Sandown match marks nadir in race's history but it's still fascinating contest

John O'Leary Memorial Future Stars Intermediate Chase (Listed) | 3m | 4yo+ | RTV

British racing’s difficulties with small fields is front and centre at Sandown on Sunday with the feature contest attracting two horses.

Whether it can even be regarded as a match is another question, with Cheltenham and Aintree festival winner Chantry House appearing to have plenty in hand of his opponent, The Big Breakaway, who lines up after a fall at Newton Abbot last time.

What all are in agreement about – whether you are connected to the horses, the racecourse or a potential punter – is that a race with two runners is not what anyone wants to see.

While this year’s race marks a nadir in numbers of runners since the race was moved a month forward from the Tingle Creek meeting in 2015, big fields have never been a sight associated with the contest.

Instead, horses of the calibre of Coneygree, Might Bite and Santini have used it to start their second season over fences, and Nicky Henderson has long viewed it as a perfect starting point for Chantry House.

“It’s a race we’ve won before and it’s a good stepping stone for the season, although the other horse in the race is talented, so it should be a good test,” he said.

“We want to see how well he stays three miles. He looked like he did at Aintree and he looks like he will, but this is a good race to test that out further.”

For The Big Breakaway, it is a case of trying to get him through the race in one piece, with assistant trainer Joe Tizzard hoping the small field will boost the horse’s confidence.

Nicky Henderson: 'it’s a good stepping stone for the season'Credit: Goffs UK

“Hopefully, they can sit upsides for the first circuit or so and then we can see from there,” he said. “He's good, we've got cheekpieces on for the first time and we needed to get a run into him, so we were never going to shy away from it.”

Sandown’s clerk of the course and director of racing Andrew Cooper said it was “disappointing” to have a two-runner race, but thought the declaration of only six runners in the 2m handicap hurdle (2.45) was potentially more troubling with double-figure fields present in 2017 and 2018.

“The chase has a history of small fields and this year we have two examples of the type of horses that races like this at this time of season are intended to cater for,” he said.

“It’s Listed status is under consideration by the Jump Pattern Committee, but I’m not inclined to say something like we won’t run the race next year. We won’t be doing anything kneejerk with it.”

With British racing in the midst of a historic slump in average field sizes, alongside an increase in races with five or fewer runners, Henderson was at pains to point out that not all small-runner races should be regarded as being the same.

“They are crucial these races,” he said. “They’re very important for horses like Chantry House going into their second season over fences.

“The alternative for him would have probably been the Ladbrokes Trophy, so you’re going from one extreme to another. Sending a horse like him into the Ladbrokes Trophy is like sending him into the lion’s den. You have got to bring them along, so we’ll take in this race and see what happens.”

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