2019 Foxhunters Chase runner-up clipped in for 2020 renewal
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Shantou flyer made it two from two so far this season when winning cosily at Fakenham on Friday.
He was sent off heavily odds-on and duly obliged, winning by a massive 23 lengths.
Bookies trimmed his odds accordingly, with 14/1 available before the race, he is now as short as 6/1 with one firm.
Some bookmakers still have him at double figure prices though, with 12/1 the standout price on Rose Loxton’s horse.
However, it was not all plain sailing at Fakenham. The ten-year-old was coasting home round the bend, but a loose horse came across his path and almost caused a nasty collision.
However, it is credit to the horse and David Maxwell that they weren’t affected and managed to get over the last fence safely and win comfortably.
The endearing owner and jockey, David Maxwell, said after the race the plan was to go straight to Cheltenham in the Foxhunters Chase again.
He will be looking to go one better than last year where he lost out to Hazel Hill, not managing to catch the winner going up the Cheltenham Hill.
Few would want to deny David Maxwell the chance to ride a winner in the Foxhunters Chase. The 41- year-old owns around twenty horses and amazingly rides most of them himself.
His strike-rate over the years is mightily impressive too. In the last five years, he has won 45 races from 174 rides. That is a brilliant strike-rate of 26%.
Shantou Flyer has now finished second two years in a row at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished a neck second in the Ultima handicap last year. It looked like he may end up catching the winner, Coo Star Sivola, in the dying strides but Lizzie Kelly just held on.
Could it be third time lucky? If so, it would be a magnificent story if the amateur jockey and owner could ride Shantou Flyer to Cheltenham glory.
Maxwell comes across like a fantastic character, who loves National Hunt racing. His enthusiasm is there for all to see, he is living his dream and you cannot help but feel happy for him.
If everything goes smoothly, a second tilt at the Foxhunters beckons, and it would be one of the stories of the week if Shantou Flyer and David Maxwell could have their day in the sun on the final day of Cheltenham this year.
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