Forpadydeplasterer

Forpadydeplasterer made a perfectly pleasing return to action in the two-mile Sinbad Testimonial 2010/2011 Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday. Barry Geraghty had the 2009 Arkle winner on the outside throughout, and while he didn’t always jump completely fluently out of the tacky ground, especially at the third last, he did come up with some big leaps when really asked, noticeably at the ditch at the top of the hill, and he took it up over the second last. He went a length and a half up, but was reeled back by Gauvain who was returning from nearly 19 months off the track.

On the face of it, this run may appear slightly disappointing, with Tom Cooper’s gelding recording his 10th second-place finish from 12 starts and beaten by a horse officially rated 25lb his inferior. However, he is a horse who needs good ground and conditions were just too holding for him here. He is a classy horse: Arkle winner as a novice and runner-up in the Champion Chase and Melling Chase last season. It may well be that two miles is too sharp for him these days; indeed he is due to be stepped up to three miles next time for the King George as long as the ground is good, and that is very interesting. He has every chance of staying three miles, especially round Kempton, and he could be a danger to all on St Stephen’s Day if he jumps like he can do.

The winner, Gauvain, while an unexpected victor, could well prove to be a high-class horse this season. His last two runs in the spring of 2009 were good, and it seems like he has improved over his long lay-off and for joining Nick Williams, as many do. It could well be that he has matured mentally over that time off as his jumping, which had been slightly erratic as a novice, was much more fluent here. He also settled really well which meant that Daryl Jacob was able to hold onto him right up until turning into the straight, by which time Forpadydeplasterer had probably been softened up a fair bit by the duel that he contested and won with eventual third Tataniano. Tataniano ran quite well himself conceding 5lb to the first two courtesy of his demolition job in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree last April. It was encouraging for Forpadydeplasterer that he had seen off the Paul Nicholls horse soon after the second last, although the ground may not have been ideal for Tataniano either.

Providing the ground is suitable at Kempton, it would not be at all surprising to see Forpady running a big race in the King George.

14th November 2010