Tenter Le Tout provides perfect Finale for Chester Williams

It was a red-letter day for Chester Williams as his first runner at Chepstow, Tenter Le Tout, provided him with the biggest success of his career by landing the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle in sublime style.

The Exeter winner was sent off at 15-2 for a race in which impressive debut winners Macktoad and Sonic Pioneer headed the betting, but both failed to fire and get involved.

It left Tenter Le Tout to see off Richard Bandy’s Klycot in the closing stages, with the mount of Gavin Sheehan coasting home for a seven-length verdcit.

Williams said: “I can’t quite believe it, it’s a shame it is not a Grade One anymore, but I will take a Grade Two. I haven’t actually considered it, but it must be my first runner here as well.

“She was massively impressive and good last time and deserved her place in the field today.

“I thought the ground might have been against her and she wanted soft ground, which shows what I know, and even though her work has been impressive I was never expecting anything like that.

“If she had finished in the top three and picked up some black type that would have been great, as she’s obviously a broodmare prospect, but she’s shown she’s also a pretty smart racing prospect as well.”

The Finale has a stellar roll of honour and victory now has Williams dreaming of a tilt at the Cheltenham Festival, where both the traditional route of the Triumph Hurdle and competing against her own sex in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle will both be considered.

“Today was always going to help us make future plans and it’s shown her level is pretty good which opens plenty of doors,” added Williams.

“She’s had three runs now and she’s handled the better ground fine today which opens up the spring.

“Winners of this haven’t gone on to win the Triumph in recent years, but that and the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle have to be looked at as potential targets.

“It’s what the game is about and although it’s important not to be too obsessed with the Cheltenham Festival, if you do have horses that are good enough it’s where you want to be.”

Another with Cheltenham in mind is Harry Derham who will work back from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after Mossy Fen Road enhanced his reputation with an ultra-impressive eight-and-a-half-length romp in the opening Play Corals Free “Racing-Super-Series” Novices’ Hurdle.

Sent off the evens favourite after getting the better of the useful Mondo Man at Lingfield on his hurdling bow, he turned what looked a competitive heat into a procession with a superb round of jumping and galloping in the hands of Paul O’Brien

Derham said: “I was very pleased with him and he’s a horse we’ve always thought plenty of.

“I was a bit blown away by his jumping today, I thought that was really impressive and he’s done it really well.

“We were contemplating going up in grade at Christmas time, but the ground pointed us here to Chepstow as it was nice, safe ground. He might have to go up in grade now, but he’s looking a really smart horse.

“The plan is very much the Supreme. I was wondering if he might want to go up in trip at the beginning of the season, but I think he’s showed enough pace there with his jumping that he will be fine at two for the time being.

“I suspect we’ll run again before Cheltenham and I won’t decide today where, but we’ll go away and work that out and hopefully it will be one more run before going to the Festival.”

Elsewhere on the card Jeremy Scott’s Another Fine Mess (9-1) kept on well to secure a head verdict in the Coral “Daily Rewards Shaker” Handicap Hurdle, with Scott doubling when 14-1 chance King Of The Lake won the Join Coral ‘Bet 10 Get 50’ Handicap Hurdle.

Henry Daly was on the scoresheet with 11-10 favourite Jour d’Evasion in the Coral Racing Club “Join For Free” Handicap Chase.