We are continuing to look back at the 2019/20 point-to-point season and highlight some 'Moments of the season'. This latest video picks out the Coronation Gold Cup win of CHAMERON at Larkhill in March 2020.
A recruit to point-to-pointing wasted no time in making his mark when winning one of the 2019/20 season's classic races, the Coronation Gold Cup at Larkhill, which is the subject of this week's 'Moments of the season'.
Seven-year-old Chameron had looked capable of making a mark under Rules when winning a Listed hurdle at Auteuil as a three-year-old, and he was allotted an official rating of 149 when, after being sold into Paul Nicholls' stable, he made his debut in Britain.
Yet after a fair start when second in a novices' chase at Exeter he was side-lined for 11 months and then failed to make a mark in five more runs when mixing hurdling and chasing. It was decided to send him to public auction, but at Goffs UK's August Sale last year bidding halted at £14,000 and Nicholls decided that was too cheap to let him go.
Taking Chameron back to Ditcheat he created a new three-way owners' partnership comprising himself, his friend John Bolton and stable jockey Harry Cobden, who kept the faith despite having been beaten four times on the horse. Nicholls also opted to send Chameron a few miles up the road to his long-time former staff member Rose Loxton who would train him to run in point-to-points.
The result was success at the first time of asking when Chameron won a conditions race at Larkhill in January under Angus Cheleda – runner-up Miss Seagreen was subsequently second to smart Mr Snuffles at Chaddesley and then won a 17-runner event at Didmarton.
Chameron's next assignment was the Coronation Gold Cup in which he faced six opponents and again proved too good for his rivals. Cheleda sent him on after the second-last when leader Pauls Hill made a slow jump, and while super-consistent Green Winter came out of the pack to chase home the winner it proved a comfortable victory.
Had the season not ended prematurely due to Covid-19 a lot more people would have seen Chameron who was likely to try hunter chasing. Loxton says: "He's summering with us and is out in a field with four friends. He's looking big and strong and we're looking forward to next season.
"I think Paul would have liked me to run him in a couple of hunter chases and then maybe to have gone to Stratford for the big one [Pertemps Network Champion Hunters' Chase], but he wouldn't have run on quick ground. Given how dry [and hot] the weather has been I wonder how many meetings would have been affected had the season not been stopped earlier than planned.
"We've been giving hay to the horses who are out at grass. They are still happy nibbling, but nibbling at nothing."
Check out 'Moments of the season' each and every Wednesday.