Walt weighs in with impressive victory
WALT made the most of receiving 20lb from Double Shuffle to win the 888Sport Handicap Chase at Kempton.
The bottom-weight only had the better of the horse at the top the handicap as the concession told at the end of the three miles.
Course specialist Double Shuffle - who was second in this race in 2017 and also runner-up to Might Bite in the King George VI Chase - made the running with Didero Vallis until going on in the straight with three fences left to jump.
Walt (14-1) had never been far away in the hands of Sam Twiston-davies and Neil Mulholland’s eight-year-old was not going to be beaten once he had his head in front.
He crossed the line a length to the good from Double Shuffle, Adrien Du Pont in third.
Mulholland said: “That was great. We just tried to freshen him up after last time.
“We won this race two years ago with Pilgrims Bay and we thought this lad was a similar type of horse.
“With the ground being as it is we thought we would enter him and thankfully it has all worked out. I think the visor has done a good job. He enjoys being aggressively ridden and likes to be up there.
“I would say the Ultima (Handicap Chase at Cheltenham) is probably where we will go. I will speak to Sam but I think we will stay over this trip.”
He added of a change of luck from last weekend: “I thought Carole’s Destrier was unlucky in the Grand National trial (at Haydock) last week. I have never seen him travel so well in a race. - but but that is life.”