The Big Bite

The Big Bite was unlucky not to win the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday. Prominent from early, up on the outside, he moved up to share the lead with Barton Knoll as they turned into the home straight. They had a good dual over the first three fences in the home straight, but The Big Bite got the better of it on the run to the last, and he went on and looked set for victory, trading at 1.03 in-running. But he hung to his left up the run-in, he shaped as if he wanted to jump the water jump and go around again. It was all that Jonathan Burke could do to get him back onto the track, but he gave away ground and momentum in so doing, and he was passed by Umbrigado and Killer Clown on the run-in.

It was still a big run by the Scorpion gelding, racing for just the third time for Henry Oliver. He won on soft ground at Doncaster last January when he was with Tom George, but he is better on better ground. He won well at Aintree in November on his seasonal debut and his first run for Henry Oliver on good to soft ground, and this was a step forward from that. He wasn’t beaten far by the progressive Ibleo on soft ground at Doncaster in January off a mark of 144, and he probably put up a career-best performance here off a 2lb higher mark. This two-and-a-half-mile trip is a good trip for him, and he will be of interest now on goodish ground wherever he goes next.
Newbury, 6^th March 2021