Stoney’s Treasure

Stoney’s Treasure looked good at Warwick in easily landing a three-mile-one-furlong novices’ chase. Held up in last place of the five-runner field by Robert Thornton, the son of Silver Patriarch survived an early scare at the third fence, the first open ditch. Joining Tafika at the sixth last, Alan King’s horse went on at the second last and stayed on really well over the last and up the run-in to record an impressive victory.

This was a pleasing effort from Stoney’s Treasure, who may well have improved for the combination of a return to a longer distance and heavy ground. He put in two nice efforts on his first two starts over fences at Fontwell on his seasonal debut and in a competitive handicap chase at Newbury behind Regal Approach. He did disappoint slightly on his penultimate run, but the two-mile-three-furlong trip was probably too sharp for him, he just got outpaced in the straight after making an error at the third last. He looked much better here and, given that he made a significant mistake early on which resulted in him dropping back to last place and having to go on the outside the whole way, he did well to win so easily in the end. He is only a seven-year-old, this was just his fourth run over fences, and he has significant scope for progression now over longer distances and on soft ground.

25th February 2011