A competitive renewal of the Grade 2 EBF & TBA Mares’ National Hunt Novices’Hurdle Finale threw up an impressive winner in the shape of Snow Leopardess in the silks of the Fox-Pitt family.
The five-year-old mare was always positioned prominently on the inner in the hands of Aidan Coleman as the 16 mares were taken along by Same Circus.
As the pace picked up coming into the straight for the last time, the Harry Fry-trained Lamanver Odyssey got to the lead with Snow Leopardess following in her slipstream.
The former tried to run out three from home with Coleman managing to avoid any inconvenience. Switched back to the inside, Snow Leopardess stayed on strongly to lead two furlongs out and went clear after the last to score by four lengths.
Coleman, who was only narrowly denied a Cheltenham victory in the Champion Chase last week aboard Fox Norton, continues his fine association with this grey mare.
He was on board on her first racecourse outing in a bumper at Doncaster, when she got up to beat the Nicky Henderson-trained Rather Be.
“I got a lovely run around she travelled brilliant,” reflected Coleman. “The only bit of worry I had was Noel’s [Fehily] at three out had looked to run out but to be fair to this one she has a lot of courage and she went on and she did it well.
“She’s a really nice filly and to be fair to Charlie if you look at her form she’s been campaigned brilliantly. She’s got this amazing temperament where she’s very laid back and she’s got a bit of a character about her as well.”
By Martaline, Snow Leopardess was coming off the back of a disappointing run in third when sent off favourite for a novices’ hurdle back at Doncaster.
She’s got this amazing temperament
It was an especially poignant victory for the Fox-Pitt family who not only own the mare but bred her too.
Longsdon said: “She’s always been good I got it totally wrong last time. She’s won as I’d hope she would today.
“She’s doesn’t show a lot at home. She keeps herself for the racecourse and has got a lovely way of going.”
