Call Me A Legend

Call Me A Legend made a really nice chase debut when she won the two-mile handicap chase at Ascot on Saturday. The race lost some of its lustre when favourite Reindeer Dippin departed at the first fence. Call Me A Legend jumped that fence on the inside of the favourite and seemed to get a bit buzzed up by the fall. She continued to travel freely in behind reluctant leader Cockatoo and, when that rival jumped slowly and to his left at the first fence down the side of the track, Wayne Hutchinson allowed the Midnight Legend mare stride on. She was still freer than ideal in front, but she jumped really well as some of her rivals made errors. Lordsbridge and Teddy's Reflection joined her on the run up the side towards the home turn, and she did have to reach for the open ditch, but Hutchinson gave her a squeeze on the run to the third last and she quickly put two lengths between herself and her rivals, turned for home travelling well with Lordsbridge the only possible challenger, jumped the last two fences really well and pulled clear to post an impressive victory.

This may not have been the strongest two-mile handicap chase ever run at Ascot, it was weakened by the departure of the favourite at the first, there were plenty of jumping errors, and the time was nine seconds slower than the time that Twist Magic clocked in the Victor Chandler Chase run over the same course and distance later in the day, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which Call Me A Legend travelled and jumped throughout. Winner of two bumpers and two hurdle races, she jumped so well here that it looks certain that she will be a much better chaser than she was a hurdler. She is only six, this was her first chase, and it would be a surprise if she couldn't go on from here now. She was good enough to finish third in the mares' bumper at Aintree in 2008, and she will be interesting if she contests a mares' chase next.

23rd January 2010

© The Irish Field, 30th January 2010

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