Requin

Victor Darntall has a 24% strike rate with his chasers at Chepstow over the last five seasons so it is no surprise that Denis O’Regan hot-footed it to South Wales to ride Requin in the 5.15 having ridden in the first at Sandown, and the journey was worth it. Requin travelled well the whole way on the outside of midfield, put in an accurate round of jumping and came there to join the long time leader at the fourth last. He took it up before the next and went on on landing over it, quickly pulling a few lengths clear, and stayed on well up the straight to win with plenty in hand.

It is a fair old way up the straight at Chepstow and Requin had taken it up far enough out and had just started to idle after the last, but he pulled out more when O’Regan asked him, and he never had to get overly serious with him. He is obviously highly regarded at the Dartnall yard given O’Regan's anxiousness to ride him, and there should be more to come from him. He has gone up 8lb for this but that is not overly punitive considering the authority of this victory on just his second start over fences, he is still only six, and the horse that beat him last time, the exciting As De Fer, was put up 13lb for that win. Although that horse was beaten upped to three miles next time in a small-field novice event at Carlisle, there were excuses and he remains very progressive. Requin coped with this better ground fine here having handled heavy the time before, and he is a thoroughly likeable sort who should go on from this.

12th March 2011

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