John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Special John looks well treated back over hurdles
The biggest field on Exeter’s card is for the staying handicap hurdle (14:20), where 18 are declared, with ‘Horse In Focus’ Special John looking the most interesting runner. Formerly trained by Chris Down and, for his reappearance early this season by Alexandra Dunn, Special John has improved quickly for his current trainer Sam Thomas who sent him straight over fences.
Special John landed a gamble on his chasing debut at Exeter in November when getting the better of Fat Faced Columbo, who went on to win his next two starts, by a short head in a novices’ handicap. He built on that when following up outside of novice company at Wincanton the following month, racing handily and keeping on well to win with more to spare this time under 12-0.
Special John’s hat-trick bid failed in better company when stepped up to three and a half miles at the Berkshire Winter Million meeting at Windsor. But he was anything but discredited in finishing fifth to thorough stayer Neo King as he shaped much better than the bare result, hence the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Leading between four out and two out before weakening after the last, Special John’s stamina was stretched in the end, but he gave the impression he remains capable of better given less of a test. That improvement isn’t confined to fences, though, and he reverts to hurdles here from a 5 lb lower mark than his latest chase win which gives him every chance of getting off the mark over the smaller obstacles in first-time cheekpieces.
No easy task for Grand National winner Nick Rockett at Down Royal
Down Royal’s Bluegrass Racehorse Cube Chase (15:38) has attracted a field of five but there’s plenty of interest with three of the runners holding Grand National entries. Roi Mage won this race in 2022 and was runner-up in the next two editions but he’s fourteen now and poorly treated by the race conditions, finding himself having to give weight to the top-class pair Gerri Colombe and Nick Rockett.
Nick Rockett makes his first appearance since winning last year’s Grand National under Patrick Mullins who is in the saddle again in this warm-up for a return visit to Aintree. That was a top-class effort from Nick Rockett last spring where he was completing a hat-trick after earlier wins in the Thyestes Handicap and the Bobbyjo Chase. Much will depend on how tuned up he is for this return to action, but it’s also worth noting that he has to concede 7 lb to Gerri Colombe here, whereas there’s only a pound between them in the weights at Aintree.
It’s only two years ago that Gerri Colombe was chasing home Galopin des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and while he’s evidently had his problems since, being off the track for more than a year before his return in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December, he showed he can still run to a high level when chasing home Grand National joint-favourite Grangeclare West in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last month. A former Champion Chase winner at this track, on these terms Gerri Colombe can get the better of Nick Rockett and the other Grand National entry Perceval Legallois.
Voleur de Terres can make bold bid for hat-trick
The idea that Voleur de Terres might be able to win just one race under Rules might have seemed fanciful just months ago, but the eight-year-old mare has a good chance of completing a hat-trick for Claire Dyson in the novices’ handicap chase (16:05) at Exeter.
While she had won a couple of small-field points in Ireland, Voleur de Terres had shown little form under Rules, either over hurdles or when switched to fences, including when pulled up in the race won by Special John here in November.
It was a surprise, therefore, when she got off the mark at Leicester last month at odds of 40/1 from 5 lb out of the handicap. Voleur de Terres led at the third fence and made the rest of the running, jumping well, and winning easing down. Eight days later, she showed that was no fluke when following up under a penalty in a mares’ chase at Warwick, her fluent jumping again very much in evidence and earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Still on a lowly mark, her jumping will remain an asset in this novice contest where she can make another bold bid.
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