Top Notch for PM! Seven Barrows favourite lands second Peterborough success

Top Notch, described by Nicky Henderson as "the most popular horse by a mile" in his powerful yard, justified favouritism in the 50th running of the Fitzdares Peterborough Chase when taking the race for the second time at Huntingdon on Sunday.

It was Henderson's seventh victory in the Grade 2, and he is now one shy of Henrietta Knight's record total of eight wins. Top Notch, who first won the race in 2017, could be back next year in a bid to equal that record.

A strong pace was set by La Bague Au Roi and Top Notch was settled mid-division in the six-runner field. Daryl Jacob made his challenge approaching two out and the pair got the better of Warren Greatrex's mare, before withholding the strong challenge of 100-1 shot Kauto Riko to score by three-quarters of a length.

Henderson said: "I don't know about the general election on Thursday but if there was a popularity poll taken in our yard this morning then Top Notch would be prime minister!

"You can forget your Altiors and the others, everyone just loves him. There are better horses in the yard, but if you asked which was the most popular stalwart then it would be this fellow by a mile.

"He just doesn't know how to do anything wrong – you can go hurdling, you can go two miles, two and half miles or three miles but you wouldn't find a nicer person.

"He's been with us six years and he never looked like a chaser when he came in as he's not big enough but he's just so tough."

Fitzdares put up a £500,000 bonus for any horse to win the Peterborough Chase, the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase and the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, but their money looks safe.

The only horse to successfully complete the sequence was Best Mate in the 2002-03 season and Top Notch doesn't have an entry for Kempton's Christmas highlight.

Henderson added: "I think there is a race at Kempton in January that is now called the Silviniaco Conti Chase that looks right for him and beyond that there is the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham."

Fitzdares introduced Top Notch into their Ryanair market at 12-1 while Paddy Power go 14-1 (from 25).

A delighted Jacob said: "Top Notch is by far my favourite horse and he's a real trier. They went a good clip which suited him and he did it well in the end.

"He's a very versatile horse. Hopefully one day he can come back to my place as I've been with him since day one."

Trainer Tom Gretton said of Kauto Riko: "This was supposed to be a warm-up for a handicap chase on New Year's Day so I suppose that is now out of the window!"

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