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Statuario enhanced his course strike-rate with a gusty victory in the Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow David Whitaker Handicap Chase.
Trained by Mickey Bowen, the 9/4 favourite was gaining his sixth Perth win with a gallant short-head all-the-way success over Yeats Star.
“He so game and just kept finding all the time for me,” reported winning jockey Sean Bowen. “I don’t know what went wrong at Market Rasen last time but he is a different horse round here.”
The champion jockey completed a double when Stiletto shouldered top-weight to victory in the novices’ handicap hurdle while the card started with an impressive front-running display by The Hatchet on his hurdling debut under Jack Power for Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore.
The Real Whacker brings a touch of class to Perth in the £22,500 feature race.
A Grade 1-winning chaser, with a current BHA mark over fences of 156, he reverts to the smaller obstacles as he concedes weight all round in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap Hurdle.
Last seen out when fourth in the Bowl Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, he was fifth in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup having landed the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the 2023 Festival.
Trained by Patrick Neville and ridden by Brian Hughes, he is one of the highest rated horses to appear at the Scone track since Philip Hobbs-trained Menorah finished second off 165 in the 2016 Perth Gold Cup.
“It’s his first run of the season and he should go pretty well,” Neville said. “It should put him spot on for the Charlie Hall Chase in a few weeks time.”
Oddly enough Menorah’s owner Diana Whateley is represented with one of the rivals to The Real Whacker with Olly Murphy’s Chasing Fire, who also has winning form over fences.
The Twiston-Davies yard, now a joint operation with Nigel and son Willy, always tends to target this fixture and Chief Sunday is worth a second look on his debut over fences in the Centenary Silver Plate Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Before it became a handicap, Twiston-Davies was successful in this with the useful Fundamentalist and future Grand National hero Bindaree.
Chasing Fire, ridden by Sean Bowen and trained by Olly Murphy, fairly stormed to victory in the feature race at Perth.
MoreStatuario enhanced his course strike-rate with a gusty victory in the Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow David Whitaker Handicap Chase.
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Perth Racecourse welcomes in the first of the winter jump season horses this week, at the historic Glorious Finale fixture.
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