Edwardstone jumps back up none the worse for his Sandown fall

December 8

As we feared, Jonbon was back to his best and dominated Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase for a back-to-back success in Sandown’s Grade 1 race, but it was just a shame that Edwardstone paid the penalty for his only jumping mistake and fell at the last of the Railway fences, leaving us all at Barbury wondering “what might have been”.

Tom Cannon was quick to catch hold of Edwardstone, who emerged unscathed, and the pair trotted back to the stables and, doubtless, we will renew rivalry for a sixth time with Jonbon at Cheltenham in March, if not before.

Edwardstone had been inch-perfect at the first two of those tricky Railway fences, but he got in a stride too close at the last one and hit the deck, though he was travelling every bit as well as we had hoped at the time.

With Aintree and Chepstow victims of Storm Darragh, Edwardstone was our only runner on Saturday, but the ultra-consistent Baby Sage had won her first race over hurdles at Exeter 24 hours earlier after three consecutive places, our fourth winner of the week.

Here’s hoping that either HMS President or Granny Hawkins can keep up the good work in the novice hurdle at Huntingdon today. HMS President did not please all critics with his jumping when winning at Kempton last month, but it was only his second time over hurdles and his first race since last May, so, hopefully, he will come on for that comeback. Laurens Bay looks the one we have to beat.