Havingotascoobydo

Havingotascoobydo looked to face a really stiff task in the Class 2 0-145 two-mile handicap chase at Cheltenham on Friday on just his fourth start over fences, but he acquitted himself really well and emerges with credit in finishing second to the very useful Tanks For That. Martin Keighley’s horse had only made his chasing debut a month before this and had not looked a complete natural, falling on his second try at Aintree, but he put in a good round here, except for a slightly awkward jump at the second fence. He was particularly good at the fence on the run away from the stands, the open ditch at the top of the hill and the tricky downhill third last. He went outside the whole way, he was five horses wide at the top of the hill, he had to do a lot of running just to get into a challenging position, and he was even green on the run-in, pricking his ears and hanging to his left.

This was a huge step up in class and Havingotascoobydo coped with it well. He should be even better with this experience under his belt, and he should be better again stepped up in trip, he was closing on the winner all the way up the hill. He couldn’t get within three lengths of Tanks For That, but he drew away from the rest, he put five lengths between himself and I’msingingtheblues in the last 100 yards having jumped the last several lengths behind David Pipe’s horse. This was just his fourth chase, he was progressive over hurdles last season, and he was an inexperienced novice among seasoned handicappers here. From the family of Marlborough, he saw out the two-and-three-quarter-mile trip last season, and he has significant potential now over fences when stepped up in trip.

11th November 2011