LAW CAN STRIKE GOLD

Jeremy Grayson has spotted a nice prospect for hunter chases on his tour of the nation’s less glamorous venues

- Jeremy Grayson

HORSEHEATH point-to-point, 1 February (Good)
3m Men’s Open

None other than Cappa Bleu advertised his Foxhunter credentials around this undulating, sweeping Horseheath circuit (whose well-made fences notably include several taken downhill) mere weeks before striking gold in the amateurs’ blue riband event in 2009. While LAW OF GOLD has some way to go to emulate the Ruckers’ splendid gelding, the impression given as he powered to a 12l success under Dale Peters on this seasonal debut could not have been more striking. A number of David Kemp’s charges have appeared to need their run back, notably Caryto Des Brosses at Thorpe Lodge the weekend before this, but not so his seven-year-old son of Gold Well, now 6-11 in point-to-points and hunter chases for Kemp and far less given to jumping errors than two seasons prior. Some more evidence of what he can do away from good and good to soft surfaces would be appreciated, but last May’s hunter chase debut success in the John Corbet Cup at Stratford, allied to today’s success around a very different circuit, absolutely rubber-stamps his versatility as regards track type.

LUDLOW, 5 February (Good to soft)
2m7f171yds (+72yds) Hunters’ Chase (class 4)