'It was like Desert Orchid' - Gustavian ends 988-day drought with dominant Badger Beers win thanks to Rex Dingle's A-star homework

Rex Dingle learned from his pre-race preparations that making all was the best path to Badger Beers success and he produced a front-running masterclass aboard Gustavian to land the prestigious prize, with a jumping display trainer Anthony Honeyball compared to Desert Orchid.

The bay ten-year-old is unlike the brilliant grey, given he had been luckless on the big days before Saturday. Yet the long wait for his moment arrived as he stormed nine and a half lengths clear at the line to win on his third try in Wincanton’s showpiece race.

Dingle, who combined with Honeyball to win the Badger Beers with Blackjack Magic two years ago, attacked from the front on the bottomweight after an evening spent watching the last 20 runnings of the race taught him that was the best approach.

In a slim field of seven in the £80,000 contest, the pair had already built up a four-length lead by the first of 21 jumps. Little changed from there as Dingle was able to smoothly negotiate two laps of the Somerset circuit without any substantial threat. 

As Decimus Racing’s Gustavian boldly led the field, his rivals' chances slipped away. The well-backed 5-2 favourite Soul Icon struggled and eventually unseated, classy Threeunderthrufive threatened and faded, with only Scarface the briefest of challengers in the straight.

Brendan Powell tried to chip away at the front-runner’s lead approaching two out on his first try at this distance, but a game Gustavian kept on to end a near 1,000-day drought. It was only his fifth win, but he has finished second or third 18 times from 34 starts.

The comfortable success led to Honeyball jokingly apologising to Wincanton’s racecourse committee for a boring conclusion to its flagship race.

“He's had his pants pulled down a few times so I’m glad to see him win, it was fantastic,” said Honeyball. “I think physically he used his back a bit and made a bit of a shape at his fences, but you didn’t see any issues – it was like Desert Orchid going around there. It was awesome.

“He’s run well in this in the past and maybe that was enough, looking at how the race worked out. He’s a bit one-paced so we’re a little limited with him tactically. He’s a ten-year-old but he acts like he’s half his age. 

“You just have to chivvy him along and use it to your advantage. He’s a good horse to make the running because he travels and if you can get a freebie out in front it takes the pressure off the jumping.

Gustavian leaves his rivals toiling in the Badger Beers Handicap ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

“The Badger Beers is becoming an important race for us. I’d never thought too much about it before we won it and now I’m thinking we’ll have to keep coming back. You don’t always have batches of three-mile chasers, but at the moment we have some good battle-hardened horses. 

“If he’s lucky in life he’ll go on to run until he’s 11,12 or 13. He’s had a good career, he’s won over £100,000, but I’m glad he’s got his big day.”

Honeyball is more renowned for his success at Punchestown than the racecourse just 30 miles from his Potwell Farm base in Dorset, but Wincanton is even closer for Dingle.

Anthony Honeyball: “The Badger Beers is becoming an important race for us"Credit: Edward Whitaker

The rider said: “I only live down the road so I love having winners here and this is always an important race locally.

“I watched back the last 20 Badger Beers the night before and I think there was only one winner who was dropped in, so I knew what I wanted to do going into this. He jumped really well, got into a great rhythm, and he goes on any ground. 

"We always thought he was a bit tripless, but as he’s got older and had his wind done he’s seen his races out a bit better. He was quick over his fences and it was about time he had a bit of luck in these [type of] races - he’s been a victim of his own consistency.”

Read more on Saturday's racing:

'It was touch and go whether he was going to survive' - Colonel Harry back from the brink to conquer National fences in Grand Sefton 

'Kim is looking down on us' - emotional winner Sweet Caryline hits the right note for Joe Tizzard and John Romans 

'He doesn't do anything at home' but Impose Toi made 20-1 for the Stayers' Hurdle to set Nicky Henderson a poser 

'I hope I can keep doing him proud' - poignant November Handicap win for Cock of the North Jason Hart 

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