Festival Options Remain Open For High-Class Dynaste

Exciting novice chaser, Dynaste, still has the option of running in either the Grade 1 RSA Chase or the Grade 2 Jewson Novices Chase at Cheltenham 2013, connections refusing to rule out either race and leaving punters on tenterhooks awaiting a final decision, writes Elliot Slater.

The David Pipe-trained grey has looked pure class since switching this term from hurdles to fences, easily winning all three outings against smart company.

Last year, the Martaline gelding came up against the awesome Big Buck’s and time and again gained only a rear view of the all-time great staying hurdler, prompting Pipe – like so many other trainer’s before him over the last four years – to switch his charge to fences to avoid taking on Paul Nicholls’ outstanding, but now sadly sidelined champion.

‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, and so it proved for Dynaste as he has quickly demonstrated considerable talent over the larger obstacles, signalling just how good he was going to be by easily accounting for one of last season’s top staying novice hurdlers, Fingal Bay, at Cheltenham in November on his chasing bow.

The seven-year-old moved on to Newbury two weeks later and put up a similarly impressive performance to beat the very useful Court In Motion and several other interesting horses with any amount in hand in the Grade 2 Fuller’s London Pride Novices’ Chase over two-and-a-half- miles.

He then stepped up to Grade 1 company at Kempton Park on Boxing Day to slam Hadrian’s Approach by an easy 12 lengths in the Kauto Star Feltham Novices Chase over three miles on heavy ground.

Tom Scudamore, Dynaste’s ever-present rider, believes he will take the beating in whichever race he tackles at Cheltenham, be it the Jewson Novices Chase (for which he is available at up to 5/1 in places), or the RSA Chase, a contest for which Pipe’s charge is a clear 9/2 ante-post favourite.