Knight Of Allen
Knight Of Allen put up another good performance in finishing second behind Holloway Queen in the novices' handicap chase run over almost three miles at Newbury last Saturday. Ciaran Gethings lined him up in behind horses and settled him towards the rear of the field through the early stages of the race. He made nice ground down the back straight, he travelled well into the home straight and he jumped up just in behind the leaders at the fourth last fence. He looked a likely winner at that point, but, even when he moved on with Holloway Queen at the second last fence, it looked likely from that point that she would out-stay him, which she duly did. Knight Of Allen stuck to his task well though, he finished a clear second.
It may be that this near-three-mile trip just stretches Jane Williams' horse's stamina beyond its limit, at least on this soft ground. His best runs over hurdles were over the intermediate trip and, on his only foray beyond two miles and four and a half furlongs before today, at Chepstow in October, he was well beaten in a novices' chase. He would have finished third of three had the leader not come down at the last. He should be seen to better effect now, dropped back down to around two and a half miles.
He holds an entry in the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival over that distance, and he will be of interest if he takes his chance in that. He will also be of interest if and when he returns to Newbury. It would be a quick enough turnaround, but he will be of interest if he lines up in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury on the last Saturday in February, over the course and distance over which he won a handicap chase just before Christmas. He only got home by a half a length that day, but he had more in hand than that, he idled on the run-in, and he is only 5lb higher now than he was then.
Newbury, 7th February 2026
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