Seven horses ran in a “Chasing Excellence” novice chase in the past week. You would think that racing fans in Britain would have revelled in the unveiling of some new and exciting talent.
Joe Napier: Excellence must be earned
The issue is that those seven runners ran across three different “Chasing Excellence” races. Firstly, Un Sens A La Vie won a match race against Loriko by 25 lengths at Warwick last Tuesday. Three days later, Royal Infantry led home the trio who deigned to contest the “Future Stars” Novices’ Chase at Aintree. And on Monday at Stratford, another match saw Emid’io Pepe easily overcome Act Of Authority by 19 lengths.
Sympathy goes out to all ground staff teams across the country praying to the rain gods. They are an unreceptive bunch currently. The going is good, which, as any jumps racing fan knows without any hint of irony, is a bad thing for field sizes.
Softer ground may well ensue and ensure that such races are more competitive in the near future. That would benefit punters and the horses themselves, with more strenuous contests likely to stand British novice chasers in better stead when the Irish come calling in the spring.
However, I would not count on that. Of the three aforementioned “Chasing Excellence” races, two were run on good to soft ground, with drizzly downpours looming throughout the Aintree race. The surface may have ridden slightly quicker, but we are not talking about rock solid summer going here. The participants still failed to show.
Match races may have ignited the imagination in days of yore, but they do no such thing in 2026, especially over obstacles. Un Sens A La Vie and Loriko served up a decent race before the latter’s costly late blunder, but for the majority of the four minutes, the public were treated to what was effectively a training exercise.
Similarly, only one of the seven runners has begun showing in ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival. Royal Infantry proved doughty at Aintree and jumps well, but he is a general 33/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase even after two wins from two. Indeed, he is 50/1 in some places and that is a fair assessment of his chances.
The remaining sextet are not deemed to have any chance of making the Arkle or the Brown Advisory, let alone winning them. True, they may well be contenders for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase when that race opens for betting, but let us not pretend that “Chasing Excellence” races are intended breeding grounds for winning a handicap.
Just over a week ago, Johnny’s Jury did do the series a favour by winning at Worcester. Last year’s Albert Bartlett winner should have a live chance at Cheltenham in March and is rated as such. For all he is talented though, there are four times as many to have made their chase debuts this season away from “Chasing Excellence” races and sprung up their respective ante-post betting markets.
Kabral Du Mathan won a run-of-the-mill beginners’ chase at Perth but is now second favourite for the Arkle. Meanwhile, Harry Derham was rewarded for throwing Cristal d’Estruval into a graduation chase against more experienced horses, Sinnatra made his bow in a novices’ handicap off top-weight, and Taurus Bay was pitched straight in at Grade 2 level and emerged with his reputation hugely enhanced.
Let these races earn their excellence. If the quantity and desire are there, the horses will be declared. Until then, their name will look increasingly inappropriate.