Sego Success

Sego Success put up a good staying performance to win the listed three-mile novices' chase at Warwick on Saturday.

Settled nicely along the rail by Tom Cannon just behind a solid pace that Grand Vision set, Alan King's horse's jumping was good and he travelled well until they faced up to the five fences down the back straight final time. He came under a little bit of pressure at that point as Brendan Powell and Grand Vision turned the screw from the front, and he was in danger of fading out of it. However, the leader - who had been just about foot-perfect to that point - put in a short stride at the third last, the final fence in the back straight, and that gave his pursuers a chance.

Sego Success jumped that fence well and nipped up on the inside of Mosspark around the home turn, which left him in a position to challenge the leader. He had almost joined him by the time they reached the second last, and he stayed on really strongly over the last and up the run-in to win well in a good time, the only time that dipped below Racing Post par on the day.

This was a good performance from the winner even though the race may have been weakened a little. Mickie made a mistake at the first fence and she didn't really jump with any confidence afterwards, Mosspark made a significant error at the third last fence and Deputy Dan jumped with indifference and out to his right. That said, Grand Vision was well backed, Colin Tizzard's horse ensured that the pace was solid, and he was just out-stayed by the winner.

The Beneficial gelding was a decent novice hurdler last season, but he is already a better chaser. He would have got much closer to Sausalito Sunrise at Chepstow in October on his chasing bow had he not made a bad mistake at the fourth last fence. He made up for that, however, when he beat the talented If In Doubt over three miles at Wetherby at the end of November. Saturday's run was just his third in a chase, and he continues to progress. This is a race that has been won in the past by Gungadu, L'Ami and Halcon Genelardais, and Sego Success should be worth following now. He could be a horse for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, as his trainer suggested, but he would also be of interest in a staying handicap chase even off his new rating of 143.

10th January 2015

Back