THE display of the Paul Nicholls-trained Perouse enlivened Hereford racecourse's midweek meeting when he gave a positive round of jumping to win the two-mile Novice Chase in the hands of jockey Christian Williams.
Held up initially by Williams in the seven-runner field as Escompteur led in the early stages, Perouse made ground steadily before leading at the second last fence and cruising home to win by 11 lengths from runner up Dawton and justify being sent off 5/4 favourite.
Perouse had been just below top-class as a hurdler and connections are more than hopeful that he will make the grade over fences as Dan Skelton, Nicholls' assistant confirmed: "That's just what we were looking for. He will have a few runs over the summer for experience, then have a late-summer break before returning in the summer for some of the better novice races."
Sirrell Griffiths, famous for the win of Norton's Coin in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was at the track to welcome home his mare Tirikumba after her win in the three-and-a-quarter mile novice hurdle. The win of the nine-year-old mare in the opening race on the card could not have come soon enough as he is keen to send her off to stud.
Tirikumba made almost all the running and, whilst headed briefly by Bee Hawk after the second last hurdle, she battled back strongly for jockey Robert Thornton to score by a neck.
Amateur rider Tom O'Brien scored a double on the card when he took the Selling handicap hurdle aboard Desert Spa, who was repeating a recent course win, and then the Novices Handicap Hurdle on Master Nimbus.
The concluding Bumper race went to the 3/1 favourite Hill Forts Timmy, ridden by Richard Young, who had too much experience for the runner-up Mr Jawbreaker who looked all over the winner entering the home straight only to run green and throw away the advantage which Hill Forts Timmy seized to win by half a length.
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