“He's a real looker at home” – find out which old favorite could be back to their best

Not every veteran needs a marathon test and this two-and-a-half mile run, restricted to horses aged ten and over, is a nice precursor to Sandown's route for the older stayers 20 minutes later.

If this race had taken place five days earlier, almost half of the field would not have been eligible. Night flight, What a fate And Red newcomer have just turned ten and this series opens doors for these horses who will always be vulnerable to younger legs at normal handicaps.

The early market preference for Nocte Volatus among this group is understandable. On his return he took a warm win at Chepstow, improved on his third place in the previous round and built on this with a dominant performance at Ascot. The winner that day, Gemirande, went on to win the December Gold Cup and Nocte Volatus was in the form of his life.

Eleven year olds Long shank And The Widowmaker are also new to veterans-only racing. Longshanks has spent most of the last two seasons running hurdles and point-to-points, while the Joe Tizzard-trained The Widdow Maker has spent 675 days on the sidelines. Since his resume includes a third in the Class 1 Novice Hunt in 2022, he would be of interest if his fitness could be guaranteed after wind surgery on his first outing.

The Widowmaker's stablemate The Ligerian recorded a comfortable win at Lingfield last month and should be Tizzard's first choice. However, this race contains more depth and Stormy flight stands out as the more logical winner.

Stormy Flight gave Lowry's Bar a scare in Exeter last month and the horse has gained 10lb in the weightlifting after scoring again at Chepstow on the Welsh National Day. Given that Stormy Flight confidently fended off three other interesting newcomers in this Exeter race, his demands are clearly a pound higher than more experienced competitors.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders


What they say

Paul Nicholls, coach of Quel Destin
It looks like a good race for him, now we can compete against veterans, the track should really suit him. I thought he was running quite well at Exeter last time but he knocked himself over coming into the straight. The result said he was lame, but he was at 100 percent. These races will be better for him.

Jeremy Scott, trainer of Stormy Flight
He keeps his form pretty well, but I'm not sure how well he's handicapped. He seems to have retained all his skills and enthusiasm well into old age. The horse that beat him [Lowry’s Bar] He won next time, so his form looks good and he's in great shape.

Emma Lavelle, Red Rookie's trainer
He's been a bit of an enigma over the past few seasons, but now he's eligible for veteran racing, which is a big plus. He needs to get his mojo back, but we taught him a sight this week and he's been winging his fences. He is very well handicapped when the good Red Rookie shows up and hopefully the sights will revive him. He shows that he still has the talent at home, but he has to share it with us on the racetrack. Wincanton wouldn't be high on the route list for him, but two and a half miles should help.

Kayley Woollacott, Longshanks trainer
He enjoyed his pointing stint, picking up a couple of wins and a second. For his return to fencing, this represents a rise in grade, so it's more of a scouting mission, but he's in good shape.
Reporting by James Stevens


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“He's a real looker at home” - find out which old favorite could be back to their best

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