THE three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham’s October meeting was a race that had a significant impact on proceedings on both sides of the Irish Sea last weekend. Shantou Flyer, who won the October race, landed the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Chase at Punchestown last Sunday, beating some fellow highly promising staying novice chasers in the process, while Vicente, third in the October race, landed the three-mile novices’ chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting on Friday.

Vicente’s task was made easier by the departure of Blaklion at the second last fence, and there was a sense that favourite Un Temps Pour Tout under-performed.

However, Paul Nicholls’ horse travelled well throughout and stayed on well up the hill, and Blaklion would have had to have put up a big performance to beat him if he had stood up.

As well as that, the Tom George-trained A Good Skin, fifth in the October race, ran a cracker two weeks ago to finish third in the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton off a mark of 137.

The October race is looking decidedly stronger than it looked at the time, and it might be worthwhile keeping an eye out for runner-up Weather Babe and fourth-placed Ballykhan, with the former set to run in a three-mile novices’ chase at Exeter tomorrow.