Djelo devoured the Huntingdon mud to turn what looked a competitive renewal of the Trustatrader Peterborough Chase into a procession.
Narrowly beaten by JPR One when favourite for his reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter last month, the Venetia Williams-trained six-year-old was a 2-1 chance to go one better and could hardly have been more impressive in the hands of Charlie Deutsch.
After taking a lead from Sarah Humphrey’s stable star Nickle Back for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest, Djelo was allowed to stride on in front racing down the back straight and in truth the result was not in much doubt thereafter.
With Nickle Back stopping quickly and Minella Drama never threatening to land a telling blow, it was left for Protektorat (6-4 favourite) and Ginny’s Destiny to go in pursuit of Djelo from the home turn, but while both were hard at work the leader was still lobbing along under no pressure whatsoever.
The Williams runner safely negotiated the remaining two fences and came home virtually on the bridle, with Protektorat some six lengths behind in second at the line and Ginny’s Destiny a further seven and a half lengths behind in third.
Coral rate Djelo at 12-1 for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
“I’m so thrilled. I’m thrilled for Pete Davies his owner, for Charlie who has ridden him beautifully and for the horse himself primarily,” Williams told Racing TV.
“It was a wonderful performance. Going to the last down the back I looked behind and thought ‘they’re all in trouble now’. He’s finished behind the second horse before, but that was a complete turnaround today.
“He was third at the Cheltenham Festival in the Turners (Novices’ Chase) and he won three races last year. He’s been progressive ever since his attention was turned to fences and let’s hope that’s continuing.”
When asked about future plans, she added: “I don’t know, ask me tomorrow!
“I’d like to think we’ve got two great flagbearers in the three-mile division with Royale Pagaille and L’Homme Presse and it’s great that this horse is stepping up to somewhere near that sort of level now.
“He’s been running in handicaps up until now and there’s always the possibility of more of those, but he’s going to be going up quite a bit now.”
