Medermit to take his chance in feature Ascot chase
Alan King's classy grey Medermit, recent winner of the Grade 2 Betfred Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Exeter, seems likely to take his chance later this month in Ascot's Amlin 1965 Chase rather than wait an extra couple of weeks for the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon in early December, writes Elliot Slater.
Currently as short as 10/1 with some forms for the RSA Chase and as short as 12/1 in places for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Medermit made the perfect start to his campaign with victory in the coveted Exeter event, although many judges believe he might have been somewhat fortunate as Captain Chris, (winner of last season's Arkle Chase), was challenging for the lead and finishing strongly when blundering badly and unseating Richard Johnson at the final fence, leaving Robert Thornton on King's charge to stay on and beat Cornas by a length-and-a-quarter. People looking at the ante-post Cheltenham betting will be keeping an eye on his preparations this time around.
King had intended to give the seven-year-old a five week break between races but Medermit has come out of the Exeter race in tremendous shape and his trainer now believes it would be a mistake to wait so long to run him again. The two-mile-three-furlong Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot on November 19 carries very good prize money and is now the revised target for the horse who last season went from appearing to be something of a rogue when refusing in a Huntingdon novice chase, to winning the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices Chase at Sandown before finishing a solid fourth in the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham and a fine runner-up to Wishfull Thinking in Grade 2 company at Aintree three weeks later.
Formerly a smart novice hurdler, Medermit appears to have very much found his niche over fences and could prove a serious candidate for honours at Ascot and in many of the feature two to two-and-a-half mile events this season.
