Chantry Home rolled again the years to take the Betfair Handicap Chase in decisive trend at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s veteran was a twin Grade One winner in his novice chasing days, profitable at each the Cheltenham Pageant and Aintree in 2021.
He would go on to be a Gold Cup contender the next 12 months, however was pulled up within the blue riband after claiming the Cotswold Chase on Trials day. Since then he has discovered victories exhausting to come back by and has most not too long ago been seen campaigning over hurdles.
Reverting again to the bigger obstacles on the day he turned 11, Chantry Home confirmed loads of his outdated zest when despatched off at 8-1 and travelled kindly for his pilot Nico de Boinville to stalk Ben Pauling’s Bowtogreatness and Sam Thomas’ Our Energy into the straight.
He was delivered by De Boinville heading in direction of the final earlier than galloping house six and a half lengths away from Our Energy who edged out Bowtogreatness for second. Nigel Twiston-Davies’ 5-6 favorite Broadway Boy was effectively held in fourth.
A shocked Henderson instructed ITV Racing: “The plan was to truly go hunter chasing with him and I simply wanted to get one other run into him to get him prepared.
“I am undecided we’ve not made a bodge of this and I am undecided he’s nonetheless eligible (for hunter chases) now – he might need to go and win a Grand Nationwide or one thing as an alternative!
“It has scuppered me a little and we were just trying to rekindle his enthusiasm as he was a very, very good horse. We might have to rethink.
“He is actually loved himself and he hasn’t been over fences for a very long time solely as a result of he had a fall at Wetherby a few years in the past which actually damage him and broken his confidence.
“He spent last year running intermittently over hurdles and it has been hard work, I must admit, but he is just lovely.
“He is jumped effectively, travelled effectively and he is simply adopted them spherical. I assumed he would get drained, however it’s beautiful to see him come again and do this. It was barely sudden on the time although I need to admit.”
Kalif Du Berlais impresses for Ditcheat team
Kalif Du Berlais got Paul Nicholls’ new year off to a blistering start with a bloodless display in the opening Sonic The Hedgehog 3 In Cinemas Now Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Some of the Ditcheat handler’s string had failed to sparkle over the Christmas period, including Regent’s Stroll who was a beaten favourite in the same colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson at Newbury last Saturday.
However, there were no such problems for the 4-7 favourite Kalif Du Berlais, who readily dispatched his two rivals under a motionless Harry Cobden to build on his chasing victory in the autumn.
Cobden told Racing TV: “We’ve at all times appreciated him loads and he was very fortunate to not damage himself at Carlisle the primary time when he had a horrible fall on the ditch.
“Today the plan was to take a lead but I didn’t think we were going overly quick, so I just let him bowl away and I thought his jumping was fantastic.
“He would not journey like a five-year-old and he is simply turned that right now. All the things was very assured and by no means actually in any doubt.
“We have plenty of options of where we can go and he will definitely get two and a half miles. But he’s only five isn’t he, so he probably doesn’t want tons of mileage on the clock at a young age. We’re lucky to have him.”
Diva Luna (5-4 favorite) bravely repelled the problem of Newton Twister to win the Richmond Villages And Bupa Care Houses Maiden Hurdle.
Skilled by Ben Pauling and ridden by Kielan Woods, Diva Luna was a Grade Two bumper winner at Aintree however suffered a shock reverse when overwhelmed on her hurdles bow final month.
The six-year-old made amends with a gutsy efficiency, digging deep after leaping the final to carry on for a one-and-three-quarter-length verdict which noticed her reduce to 14-1 from 25s with Paddy Energy for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on the Pageant in March.
