Cornas

Cornas ran a cracker to just go down by a half a length to Gauvain in a Grade 2 novices’ chase at Sandown on Friday. Held up in behind by Daryl Jacob, he had to go wide out of the back straight, but still arrived there on the run to the second last travelling well, behind Free World and Gauvain, but a slow jump at that obstacle left him with around five lengths to find on the leading pair. He almost got there, and he did get past long-time leader and favourite Free World, but Gauvain proved to be just too strong, and Cornas came off second best.

This was just Cornas’s second start over fences and, although he had to give best to Gauvain, it was still a nice step forward from his debut, when he was an easy winner of a beginners’ chase at Ludlow from Idarah, a subsequent winner who finished second to Arkle hope Pasco at Huntingdon last Thursday. He is one for the future.

20^th February, 2009