Connections are hopeful they have found the key to Red Risk after his gallant performance in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.
The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old started at 25-1 for the handicap, in which he was partnered by young conditional Freddie Gingell who eased an 11st 2lb burden with his 7lb claim.
After two miles and five furlongs, Red Risk and Dan Skelton's West Balboa crossed the line in unison and a photo finish was required to announce the latter horse a short-head winner.
Despite the narrow loss connections are thrilled with their runner, who has not always shown consistency to match his ability but seems to have appreciated a longer gap in between races.
Tom Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing said: "I'm still convinced he won! I was there watching it and I thought he held on, my racecard went flying, I was jumping around like he'd won and then they called the photo.
"We were getting caught up in the emotion of it all, he was 25-1 but we thought he was a big price.
"He's never really backed up runs consecutively like that, he does have a knack of winning and then disappearing, so we tried something a little different this time and that was leaving him as long as we dare between races.
"That was 49 days since his Newbury win, it seems that that's the key to him – getting him nice and fresh and really happy at home. It was delight more than anything that the theory was right.
"He was terribly unlucky not to win the race, but he's run an absolute blinder and everybody would have taken that at the start of the season. We're delighted we've got another nice horse on our hands."
Red Risk was raised 5lb to 147 for his efforts, but Palin feels his performance warrants some Graded entries further along in the season.
"He may be between a rock and a hard place, at the very top end of handicaps and maybe just lacking a couple of pounds for Grade Twos," he said.
"If you took the Relkeel that Marie's Rock won a few weeks ago, if he was 145 he'd have been entitled to have a go but you kind of have to be around 150 to be in the running.
"He could just be a bit betwixt and between, but he does deserve a place in those in those kind of races.
"Paul's mentioning the National Spirit at Fontwell on February 16, that might come a bit soon and at Aintree there's a handicap for him there on the Friday, but he could be a bit high for that.
"There is a Grade Two at Auteuil in June, a week before Royal Ascot, that's a race I think he could go very well in too."
