Senior Citizen

Senior Citizen ran well for a long way in the Grand Sefton Chase, over the Grand National fences. He was quickly into a nice racing rhythm for Tom Bellamy, and he jumped the spruce fences well. He travelled well down the side of the track, and it appeared as if he was going best of all as they rounded the home turn and faced up to the second last fence. He travelled like the most likely winner at that point, as he moved up on the outside of leader Sir Jack Yeats, but he came under pressure on the run to the final fence and he weakened on the long run-in. He only finished seventh in the end.

It was surprising that he weakened as quickly as he did, because it shouldn’t have been stamina that got him. He won a handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs on soft ground at Fakenham in February, and he won again over two miles and five furlongs on better ground at Newton Abbot on his debut this term. He was a little keen through the early stages of the race, and perhaps that took its toll late on, on the soft ground on the Grand National track. He is deserving of another chance. He is still lightly raced, this was just his sixth chase, and he is only seven, so he retains plenty of potential. He could still be a horse for the Topham Chase back over the same course and distance in April, ideally on better ground.

Aintree, 5^th December 2020