Huntingdon review: Festival target for Canuspotit

A review of Thursday's action from Huntingdon as Canuspotit teed up a possible trip to the Cheltenham Festival.

While there are no plans to take feature-race winner Different Gravey to the Cheltenham Festival the same cannot be said for the Lucy Wadham-trained Canuspotit, who made light work of his three rivals with an impressive victory in the John Big Oxo Handicap Chase.

Despite shouldering top-weight, the 4/7 favourite never gave his backers a moment to worry in the two-and-a-half-mile contest as he followed up his facile win at Fakenham on Friday.

Moving effortlessly into the lead midway through the race, the eight-year-old continued to pile on the pressure from the front before scoring by an eased-down 12 lengths.

Wadham said: "Obviously chasing was always going to be his game.

"The Wales' who bred him and take him home in the summer did a lot of work on his back-end as he did wobble a bit in his races last year. That has really paid off and we are now reaping the benefits.

"He is a huge horse who was always going to take time, but he is progressive. I think he would prefer better ground but he obviously handled it today.

"He is in the novices' handicap at Cheltenham which used to be the Jewson. He needs to be 130 to get in that, he is due to go up another 8lb and it depends what the handicapper does today.

"If he doesn't get in at Cheltenham we will find a race for him, but I thought I would slip him in at Cheltenham just in case."

Tango De Juilley regained the winning thread after making all in the Lafarge Tarmac "Asphalt To Go" Novices' Chase.

In what was effectively a match the 10/11 favourite, who unseated his rider last time out at Catterick, put in a fluid round of jumping in the two-mile contest to see off main market rival Mountain King by 11 lengths.

Victory for the Venetia Williams-trained seven-year old gifted his jockey Aidan Coleman his 70th winner of the campaign.

"He jumped very well today," said Coleman.

"His jumping has always been good, it was just a bit of a mishap last time out.

"He won nicely and is quite a free-going sort. He doesn't have to make the running but his last two runs have been in small novice chases and as he is quite forward going it made sense to go on."

Grand March left his recent form figures behind to land the Lafarge Tarmac Ultimate Service Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Kept wide throughout the two-mile contest by David Bass, the 3/1 shot jumped to the front at the penultimate flight before holding off the rallying Asker by a length and three-quarters to add to his win at Uttoxeter in October.

The Darling Boy (4/1) got the better of a fascinating duel with Alberto's Dream to provide Tom Scudamore a winner from his only ride on the card when knuckling down to land the concluding Lafarge Tarmac Ultimate Solutions Handicap Hurdle by two lengths.

One-time useful chaser Shoreacres (Evens) showed plenty of ability remains intact when running out a 49-length winner of the the LT "It's What Britain's Built On" Open Hunters' Chase.