Native River returns to form in the Cotswold Chase at Sandown

The rescheduled Grade Two contest attracted a strong field, including Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Santini but it was Bristol de Mai that was sent off as the market leader for the three mile contest.

The grey was to the fore when the tapes went up, alongside habitual prominent racers Native River and Yala Enki, but Daryl Jacob was content to drop his mount back into third in the home straight as the other two traded blows at the head of affairs.

Native River repeatedly outjumped his doughty rival and, in a matter of strides, opened up a three or four length advantage leaving the Railway Fences for the final time.

By that stage Saint Calvados had already fallen at the fence after the water - never coming out of last place as Gavin Sheehan rode a patient rice - where Aidan Coleman had begun to ask Santini to focus. Last year's Gold Cup second did respond for pressure but he never really got within hailing distance of the leaders on ground that his trainer, Nicky Henderson, felt was less than ideal.

Bristol de Mai and Yala Enki closed up on Native River approaching the Pond Fence but Yala Enki was soon dropped by the pair who soon had the race between them.

Richard Johnson, successful in the preceding Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, got a great leap out of Native River at the final fence and that sealed the race for the 11-year-old who ran on strongly to win by nine and a half lengths.

It had been a long winter for trainer Colin Tizzard who only saddled his first winner for six weeks on Thursday but hopes will now be high for a successful spring.

Joe Tizzard, son and assistant trainer, said: “He is as tough as they come and never one day has he lost his enthusiasm. I remember one day when we booked Dicky for his novice chase at Aintree and we were at Ascot and we thought those two were made for each other and four years later here we are.

“They just suit each other. The last couple of weeks at home he had just come to himself and as he has got a bit older he has perhaps lost half a gear. This ground just helps him as he has won a Welsh National and we know he stays particularly strongly. When he gets his conditions he takes a lot of pegging back.

“This is a big race and he is our main flagbearer that is left. He has done nothing wrong in the past five years he just keeps producing and he is a good boy to have about.

“People started questioning if he can go right-handed but if anything this place is made for him, seven fences down the back, and he winged all the Railway Fences and it’s a really stiff finish so it’s made for him.

“It’s always been the plan (the Gold Cup). This was his prep for it so I’m just really glad they re-organised this and he will now have another crack at the Gold Cup.

“Not in the last few months have I enjoyed a race more than that. He was good to watch today. He was a handful to saddle today which is kind of unlike him but he was right on his game.

“He bounced back from it (Gold Cup win) as he was fourth the year after then he was two from two last season but got jarred up so he missed his chance last season.

“There are not many tougher than this horse. All these horses that get to the top end need to be tough, whether they look like it or not they need to be. He has got a cruising speed and he can maintain it for perhaps that extra half mile when other horses can’t. I wouldn’t mind a stable full of him.”

Daryl Jacob, rider of Bristol De Mai said: “He has run an absolute blinder. Obviously the Tizzards’ horses are back in a bit of form and Native River on his day is a very good horse that is a dour stayer and all credit to him. I’m pleased with my lad and he has run his heart out. I think we will skip the Gold Cup and go for the Grand National. He went down fighting today and has had a nice blow.”

All roads lead back to the Gold Cup for last season’s runner-up Santini, who finished back in third having claimed the race 12 months, according to his trainer Nicky Henderson.

He said: “I’m happy enough we got the run under his belt under what is a very long way from his ideal conditions but that is what you are having to do at the moment.

“I was keen to get the run in. We ummed and ahhed all week, but we ummed and ahhed before Cheltenham whether to run on the day when it was off.

“If you get out you are going to run in unsuitable conditions and you are going to get harder races than you would have liked. Therefore the more time you give yourself between now and then (the Cheltenham Festival) the better things will be and that horse will take anything.

"From the second-last, Aidan wasn’t going to get to the front and he wasn’t going to get caught from behind, so the good thing was he was allowed to come home in his own time. He made one mistake down the back when he didn’t come out of the ground. Now it’s over I’m pleased we did it.

“He will go straight there and he loves it there and that’s what he has been aimed at all season, the same as last season.”