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Elsworth Suggests Ryanair Chase the Race for Somersby
26/01/12

Leeds-born National Hunt jockey Dominic Elsworth clearly has a very soft spot for Henrietta Knight's talented chaser Somersby, the horse who gave him his first Grade 1 success when bravely landing the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 21, at last grabbing a top-class win after so many good efforts in defeat in recent seasons, writes Elliot Slater.

Somersby
Racehorse Photos

Somersby had been beginning to look a horse without a trip after failing to justify favouritism at Huntingdon in December when strongly fancied for the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. Knight however decided to drop back to two-miles for the Ascot race, a contest in which the eight-year-old ran a short-head second to the top notch Master Minded some 12 months earlier, and with the addition of cheekpieces for the first time everything fell into place as Elsworth conjured a tremendous run out of the son of Second Empire who got up in the last 100 yards to beat the gallant Finian's Rainbow by a length-and-a-quarter in a thrilling finish. Anyone looking for Cheltenham Betting tips will have been impressed.

Elsworth believes though that a step back up to the two-miles-five-furlongs of the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase will be ideal for Somersby, who he suggests is just inclined to make a mistake at two-miles and will find the longer trip at Cheltenham more in his comfort zone. Those looking ahead to Betfair 2012 Cheltenham need to bear this in mind.

Currently a 7/1 co-favourite with Irish stars Noble Prince and Rubi Light, it seems more likely that Somersby will head for the Ryanair Chase in preference to the Sizing Europe, the 5/2 favourite.