Epic Value at William Hill Handicap Chase
Cheltenham 13:15
£60,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
1m 7f 199y, Class 2    
Saturday 28th October 2023

QuinnBet

1 Dancing On My Own 14/1
2 Triple Trade 9/1
3 In Excelsis Deo 6/1
11 ran NR: Red Rookie Distances: 2l, ½l, 1l
Time: 4m 0.42s (slow by 8.42s)

Rachael Blackmore drove home Dancing On My Own to give birthday boy Henry de Bromhead a winner at Cheltenham.

De Bromhead turned 51 today but the race was still in the balance on the approach to the last as Gary Moore’s Haddex Des Obeaux, who had made every yard of the running, was still holding a slender lead when coming down at the final fence.

Having set a searching gallop, Haddex Des Obeaux had seen them all off bar the eventual winner and Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Guy, who were the only three in contention for the final half mile.

As Guy began to weaken up the hill and Haddex Des Obeaux came down, Dancing On My Own, the winner of Aintree’s Red Rum Chase in April, was left to come home alone. He had two lengths to spare over Triple Trade, with In Excelsis Deo and Notlongtillmay both making good progress for minor honours.

De Bromhead said: “Rachael gave him a super ride, she was brilliant on him.

“I was worried about his big weight and he was up 7lb for Aintree but I’m delighted with him, he jumped super.

“He’s funny, he just loves to go a good decent gallop the whole way, so the other horse going on suited him, and Rachael knows him better than anyone.

“Let’s see what the handicapper thinks, but he could come back for the Schloer maybe, we might need to look at conditions chases as he’s boxing up there.

“We haven’t managed to win the two-mile division (Queen Mother) but even with Energumene out, there are plenty of good horses in it.”

FormRatings

WIlliam Hill Handicap Chase
£60,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 2
11 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Dancing On My Own 9 11-13 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 14/1
2
2 Triple Trade 7 10-5 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell 9/1
3
½ In Excelsis Deo 5 10-7 Harry Fry Jonathan Burke 6/1
4 1 Notlongtillmay 7 12-0 L J Morgan Adam Wedge 7/1
5
Guy 8 10-3 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 6/1
6
11 The Dasher Conway 8 10-3 Mrs Gillian Callaghan Darragh O'Keeffe 12/1
7
3 Prince Escalus 8 10-11 Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr 33/1
8
6 Royale Margaux 5 10-2 Tom Symonds Ben Poste 17/1
9
13 Before Midnight 10 10-11 Fergal O'Brien Mr Ben Sutton 7/1
FELL Haddex Des Obeaux 6 11-8 Gary Moore Jamie Moore 5/2F
UR Madara 4 10-2 Sophie Leech Ciaran Gethings 33/1
NR 4 Red Rookie 8 11-2 Emma Lavelle NON RUNNER

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