Belami Des Pictons

Belami Des Pictons did well to finish fourth in the BetVictor Gold Cup. Venetia Williams’ horse was badly hampered at the second fence when Eamon An Cnoic fell in front of him, and he was playing catch-up thereafter.

Stone last as they started up the home straight first time, about three lengths behind the second last horse, he was still last of the 13 remaining runners when they jumped the third last fence (the usual fourth last). Ridden along after that, he stayed on well for pressure. Sixth when they landed over the second last, he kept on well up the hill to get past Magic Saint and Count Meribel for fourth.

Second to Waiting Patiently in the Colin Parker Intermediate Chase at Carlisle in November 2017, this was just his second run since, and his first since he was pulled up in a handicap chase at Sandown last February,  when he reportedly bled. He is obviously fragile, but he is also talented, he won three novice chases on the spin in 2016/17, the last two by an aggregate of 55 lengths, and he had the potential to go beyond his rating of 148. He raced off a mark of 146 on Saturday, and the handicapper dropped him by 1lb to a mark of 145, a mark off which there could be a big handicap chase in him. He is only eight and he has raced just seven times over fences. He has the stamina for further than two and a half miles, three miles could be his optimum trip, and he goes well on soft and heavy ground.

Cheltenham, 16^th November 2019