Getaway Trump

Getaway Trump was very good in winning the two-mile handicap chase at Doncaster on Saturday. Prominent from early, up on the outside of a good pace that Zoffee and Return Ticket set, he moved into second place when Zoffee made a mistake at the fifth fence. He travelled well into the home straight just behind Return Ticket, and joined the leader at the second last fence. He was challenged at that point by Duke Of Navan, but Lorcan Williams always looked happy. The rider allowed his horse pop the final fence and, when he gave him a squeeze, he came away readily on the run to the line, where he had six and a half lengths to spare over the runner-up, who was in turn 16 lengths clear of the other three finishers.

Getaway Trump was a high-class novice hurdler two seasons ago. He finished second behind Champ in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle, and he beat Galvin in a novices’ hurdle at Ayr’s Scottish National meeting. He was well beaten in two novice chases last season, at Cheltenham’s October meeting and at Cheltenham’s November meeting, and his only other run last season was in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, when he was pulled up behind Epatante, but he has got back on track this season over fences.

Winner of two of his five novice chases in the early part of this season, he was well beaten by Gaelik Coast on soft ground at Musselburgh last month on his first run back after a mid-season break, but he appeared to be much happier on the good ground at Doncaster on Saturday. He is a horse who often doesn’t find much off the bridle, but he did pick up nicely when Lorcan Williams gave him a squeeze on the run-in on Saturday, and he left the impression that he had plenty more left to give. He won well and the winning time was good. Good ground does appear to be important to him, so he will be of interest now on the back of this win as we move further into the spring. He will be of particular interest at the Ayr or at Sandown April meetings. He has been impressive in winning over hurdles at both those meetings on good ground in the past.
Doncaster, 6^th March 2021