Fugitif camp weighing up Lingfield and Ascot possibilities

Molly Hunter
January 5, 2023 10:19 am

Chepstow winner could make leap to Grade One level.

Richard Hobson’s Fugitif has a Grade One Ascot option after his taking Chepstow success.

The eight-year-old was an impressive winner of the Coral Get Closer To The Action Handicap Chase on December 27, scoring on soft ground by a ready five lengths.

The performance followed a good earlier run at Cheltenham in November, where the gelding was second behind Amarillo Sky in a two-mile handicap chase.

“He’s flying, it was a very good race, very competitive,” Hobson said of the Chepstow win.

“There were good horses in there and the way he did it was just awesome.

“I was really pleased with him. He loved those conditions and they are key to him – he has a big action that eats up that ground and that did go in his favour.”

Lifted 10lb in the handicap after the Chepstow victory, Fugitif is now rated 143 and is likely to head to either the Lingfield Winter Million meeting for the racehorselotto.com Handicap Chase or to Ascot for the Clarence House – a Grade One contest.

“He has Lingfield on January 20 and he’s in the Clarence House as well on the 21st, that could be a possibility if it came up really soft,” said Hobson.

“The long-term plan, if he were to go to Cheltenham, would be something like the Plate over two and a half (miles) – that’d be right up his street.”

Hobson also has a few dates in the diary for Lord Du Mesnil, who was last seen finishing second behind subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos in a Bangor handicap chase in November.

Lord du Mesnil picks up the William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/q9IMm2wCnp
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) February 20, 2021

The Classic Chase at Warwick is next on his agenda, with the Eider at Newcastle the following month also a definite target for the gelding, who won the Grade Three Grand National Trial at Haydock in 2021.

“He runs in the Warwick chase a week on Saturday,” said Hobson.

“He’s in good order, he’ll run there but his main objective this year will be going to the Eider Chase.

“He might just get run off his feet in that chase at Warwick over three-mile-five (furlongs), they go pretty quick, but he’ll definitely run in the Eider.”