left behind as the winner surged clear in a matter of strides on the approach to the second last fence. However, he beat the only other challenger very easily and will not always come up against a novice as good as the one that beat him here. He could be underestimated on the back of this comprehensive looking defeat; especially if he faces a well-regarded sort from a top yard with no substance to his chasing form.
Solo
27th December 2021 – Kempton – He made most of the running until the home straight and jumped very well overall, sometimes with great exuberance. He lost the lead at the third last fence and was soon left behind by the front two horses. On the balance of his form he should do better over further and I wonder if this entry was, in part, a prep for the novices’ handicap chase which was moved to Kempton from the Cheltenham Festival last season.
Raya Time
27th December 2021 – Kempton – After racing prominently for much of the race he began to lose touch with the other three runners off the final bend.
