Kitty’s Light

Kitty’s Light put up a good performance to finish second to Chirico Valis in the Native River Handicap Chase at Chepstow on Saturday. Nicely settled in mid-division early on by Jack Tudor, he made nice ground early in the home straight, and he arrived there as the main challenger to Chirico Vallis at the third last fence. He just couldn’t get past the leader, but he stayed on all the way to the line, going down by just a head in the end, with the pair of them almost 10 lengths clear of their rivals.

This was a race in which the pace held up well. The winner made all, while the third and fourth horses were both prominent from early. Kitty’s Light was the only horse who was able to get into the race from the back. Christian Williams’ horse is a progressive staying chaser last season. He stayed on well to win a three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap chase at Kelso at the end of March off a mark of 135, and he was unlucky not to win the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on his final run of the season off a 4lb higher mark, he was just coming to deliver his challenge on the run-in when the idling leader Enrilo came across him and halted his momentum. Enrilo was ultimately disqualified, but, because Potterman had got up past Kitty’s Light on the run-in, after the incident, he had to be awarded the race. This was Kitty’s Light’s first run since and, racing off a mark of 143, 4lb higher than his Sandown mark, he probably stepped forward again. He has been raised by another 6lb to a mark of 149 but, still only five, he has raced just eight times over fences, so there could be plenty more to come.
Chepstow, 9^th October 2021