Go Amwell

An unusual inclusion but, despite starting at 66/1, Go Amwell looked like the only horse capable of giving pillar-to-post victor Mr Moonshine a race when he fell three out in the three-and-a-quarter-mile Pertemps qualifier at Huntingdon last week. He was making inroads into Mr Moonshine’s lead when he came down, having made his ground from the back on this holding ground, and was travelling well enough, so there is every chance he would have put it up to the winner. He was handling this soft holding ground very well and he seems to go particularly well at Huntingdon, having won there on his previous visit in October. The Sue Smith-trained winner was ultimately left clear in front and his jockey could afford to take it easy late on, but the horse did seem to be getting weary and it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Go Amwell had stayed on is feet.

While it is difficult to recommend most 45-rated flat performers, this chap is obviously a better hurdler than he is on the level; indeed he beat the recent Classic Chase winner and Grand National bound West End Rocker in a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter three seasons ago. He has raced 22 times over hurdles but, remarkably, he does appear to be progressive over hurdles this season, and soft ground appears to be key. It is possible that this latest performance will be under-rated as many will want to take the all-the-way winner out of the race. The fact is the winner is a three-mile heavy ground point-to-point winner who was clearly very well handicapped here and Go Amwell, from a yard that doesn’t have many jumpers at all, was threatening to make a real race of it with him at the time of his departure. He could well be one to watch next time at a really big price, or certainly whenever he returns to Huntingdon, as long as the ground is soft.

26th January 2011