Springwell Bay
Jango Baie ran out an impressive winner of the two-and-a-half-mile novices' chase at Cheltenham on Friday on his chasing debut, but Springwell Bay put up a nice performance himself to chase him home. The O'Neills' horse travelled well behind a good pace that Caldwell Potter set, and his jumping was good. Still on the bridle on the run down the hill, he went for a narrow gap between the two leaders at the second last fence, which didn't really materialise, but he only had his momentum checked slightly and, when Caldwell Potter made a mistake at the final fence, he was clear to challenge up the run-in. He couldn't get to the winner, but time may show that he was faced with a really stiff task, trying to concede 8lb to Jango Baie, a Grade 1 winner last season as a novice hurdler who has the potential to be even better now this season over fences.
Springwell Bay actually hampered Jango Baie when he unseated at the second last flight in the William Hill Premier Handicap Hurdle at Aintree in April, but he got his chasing career off to a winning start at Chepstow in October. He was too keen behind a sedate pace over three miles in the listed novices' chase that Hyland won at Cheltenham's November meeting, and he was much better suited by the faster pace over the intermediate trip on Friday. He goes well at Cheltenham, his record there reads 31432, and he has the potential to be better over fences than his rating of 145 suggests.
Cheltenham, 13th December 2024
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