Lamanver Pippin

Lamanver Pippin did well to finish third in the conditional riders’ handicap chase. Settled towards the rear of the field early on, he was still only sixth as they passed the winning post with a circuit to run, and he was being niggled along a little by William Biddick. The first five got away from him a little as they raced down the back straight, but he managed to get in among the leading quintet as they raced to the top of the hill. He stayed on into second place behind Storm Control as they raced to the home turn, but he had done a lot of running to get to that point, and he just couldn’t get to the winner. In the end, he got to within a length of Storm Control by the time they got to the winning line, although he ultimately ceded second place to the staying on Bermeo close home.

It was a day on which the prominent racers did well on the chase track, Storm Control made all the running here, and Colin Tizzard’s horse did well to get as close to him as he did. The handicapper raised him by 4lb to a mark of 136, but he is only seven and this was just his fourth chase, and his first since he finished third in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, so there is every chance that he will improve from this run. He handles soft ground well and he stays well, and he could be a horse for a good staying handicap chase during the winter. He won a three-mile novices’ handicap chase on soft ground at Chepstow last November, so he would be of interest if he was targeted at the Welsh National back at Chepstow in December.

Cheltenham, 14^th November 2020