Funambule Sivola

The Maghull Chase was all about Shishkin obviously, he was sent off the 1/8 favourite and he won in the end, but he didn’t have as much in hand of Funambule Sivola as the market suggested he would have.

Shishkin may have under-performed, he had to have had a hard race in the Arkle at Cheltenham just three and a half weeks earlier, when he clocked a fast time, for all that he won well, but Funambule Sivola still emerges from this race with huge credit. He travelled into the race well, he jumped well, he was the only one who was able to mount a challenge to Shishkin. Also, there was a fraction of a second, just after Shishkin got in tight to the final fence and landed without momentum, that you weren’t certain that Funambule Sivola wouldn’t give him a real race. In the end, he went down by just four lengths to a horse who was rated 20lb superior to him, and he finished miles clear of his other rivals in a race that was run in a fast time, 0.33secs/furlong faster than Racing Post par.

It was another step forward by Venetia Williams’ horse. Zero for six over hurdles, including four since he arrived from France, he won four of his six handicap chases for Venetia Williams before Saturday this season, progressing as he gained experience and moving up the ratings. Winner of a two-mile handicap chase at Chepstow in February on soft ground off a mark of 133, he was impressive in beating his two rivals at Ascot at the end of last month off a mark of 141. An 8lb hike still left him with 20lb to find with Shishkin on official ratings, so he did really well to get as close to him as he did. He looks like a real two-mile chaser – his poorest run was over two and a half miles on soft ground at Sandown on Tingle Creek weekend – and it appears that he is as effective on good ground as he is on soft ground. He is only six, and he is an exciting prospect for next season.
Aintree, 10^th April 2021