Albert Bartlett bid on Snowden’s mind for Wendigo

Jamie Snowden is pondering an Albert Bartlett bid in the spring for Wendigo after being delighted by his performance when chasing home The New Lion in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

Despite arriving for the Grade One on the back of a cosy success at Ludlow, the six-year-old was sent off a 25-1 outsider with the layers in Berkshire.

However, he defied those long odds to come home best of the opposition behind Dan Skelton’s imperious winner, who has become one of the leading fancies for novice events at the Cheltenham Festival.

Wendigo’s display now has Snowden also considering a run at National Hunt’s showpiece meeting and although his exciting prospect may be seen in calmer waters for his next start, his handler has suggested he could soon be back competing at the highest level.

“Wendigo ran an absolute belter, I thought, and is a very nice horse for the future,” said Snowden.

“He wants soft ground and a trip and his future lies over a fence really, but for now he will only carry one penalty in an ordinary novice and we might look for one of those next.

“He’s had a hard race at Newbury and we’ll give him an easy time for the moment and then we’ll look to have a prep run before maybe thinking about the Albert Bartlett.”

Wendigo is just one of a smart team of young novices Snowden has assembled at his Lambourn base, and both Marche d’Aligre and Hollygrove Cha Cha acquitted themselves nicely in hot company over the Christmas period.

The former gave runaway French scorer Nietzsche Has most to think about in the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow and is another who could be given a Prestbury Park assignment in the spring.

Snowden continued: “Marche d’Aligre ran great to finish second to Nietzsche Has at Chepstow and Hollygrove Cha Cha was second in a Listed race at Taunton and we’re very lucky to have a nice bunch of young novices.

“I would have thought Marche d’Aligre might be one for the Boodles.”

On the same card as Marche d’Aligre, Snowden also saddled Julius Des Pictons, who enhanced his reputation when claiming the opening two-mile novice hurdle.

The six-year-old could now be upped in class and trip on his next outing, with both Huntingdon’s Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle on February 6 and the Listed Trustatrader Fully Vetted Tradespeople Novices’ Hurdle at Exeter three days later on Snowden’s radar.

“He looks another nice young horse and I would have thought we would look at the Listed race down at Exeter or the Sidney Banks for him,” added Snowden.

“We’ll aim for one of those two and he looks to be a lovely young horse.”