The three-mile Grade 1 Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day could well be the next target for the very promising Mr Moonshine who impressed plenty of observers with a smart winning performance at Haydock last week, writes Elliot Slater.
Trained at Bingley in West Yorkshire by Sue Smith, Mr Moonshine has looked a seriously progressive performer over fences this season having proved more than capable in handicap hurdles last term where he competed at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals. A winning point-to-pointer as a four-year-old in his native Ireland, the gelded son of smart Flat stayer Double Eclipse had an early attempt at novice chasing at the start of last season when running a sound race in finishing second to Ashfield’s Dream at Market Rasen, but connections took the view that they would wait another term before having a serious crack at the larger obstacles. Those looking at the Betfair King George VI Chase Betting for the 2012 renewal may want to keep an eye on him.
Henry Oliver enjoyed an armchair ride on Mr Moonshine when the seven-year-old made his seasonal bow at Carlisle at the end of October, making all the running and jumping enthusiastically before running out a 16-length winner form Charlie Longsdon’s Hidden Keel. At Haydock 19 days later Smith’s charge was sent off an 11/4 third-favourite in a field of four decent horses for the two-and-three-quarter-mile Junior Betfair Novice Chase and, giving 8lbs to his three rivals, put up another fine performance in making every yard of the running, jumping flawlessly, before outstaying the decent Paul Nicholls-trained Bold Addition by 10-lengths. Fans of King George VI Horse racing should bear this in mind.
Having reportedly come out of the Haydock race in tremendous fashion Smith is now considering stepping her potential star performer up to take on some of the best three-mile novice chasers of the season in the Kempton top grade race where his front-running tactics combined with slick jumping could get rivals from higher profile yards into plenty of trouble.