Diego Du Charmil

Diego Du Charmil was running a big race in the 2m 1f handicap chase when he came down at the third last fence.

Paul Nicholls’ horse travelled well through the early stages of the race for Bryony Frost, and his jumping was very good. His superior jumping took him easily to the front past Beau Bay on the run down towards Swinley Bottom and, while he allowed that rival back up on his inside around the turn, his jumping was again very accurate up the side of the track.

He was level with Beau Bay and apparently travelling far better when he came down at the third last fence. He was unlucky to fall too. He jumped the fence very well, but just appeared to crumple on landing. Beau Bay was just beaten by Ashoka in the end, the Dan Skelton horse just got up on the run-in, in a race that was run in a good time, but Diego Du Charmil was travelling much better than both at the time of his departure. It is impossible to know how the race would have panned out, but it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Diego Du Charmil would have run out a relatively easy winner.

The Ballingary gelding was a talented hurdler. He won the Fred Winter Hurdle on his British debut in 2016, and he won the Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh in February last year off a mark of 140. This was just his fourth chase. An impressive winner on his chasing debut at Newton Abbot last September, he couldn’t go with Saint Calvados on soft ground in the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick in February, but there was no disgrace in that, and he did beat the talented and sadly subsequently ill-fated North Hill Harvey for second place.

He is only six and, with just four chases under his belt, he has the potential for significant progression over fences. Probably at his best on goodish ground, he will be of interest again now as we move into the spring. He will be of big interest if he takes his chance in the Red Rum Chase at the Aintree Grand National meeting off his mark of 143. That mark could under-rate him over fences. He is rated 147 over hurdles.

Ascot, 25^th March 2018