Absolute Steel springs 200/1 surprise on Premier Raceday at Exeter

Sent off at huge odds - and even bigger on Betfair with a BSP of 813/1 - Tom Lacey's five-year-old had a good look at several of the nine flights of hurdles on the way around but was given a positive ride by Stan Sheppard and answered every call in the gruelling conditions.

The large crowds on Exeter's Premier Raceday were no doubt fully expecting odds-on favourite Lowry's Bar to come and take the measure of the leader when getting alongsides on the run to the last flight (hit an in-running low of 1.05 on the Betfair Exchange), but Lowry's Bar edged left and Absolute Steel showed plenty of determination to cling onto his lead, eventually coming away from the tired runner-up to win by a length and a half.

There was a further 13 lengths back to the third home, 25/1 chance Diamatiste.

“I didn’t think he was as bad as his last run at Chepstow, his first over hurdles, but I was actually relatively happy with his first run in his bumper at Market Rasen,” Sheppard told Racing TV.

“I know he finished last (of five) but he wasn’t beaten overly far, we didn’t go fast and he just stayed going at the same speed.

“I’d say today, the favourite might have underperformed, but while I’m surprised, I’m not that surprised.

“He had a good look at the first three hurdles in the home straight but running to the last, I was thinking if the favourite comes by me within five strides of the line, I might not get back by him – but when he came at me, he picked up well again.”

The 200/1+ club

In Britain or Ireland Ireland this century

• Beechy Bank - Warwick, 21 August, 2002
• Arctic Blue - Chepstow, 23 March, 2005
• Maoi Chinn Tire - Wetherby, 29 October, 2010
• Lights of Broadway - Taunton, 9 January, 2012
• Dandy Flame - Wolverhampton, 25 July, 2016
• Killahara Castle - Thurles, 17 December, 2017
• Intercessor - Newbury, 13 June, 2020
• He Knows No Fear - Leopardstown, 13 August 2020
• Runninwild - Redcar, 31 May, 2021
• Sawbuck - Punchestown, 24 May 2022
• Astapor - Hamilton, 2 June, 2022
• Inspiratrice - Taunton, 30 December 2022
• Unklipped - Kilbeggan, 19 June 2023
• Navajo River - Roscommon, 22 August 2023

Rest of the Exeter action...

Elsewhere on the card, only three went to post in the opening Trustatrader Approved And Reviewed Trades People Novices’ Chase but punters who stuck to the old mantra of backing the outsider were rewarded when Crebilly came with a late run.

The betting suggested it would be tight between Paul Nicholls’ Grade One-winning novice hurdler Tahmuras and Kim Bailey’s Trelawne, fitted with cheekpieces after his wayward second at Wetherby in the Grade Two Towton.

It was those two who were to the fore throughout, with Jonjo O’Neill jnr happy to take a lead, intent on getting his mount jumping better after an error-strewn display at Cheltenham last time out.

Trelawne was first off the bridle but kept on responding to David Bass, but Tahmuras initially looked to have done enough when jumping into a clear lead at the last, only to hang to his left.

That gave Crebilly the opportunity to come with a run and Jonjo O’Neill’s charge obliged at 5/2.

The winning rider said: “A clear round was what we were hoping for today. He was unfortunate at Cheltenham in November (fell) and he didn’t jump well back there last time out.

“It probably knocked his confidence a little bit, so a three-runner race on heavy ground, you couldn’t ask for any more. It was quite hard work and they maybe got a bit tired in front, so the race might have fallen apart after the last, but it was a nice race to win.”

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