Take The Breeze

Take The Breeze is a bit of a forgotten horse now. It is not so long ago that he was high in the betting for the Arkle, and remember that he was only a 5/2 shot to beat Sports Line and Zaarito and An Cathaoir Mor in the Irish Arkle at the end of January. The key to him is soft ground, it can’t be soft enough for him, and ideally a distance of it. Two miles is just not enough of it. He proved as much at Fontwell on Sunday when he landed a decent two-mile-six-furlong novices’ chase. The meeting survived a morning inspection, it was just about raceable, which is exactly how Take The Breeze likes it. He set off out in front under Harry Skelton, measured up his fences well, jumped most of them impeccably and had all of his rivals in big trouble before they left the back straight final time. Penn Da Benn did mount a challenge of sorts, but he was never getting to the leader who, despite getting in tight to the third last, just careered away over the last two fences, just pushed out, to win really easily.

They are talking about the Jewson Chase for the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding now – and Nicholls did win this race with Star De Mohaison in 2006 before he went on to win the Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham, but you have to think that the ground will be too quick for Take The Breeze at the Festival, even racing over two miles and five furlongs. He is high enough in the handicap on a mark of 148, but he will still be a force on soft ground over at least two and a half miles, and he is well worth trying over three miles. He should be able to use his pace to dominate over three miles, and he will be worth a second look when he competes again on soft ground over any distance from two and a half to three miles.

28th February 2010