See You hits the big time
See You Sometime posted one of the big-race shocks of the season so far with an 18-1 success in the Grade Two HBLB Cotswold Chase at Wincanton.
In a contest which shed no light on the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture, the Seamus Mullins-trained gelding got the better of a protracted duel with 6-4 joint-favourite Royal Auclair after One Knight, the other market leader, had unshipped Richard Johnson at the second.
Ollie Magern was left in front at that point only to weaken right out of contention as See You Sometime and Royal Auclair had a private battle for most of the final circuit.
Christian Williams sent Royal Auclair to the front nine fences out, but surrendered it when his mount was awkward at the cross fence four from home.
All the way up the straight See You Sometime and Andrew Thornton were going the better, eventually scoring by a length and a quarter, with Ballycassidy and Ollie Magern beaten a distance.
It was no surprise that William Hill kept Royal Auclair unchanged at 33-1 for the Gold Cup, while leaving One Knight on 16-1 and pushing Ollie Magern out from 10s to 20s.
For Mullins, the victory provided a welcome rise out of the doldrums for his Amesbury stable.
See You Sometime was the only runner without the Gold Cup entry and it is far from certain that he will run at the Festival at all.
Mullins explained: “He will be entered for the Ryanair Chase over two miles and five furlongs, but he could just as easily wait for Aintree or Punchestown.
“He’s a small horse and doesn’t like being taken on in handicaps. The key to him is to run him in small fields like this.
“I’m proud of the way he did it. That’s a great way to get me out of the cold spot.”
Thornton, who was completing a double after his success on Hollywood in the opener for which he picked up a two-day careless riding ban, was equally praiseworthy.
He said: “He did it on merit today. He galloped, stayed and jumped and he was idling in front.”
Paul Nicholls might have preferred Royal Auclair to get a lead until the closing stages, but Thornton was cunning in letting Williams go by him on the second as the runners went out on to the far side.
Philip Hobbs reported One Knight returned with cuts and is unable to put forward a plan for the gelding.
He said: “He went over the rail on the corner while he was loose and has some superficial cuts down one side. I’ll have to see how he is and can’t tell you where he goes.”
Nigel Twiston-Davies was disappointed with Ollie Magern, who had already become detached when he made a mistake at the last on the far side, five out.
The trainer said: “I’ve no idea what went wrong, he just didn’t run well.”
Ballycassidy’s jockey, Mick Fitzgerald, reported the gelding ran flat.
