Rouge Vif

Rouge Vif put up a game performance to win the two-mile-one-furlong novices’ chase.

Always prominent for Gavin Sheehan, his jumping was good for a debutant.  He came under pressure at the top of the home straight, and it looked like Baddesley Knight and Earlofthecotswolds were getting away from him a little.  Only third jumping the third last, he picked up well on the run to the second last and, while Earlofthecotswolds fell there, and we will never know how it would have panned out had he jumped the fence well, the strength with which Rouge Vif finished off his race was impressive.

This was a good little race, and it was a good performance by Harry Whittingdon’s horse to win as well as he did, even allowing for the fact that the favourite came down at the second last.  He was a good novice hurdler last season, he won three of his seven races, including a Grade 2 race at Kelso, and he finished third in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April, reaching a hurdles rating of 142.  This was a really nice start to his chasing career, and he can go on from it.  He could do better too with a greater test of stamina.

Market Rasen, 19^th October 2019