Bennys Mist

Quietly backed even though there was good money for several in the race, particularly towards the top of the market, Bennys Mist just travelled a little too keenly and consequently didn’t have anything left over the last two fences, but he had gone through the race like a good horse and had jumped really well throughout.

Having jumped off behind the leaders, he soon pulled his way up on the outside and Aidan Coleman had little choice but to allow him stride up alongside Sir Kezbaah in front. He soon had the outright lead and he settled a little better having got to the front, but he again raced exuberantly when he was rejoined over the final fence on the first circuit. He took a couple of lengths out of his rivals over the first down the back straight and he retained that advantage all the way to the second last, but he brushed through that fence and that seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. His early exertions told from there, and he lost fourth place close to the line having been a little untidy over the last.

Bennys Mist had had three runs already this season and he hadn’t been this exuberant in any of those. He saw out the extended three miles at Sandown on his previous run, but he is not short of pace, so he could be better dropped back to two and a half miles again now, or on less taxing ground, or in a race likely to be run at a strong gallop in which he can be settled. This was just his fourth chase, so he is still open to considerable progress.

1st December 2012