Fan favourite Pete The Feat in 'great form' for clash of the golden oldies

3.35 Exeter
Champions League Betting At 188Bet Veterans' Handicap Chase | 3m | 10yo+ | RUK

Pete The Feat's last two runs have looked like the work of a horse half his age, delighting the 14-year-old's trainer Charlie Longsdon and the teenager's fanbase, who will be hoping a trip to Exeter for the first leg of the 2018 Veterans' Series proves fruitful.

Only a long overdue barnstorming finish by the mercurial Buywise prevented Pete The Feat from recording back-to-back Sandown victories last time out.

On that evidence this Exeter race looks like an opportunity ripe for the plucking, for all that Longsdon's runner is the old man of the field, although this will be only the second time in the last year Pete The Feat has raced away from Sandown.

"He's in great form," Longsdon said on Saturday. "The only concern you have is whether in his old age he has become a bit of a Sandown specialist, just because we don't really run him anywhere else these days!

"However, it's not as strong as some of these veterans' races have been and he's in great form so let's hope he can put his best foot forward."

Pete The Feat will not be short of supporters on Sunday, having won plenty of fans over his decade-long career.

Longsdon added: "I get emails every time he runs – the last two years I've been receiving them, saying 'good luck with Pete, we'll be cheering him on' – it's wonderful.

"It's great to see these older horses coming out and doing it, and if they've got the enthusiasm then why not?"

What they say

Kim Bailey, trainer of Harry Topper
I'm very happy with him, he wants soft ground and veterans' races so he's got all that. He's been working well – whether he's still good enough, god only knows, we'll find out tomorrow. We can't avoid having top weight. As for the future, we'll take tomorrow and see how he is.

Ian Williams, trainer of Ballynagour
He's in great shape, fit and well. He joined us just before Christmas, he settled in well and is happy in his work. He's had his troubles and tribulations along the way and is not an easy horse to train, but we couldn't be happier with where he is at the moment – now we need to see how he performs on the course.

Harry Fry, trainer of Fletchers Flyer
He’s not been the force of old recently so we’re hoping for a bit of a turnaround. This will be his first try in this company and we think that might give him a chance as there are no unexposed younger horses on the way up.

Joe Tizzard, trainer of Gentleman Jon
Gentleman Jon ran a solid race at Newbury last time, he just wants the better ground, hopefully the rain will stay away and we’ll get away with it on this ground. He’s still a competitive horse and these races should just make life a bit easier for him, and the final at Sandown next year would be a target for him, although we’d love it to be in October when the ground was quick!

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