Well Refreshed

Well Refreshed put up another really impressive performance on Saturday, this time in winning the Grand National Trial at Haydock. This was by far the strongest race in his sequence and the manner of his victory was again really impressive, he just cut loose and won with plenty in hand in the end, getting stronger the further he went.

Gary Moore’s nine-year-old is a real stayer, but he has a touch of class as well. He is able to travel well, and he moved quite easily into contention down the back straight as a lot of those around him were being driven along. He jumped up into sixth place over the final fence on the far side and, given how strongly he had stayed on from the home turn in the Sussex National on his previous run, there was an air of inevitably about this from the top of the home straight. He took up the running coming to the second last and, despite getting the last fence all wrong, he came right away to win by a wide margin. We probably didn’t get anywhere near the bottom of him.

The easy portable fences at Haydock suited him, he could easily have ended up on the floor at several of his fences had they been a little stiffer. This was just his sixth run over fences though, so there could be plenty more progress to come if his jumping improves as he gains experience. He has to be of interest again on soft ground over easy fences but, given his jumping at present, he is probably one to be wary of on better ground for now, when the quicker tempo of races may cause him more problems. He could be a Midlands National horse now, especially if the ground were to come up soft at Uttoxeter on the Saturday after Cheltenham. The Irish National may not be the race for him this year, mind you. The stiff fences at Fairyhouse may not just be his thing for now.

16th February 2013