Jamie Snowden has high hopes for Wendigo over fences this season as he prepares for a potential chasing debut in the Tom Malone Bloodstock Novices chase at Chepstow on Sunday, the third and final day of the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival.
The six-year-old won a valuable introductory hurdle at Ludlow, before finding only current champion hurdle favorite the new Lion Too Good in the grade one challow hurdle at Newbury.
A further win at Wetherby followed, after which he was badly hampered before holding on well to finish fifth when last seen in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival.
Attention now turns to the bigger obstacles and Snowden said: “He’s come in (at Chepstow) but obviously it all depends on what the weather does and what the ground does. He’s a really exciting horse to look out for going up fences this season.
“He ran really well in the Albert Bartlett. He was quite unlucky in running, I think, almost got into second place, so did really well in the conditions in the conditions. It’s a shame he didn’t have a clear run.
“He had a great season and won a few novice fences, second in class at Newbury and he was always a horse that we thought would be a pretty nice chaser, so there is hopefully an exciting season ahead.
“It depends on how he progresses, but you would like to hope he would prove to be a guaranteed novice three-mile chaser.”
His stablemate Laurens Bay is another in the Snowden team moving into the pursuit division after an impressive season last term highlighted by victory at Sandown in March.
Snowden added: “He won the EBF final, which is a big race in itself, and he’s another one we’re really looking forward to seeing over a fence.
“I thought we’d probably start him in the next week or so depending on the ground, but he’s ready to go.”
However, Julius des Pictons, who saw Snowden Land’s biggest win of his career in the Grade One Sefton Hurdle, will have to wait before they tackle fences.
Julius des Pictons suffered an injury while securing what was the trainer’s first grade at Aintree and will not see a racecourse until the New Year at the earliest, with connections downplaying their time with him.
Snowden said: “He built up an injury that day so he’s just been on the game since then, so whether we get him back for the new year or give him time remains to be seen.
“We’re keeping the options open (whether he sticks around or chases), but he’s another exciting horse. It could end up chasing next season.”
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