Star attraction Santini fails to stamp authority on Gold Cup division
Santini was the star attraction on show at Sandown and he emulated stablemate Might Bite, who also used the Intermediate Chase as a springboard in 2017, but the 1-3 shot gave any favourite backers an almighty fright by only just seeing off old rival Now McGinty.
It was his first outing since finishing second in last season’s RSA, but his preparation had reportedly gone smoothly this time and it was a head-scratching performance.
The runner-up was the best part of 28 lengths off him in the RSA and, although that rival did finish second in the Reynoldstown at Ascot previously, Santini should have won with a lot more authority.
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