Venetia Williams enjoyed the perfect lift to her nerves at Huntingdon on 7th December after Djelo secured a victory she described as “every bit as good” as last year when her rising star successfully defended his crown in the Sky Peterborough Chase. After a quieter November than usual, the Herefordshire trainer saw her progressive seven-year-old become the first horse since Racing Demon in 2006 and 2007 to win back-to-back runnings of the Grade Two contest.
Sent off the 5-6 favourite to claim the two-and-a-half-mile test for a second straight year, Djelo never offered his supporters a moment’s worry. Charlie Deutsch rode with confidence on the Pete Davies-owned Montmartre gelding, tracking the pace set by Saint Sam before moving into a lead he held for the remainder of the race as the field went out on their final circuit.
Djelo measured his fences well down the back, still full of running as rivals behind started to feel the pressure. After jumping the last fluently, Deutsch only needed to nudge him out to defeat the staying Edwardstone by four-and-three-quarter lengths, setting up a return to Grade One company.
“I’m really thrilled. I won’t deny it was one of the more nerve-racking days at the races… I wasn’t as confident as I ought to have been in light of what I’ve just seen,” she said.
She added that Saint Sam’s early role had been expected:
“He has been a front-runner… but Charlie quite rightly allowed that for a point and clearly he wasn’t going quick enough.”
Djelo was shortened from 12-1 to 8-1 by Paddy Power for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, which Williams confirmed would be next. “He deserves to take his chance in the race,” she said, noting that the gelding still had a long career ahead.
“I was very comfortable the whole way… faultless really and his jumping was superb. Everything was positive. It was similar to last year in that it was straightforward for me. I came here thinking are we going to be retiring him or not, but I don’t think we will… we might even go up in trip,” he said.
The afternoon closed on another high as Ti’Mamzel (12-1) delivered for Gary and Josh Moore in the Sky Henrietta Knight Mares’ Open NH Flat Race. After a strong spell that included a treble at Sandown and Listed success for Hurricane Pat, the Moores added another when the daughter of No Risk At All defeated even-money favourite Wonderful Everyday by a length and a half under Caoilin Quinn.
“She had been going nicely at home, but you never quite know… Once we got into the home straight we knew she would stay on. She got green at the front, but we are delighted.”
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