Come On Teddy

Come On Teddy did well to win the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap chase at Uttoxeter on Tuesday on his chasing bow, over a distance that was surely shorter than ideal for him. Weak in the market beforehand, he was settled at the rear of the field early on by Jonathan Burke. He was quite novicey over some of his fences early on, but he warmed to his task as the race developed. Still last as they left the back straight, he made nice ground around the outside over the fourth last fence, he travelled well into the home straight, he made good progress on the near side to hit the front over the third last fence, and he stayed on well from there over the last two fences to just get home by a neck from Fern Hill.

It was a really good performance by Tom George’s horses, in circumstances that were not ideal. It was his first chase, and his first run since he finished sixth in the Grade 3 three-mile handicap hurdle at Aintree in April. He was a progressive handicap hurdler last season, he won a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham’s December meeting, and he ran a big race in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, coming from the rear to finish third in a race in which it was difficult for the hold-up horses. He will be of interest again now when he steps up in trip over fences, and he will be of particular interest when he goes back to Cheltenham, a track at which he put up two of his best performances over hurdles.
Uttoxeter, 7^th December 2021