Jaunty Flight

Jaunty Flight impressed many when romping to a televised victory in the EBF Mares' Hurdle Final at Newbury, showing a combination of class, stamina and courage to make light of top weight in desperate conditions. She didn't disappoint in her first season chasing either, winning three from four and only beaten by an inadequate trip at Chepstow. She signed off with a wide-margin romp over Lodge Lane and The Market Man at Perth, and while both the vanquished there can be described as disappointing, Jaunty Flight merely added to her fan club with another enormously likeable display of bold jumping and doughty galloping. She will need those talents in abundance this season as she doesn't have the bolthole of mares only events to turn to. Oliver Sherwood, who bought her on behalf of Peter Deal from Brecon permit holder Brian Eckley (cattle farmer Eckley also raced her dam Jaunty June), sent her to Perth with the aim of attaining a handicap mark high enough to get her into the Hennessy Gold Cup in November and that remains likely to be her initial target. She has never seemed lacking for stamina and it may be that a step up to marathon trips will see even more improvement and something like the Welsh National seems sure to be up her street.