Wendigo completes dream day for Snowden

Wendigo gave 10lb and a beating to Potters Charm when making the perfect start to his season in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle.

The Listed event has been won by the likes of Monet’s Garden, Many Clouds, Waiting Patiently and Lostintranslation down the years and has a habit of throwing up a classy youngster.

Only three lined up on this occasion but they included Dan Skelton’s Oaksey Chase winner Doyen Quest, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Grade One-winner Potters Charm and Jamie Snowden’s Coral Gold Cup hope Wendigo.

Snowden, who earlier on the card had won the Listed PricedUp Boosted Prices Daily Houghton Mares’ Chase with Obsessedwithyou (6-1), as well as celebrating a double at Warwick, had stated he was using the race as a prep for Newbury, given Wendigo ideally needs further and is thought to be better left-handed.

However, jumping with aplomb throughout for Conor O’Farrell, he first saw off Doyen Quest who had attempted to match strides and when Potters Charm, having just his second run over fences, came to challenge at the second last, Wendigo (4-1) went on again to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Snowden had been at Worcester to watch Albert Bartlett winner Johnny’s Jury make a winning chasing debut and Joyau Allen strike on his first run for the yard and told the Press Association: “It’s been an incredible day. The two winners at Worcester we hoped and thought had every chance but the two at Carlisle were incredible.

“Wendigo had a lot against him today, it was better ground than he’d prefer, only two and a half miles and right-handed so for him to go and do that, especially at the weights, was great.

“Maybe the other two might have disappointed slightly but we can only beat what is in front of us.

“That was a prep run, all being well, for Newbury (Paddy Power cut him to 8-1 from 10s).

“He’s definitely better on softer ground but they’d done a good job watering at Carlisle and thankfully it all worked out.”

Obsessedwithyou beat two highly-rated mares in Apple Away and Paggane.

Snowden said: “She’s beaten two very good mares there, that was a phenomenal performance.

“Her jumping was foot perfect, she was brilliant and it was a joy to watch.

“She’s won lots of races but never got black type so we went looking for a little bit of small black type and came away with big black type. Fair play to her.

“Some mares really take to jumping fences and she’s one of them, you never know where they might end up.”