Crossgalesfamegame

Crossgalesfamegame can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of the performance that she put up in finishing third in the mares’ handicap hurdle. Starting off in third place, she gradually drifted back in the field, she was only sixth of the eight runners as they started off down the back straight. She was never too far off the leaders though, and she moved up into fourth place again, about four lengths off the leaders, as they raced to the top of the hill. She came under pressure as they landed over the second last flight, but she responded to that pressure. It appeared that she wasn’t travelling as well as some of her rivals as they raced around the home turn, but she picked up, she was only about two and a half lengths behind the leader The White Mouse when they straightened up for home. It all got a bit tight for her from there, however. She didn’t have the pace to move into the gap that presented itself on the run to the two-furlong marker and, when Schiaparannie moved across her, she had to switch inside on the run to the final flight. She wasn’t great at the last either, she landed a little flat-footed, with the result that she was only fifth and about six lengths behind the leader as they passed the furlong marker. It never looked like she was going to bridge that gap, but she stayed on strongly up the hill to take third place behind The White Mouse and Eglantine Du Seuil, beaten a total of four and a half lengths.

It was a good run by Fergal O’Brien’s mare, it was a step forward from her seasonal debut at Wincanton, when she finished 10 lengths behind The White Mouse, albeit on worse terms. She could to even better though on softer ground, or stepped up in distance. She was impressive in winning her maiden hurdle at Market Rasen in November last year on heavy ground. She is only six and this was just her sixth run over hurdles, so there should be more to come from her now. The handicapper left her on her mark of 125, and that is a mark on which she remains of interest, especially if and when she is faced with a greater test of stamina.

Cheltenham, 12^th December 2020