Masaccio looks smart as he ends October in a blaze of glory

October 31

Alan has done well with his young jumpers these last two weeks, and he ended October on a high, courtesy of Masaccio, who made a winning debut in the opener at Chepstow today.

The likes of On Se Calme, Kay Tara Tara and Favour And Fortune have all opened their hurdling account in the last fortnight, and Masaccio looked another with bags of potential when landing what might have been a decent maiden hurdle on the Gwent course.

Easy to back in the market as money came for Beat The Bat, the pair had the finish to themselves, with Masaccio (3-1) proving stronger than the 9-4 favourite from the final flight to win by three parts of a length. It was seven lengths back to the third, which backed up the view that it could have been an above-average race.

Masaccio had some useful bumper form and is one that Alan has always liked, and Tom Cannon oozed confidence throughout, sitting off the pace and following Beat The Bat all the way round.

Cannon was impressed and said:”It rode like a good race, and I hope Masaccio might prove to be useful. He hit the first hurdle, which might have been the best thing that could happen as it made him focus more after that.

“Sure, he made a couple of minor errors, but he will learn from that and when I needed him three out and two out he came up for me and finished his race off strongly.”