Bambi De l’Orme

It may seem strange to put up a 10-year-old who has now run 36 times over fences, but Bambi De l’Orme put up a big enough performance in a Class 2 two-mile handicap chase at Doncaster on Saturday to suggest that there is at least another decent prize in him yet. The key to Bambi De l’Orme is fast pace, fast ground, two miles, left-handed track. He had it all in his favour on Saturday. However, the other element that he needs is a well-timed run, and he didn’t have that.

It was fairly obvious that he was going to have the fast pace that he needs, with Ela Re, Dev and Coach Lane in the line up, but he was ridden closer to the pace than he usually is, with the result that he found himself arriving there, just in behind the weakening Coach Lane, on the run to the third last. David Dennis tried to take a tug, but he had to take it up at that stage over the second last, which left him a sitting duck for Dougie Costello and Leslingtaylor. If Bambi De l’Orme can be held onto for a little longer next time, he could still be a force in a good ground, fast-run, left-handed two-mile handicap chase. His current rating of 133 is still 4lb below his highest winning mark. Like Fix The Rib, the Red Rum Chase at Aintree, which he won in 2007, could be the race for him again.

28^th February, 2009