Springwell Bay stars for the O’Neill team at Cheltenham
Springwell Bay stayed on strongly to run out an impressive winner of the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Trained by Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, he was sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite for the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest after winning a Listed race first time out at Chepstow, before placing at the Cheltenham meetings in November and December.
Ridden with plenty of patience by Jonjo O’Neill jnr, Springwell Bay was travelling exceptionally well on the turn for home as the stride of the pacesetting Seddon just started to shorten a little in front.
The eight-year-old easily closed down the leader when asked, staying upsides until asserting his authority at the last, in a race worth £56,950 to the winner.
He coasted home a nine-length scorer, with Marble Sands swooping late to deny the game Seddon of second place by two and three-quarter lengths.
The winning rider told Racing TV: “I would say the race probably fell apart a little bit, they went a good gallop in the ground and obviously Seddon got tired then at the second-last.
“I wasn’t as fluent as I would have liked to have been all the way round, he was a little bit careful over a few jumps, I think the ground was probably just getting to him, so I had to just change tack and hunt him into it.
“We always thought he was a classy horse and it’s nice he’s got his day in the sun.
“He’s one of those horses you could go two or three (miles), he definitely gets three miles as he got it at Musselburgh last year, but just that race in November, he absolutely hacked and was just far too keen in a better race where they go a proper gallop.
“I’d have no problems with him over three or on slower ground over two, he’s just one of those horses that is probably quite versatile, but I think two and a half is his trip.”