By Peter Moore at Newbury Friday November 28th 2025
Jamie Snowden continued his remarkable start to the season when Wendigo stayed on best to land the Grade 2 Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase on Coral Long Distance Hurdle day at Newbury on Friday.
The trainer, who is only 11 winners off his best seasonal return, has already seen 18 winners this month, a new record for the Lambourn trainer.
The six-year-old, which is owned by the Racing Club syndicate was always up with the leaders, before taking over the lead at the last and staying on strongly to score by two lengths from No Questions Asked in front of a very large and exuberent members of the syndicate.
“He’s a horse we’ve always loved,” said Snowden. “We couldn’t wait to see him over a fence. We’ve been patient with him and that was a great performance. He’s better on slightly softer and we know he stays further. Stamina probably won it and we’ll be going up to three miles.”
“He’s a very classy individual and the future is bright,” added Snowden. “He was fifth in the Albert Bartlett and was a bit unlucky that day. The next race for him could be the Kauto Star over Christmas. I think he’s marginally better left than right-handed but that’s just a bit of a hunch.”
Act Of Innocence a key workmate for Constitution Hill in his preparation for Saturday’s Fighting Fifth, gave the Nicky Henderson stable a welcome boost when landing the opening 2m½f maiden hurdle.
The hurdling debutant had been working with the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner on a gallop at Newbury ten days ago.
The race itself turned out to be a contest between the top two in the market with Act Of Innoncence and Sinnatra contesting the lead in the run in. But it was the Henderson five-year-old who won going away by two and three quarter lengths.
The win for Act Of Innocence continued Henderson’s remarkable record in this race, having now won three of the last five renewals.
Henderson and stable jockey Nico de Boinville duly completed a double on the card after Impose Toi took the Coral Long Distance hurdle by half a length from last year’s winner Strong Leader.
Highland Crystal could follow a similar path to Ascot Hurdle winner Wodhooh after extending her unbeaten record in the Listed fillies’ juvenile hurdle.
After bolting up at Punchestown a fortnight ago, the Gordon Elliott trained filly backed up that impressive display with another by winning the fillies juvenile by six and a half lengths to give the Irish Trainer his 100th winner of the year.
Twinjets made it back to back wins for the Paul Nicholls yard after pulling ten lengths clear to go on and win cozily under Harry Cobden in the Join Coral Bet £10 Get £50 handicap chase.