Knight eyes King George glory after Somersby victory
Knight saddled her triple Gold Cup hero Best Mate to land the St Stephen’s Day feature in 2002 and followed up 12 months later as Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Edredon Bleu led his rivals a merry dance.
Somersby has yet to reach the heights of those two but has shown top-class form over the last couple of seasons, only finishing out of the first three once since his last victory in December 2009.
Sent off the 4-6 favourite to beat the smart Aiteen Thirtythree and Gee Dee Nen in the Betfair Graduation Chase yesterday, Somersby jumped with aplomb in the hands of Dominic Elsworth, tracking his only serious rival into the straight for the final time.
Aiteen Thirtythree led until the second last fence, but Somersby’s class shone through soon after and he put the race to bed with a fine leap at the final obstacle.
The seven-year-old passed the post with three lengths in hand over the Hennessy Gold Cup-bound runner-up.
“It’s nice to see him back in the winner’s enclosure and he’s a much stronger horse this year,” Knight said.
“He’s probably finally matured. It was a difficult year for him last year as a second season novice, but now he’s grown up.
“I was very pleased with his jumping as last year he quite often made one error at the wrong moment, but today he seemed to be much more confident.
“(The King George) is definitely a possibility as I think he will get three miles and he appears to like Kempton. He’s run here twice and won twice.
“Anything can happen between now and Christmas, so we’ll have to see.”
Knight, Elsworth and owner Tim Radford had earlier found the target in slightly more fortuitous circumstances with 11-4 favourite Loch Ba.
The five-year-old looked to be struggling to get on terms with Autumm Spirit approaching the final fence in the London Irish Boxing Day Party Novices’ Handicap Chase, but she crashed out, leaving Loch Ba to come home 17 lengths clear.
“The horse that fell at the last probably would have won but that’s the luck of the game,” Knight admitted.
Although Aiteen Thirtythree was not quite up to the job for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh, the potent combination still recorded a double on the card with King Of The Night and Plenty Pocket both winning with plenty in hand.
Elsewhere Plenty Pocket (100-30) won the London Irish Heineken Cup Campaign Novices’ Hurdle while Gary Moore’s Grabtheglory (6-5 favourite) got up late to land the London Irish Family Zone ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle under his son Jamie.
Moore struck again with 4-1 shot Right Stuff landing the London Irish St Patrick’s Party Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle with his other son Joshua doing the steering.
Handtheprizeover (100-30) took top honours in the Weatherbys Printing Handicap Chase.
