Horse Racing: Jonjo is keen on his leader

Keen Leader lit up the gloom with a sparkling performance as racing got under way at rain-hit Uttoxeter today.

Wet weather left track conditions extremely testing and two fences were omitted on the chase course after the meeting survived a morning inspection.

But the unbeaten Keen Leader coped admirably with the heavy ground and earned a tilt at the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham by routing his rivals in the Grade Two Blue Square Novices’ Hurdle.

He cruised through to lead at the third-last flight and sauntered clear for a very easy 19-length defeat of Tarasco, without jockey Liam Cooper having to get at all serious.

‘‘He was taking a good step up in class today and that surprised me,’’ said winning trainer Jonjo O’Neill.

‘‘But he loved the ground and the others didn’t like it as much as he did.

‘‘He is in the two-mile-five race at Cheltenham and unless the ground was really fast he would have to run.’’