Dusart and Pats Fancy face intriguing Exeter clash

Novices meet in midweek highlight.

Dusart and Pats Fancy will lock horns for an intriguing midweek clash at Exeter on Wednesday.

The Rebecca Curtis-trained Pats Fancy has won his last two starts over fences, most recently beating subsequent Cheltenham winner Imperial Alcazar by 11 lengths at Chepstow in December.

Nicky Henderson’s Dusart, who was placed in a Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree last spring, made a successful start to his chasing career after nine months off the track at Leicester three weeks ago.

That hard-fought victory came over two mile and six furlongs and on Wednesday he will test the water over three miles for the first time in the Virgin Bet Novices’ Chase.

Henderson said: “We did want to start earlier with him this season but like lots of horses he just got a few niggles and tiny issues so we got a bit behind, but we have got to get on with him now.

“He only ever ran over two miles as a hurdler and within his second start over fences we are going up to three miles. Some might find that surprising, but the way he finished at Leicester would suggest he wants this sort of trip.

“He has schooled well since Leicester and the ground doesn’t worry me as he will go on good ground. We will see what happens here as this will tell us what way we should go in the future.”

Dusart made hard work of landing odds-on favouritism at Leicester, but Henderson is optimistic he will be seen in a better light at Exeter.

Nicky Henderson has high hopes for Dusart
Nicky Henderson has high hopes for Dusart (Steven Paston/PA)

He added: “That was the most complicated race I have seen in my life at Leicester. They didn’t jump the fences down the back, then they turned in and jumped the three fences down the straight, then had what was like a mile Flat race.

“Everything about it was complicated. You could hardly expect him to be brilliant when the race was like that but he will have learnt a lot though.

“It was a particularly tricky test first time out over fences but he got away with it. It was not pretty but he got the job done.”

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