Jamie Snowden is tempted to take the “tried and tested” route to Kempton with Wendigo after his top chaser starred in a fantastic weekend for the Lambourn handler at his local circuit.
Last year’s runner-up Challow and fifth Albert Bartlett fought back brilliantly to pick up the Grade Two John Francome Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles, drawing parallels with last year’s winner The Jukebox Man, who moved into the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase for his trainer Ben Pauling on Boxing Day.
Snowden said: “It was a fantastic weekend and to take two lovely horses to our local track and get two big wins is great and it keeps our record high at a meeting that has been very kind to us in the past.
“Wendigo was very good on good ground for two and a half years and the exciting thing is that we know he will only improve when he makes a trip on softer ground.
“The Kauto Star is the obvious race and it’s a route where The Jukebox Man fell – he also came second in the Challow, won the John Francome and then went to the Kauto Star.
“It has been tried and tested and we will wait until closer to the time before confirming the decision, but he has come out screeching and screaming.”
Snowden left Newbury with a perfect 100 percent record after La Conquiere, his only other runner on the course this weekend, enhanced her reputation with an impressive win in the Listed Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
The Lambourn handler will now work back from the Mares’ Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, a race he won in 2023 with You Wear It Well.
“I really liked La Conquiere. She came through the race well and looked really smart and ended up winning quite comfortably, so I think she’s super exciting,” Snowden continued.
“It was only her fourth start and I thought she was very good on the first day at Uttoxeter and she beat a very good benchmark that came out at Warwick last week.
“We will make our way into the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. She is a different mare to You Wear It Well and has a bit more speed I think.
“You Wear It Well actually came second in a Challow and won the Jane Seymour before winning at Cheltenham and racing a bit more, but I think we’ll just be a bit more patient with La Conquiere.
“She probably won’t race that much, but I don’t think she needs a huge amount and she’s already very smart.”
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