Step Back, winner of the Racing Partnership Handicap Chase at the last Fakenham race meeting on Saturday, April 7, followed up in style at the weekend.
The eight-year-old chestnut gelding, trained in Wantage by Mark Bradstock, won the feature race on the final day of the 2017/18 National Hunt season at Sandown, the bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
Ridden by Jamie Moore, Step Back led after the sixth fence of the three-mile and five-furlong contest and won in great fashion, returned the second favourite of the 20-runner field, at 7/1. He lifted the £85,000 winner’s prize finally scoring from 13 lengths from champion jockey Richard Johnson on Rock The Kasbah.
Nico de Boinville had scored on the gelding at Fakenham, a victory achieved despite the Bradstock’s horsebox twice breaking down en route.
Step Back now has a great chance of progressing into the top flight of steeplechasers next season for a small stable who won the blue riband of the sport, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Coneygree, back in 2016.
Another winner at the last Fakenham meeting, Act of Valour, under Sam Twiston-Davies for trainer Paul Nicholls, was fifth in the opening race at Sandown on Saturday, the bet365 Novice Championship Final Handicap Hurdle over two miles.
The next meeting at Fakenham is on Tuesday, May 8, with the highlight the long-distance Norfolk National, sponsored by Snellings.
Words by Terry Redhead. Photo by Roger Harris.
