Next outing for Colonel Harry likely to decided Festival target

Nick Robson
January 15, 2024 4:19 pm

Snowden gelding shone in Towton victory at the weekend.

Colonel Harry has options at Sandown and Warwick for his next outing, with Jamie Snowden weighing up the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and the Kingmaker.

While he clearly handled the step up to two and a half miles in winning the Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby on Saturday, Snowden would not be put off dropping back down in trip if the ground is soft.

He will have entries for the Arkle and the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, and how he fares in his next run will go a long way to deciding which race he goes for at the big meeting in March.

While he was no doubt helped by Kim Bailey’s Trelawne hanging badly right-handed at Wetherby, it was nevertheless a pretty smooth performance and backed up his second to Le Patron in the Henry VIII at Sandown.

Colonel Harry with winning connections at Wetherby (Nick Robson/PA)

“I thought the step up in trip really seemed to suit him and he did it nicely,” said Snowden.

“The Scilly Isles would definitely have to come into consideration now.

“He’s not short of speed by any means, it depends on the ground at the time because there is still the Kingmaker as an option at Warwick the following week.

“I think we’ll be looking at those two races. He does love it soft and depending on the ground I would not be averse to dropping him back to two miles at Warwick, but the Scilly Isles does look the obvious race.

“The Cheltenham entries close tomorrow (Tuesday) and I’ll put him in both the Arkle and the Turners and we’ll just have to see how he gets on in his next race, whether it be Warwick or Sandown, and that will determine where he goes for the rest of the season.”

Gavin Sheehan with Jamie Snowden (left) and Hew Glyn Davies (owner) after Datsalrightgino won the Coral Gold Cup (Steven Paston/PA)

The same GD Partnership silks were carried to victory in the Coral Gold Cup in November by Datsalrightgino, and Snowden has now decided where his next outing will be.

“He’s on target for the Cotswold at Cheltenham at the end of this month,” said Snowden.

“He wouldn’t want the ground too deep so we’ll just have to bear that in mind when it comes to that race.

“If it came up soft or heavy at Cheltenham then we might reroute for the Denman at Newbury, but as things stand he’s on target for the Cotswold all being well.”

Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well has a couple of options this weekend and is in at Lingfield on Friday and Ascot Saturday. But with question marks over both meetings, no plans have been made.

“The ideal race for her was the one at Sandown a couple of weeks back, but they didn’t reschedule it so we’ll have to go for something which is perhaps less ideal now. We’ll just see what happens with the frost before we make a plan, she’s got the options anyway,” said Snowden.