HUNTINGDON NEWS: DJELO AIMING FOR SECOND SUCCESSIVE VICTORY IN SUNDAY’S GRADE TWO SKY BET PETERBOROUGH CHASE

Article 3rd December 2025 Huntingdon

By By Graham Clark

Photo Credits: Debbie Burt/The Jockey Club

Venetia Williams is confident Djelo will bring his ‘A game’ to the table for the defence of his title in the Sky Bet Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Sunday (December 7th).

The progressive seven-year-old will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Grade Two test, which is the highest profile race staged at the Cambridgeshire track, since Racing Demon secured successive wins in the race in 2006 and 2007.

Having signed off last season beating just one rival home in the Grade One Brooklands Golden Miller Chronograph Bowl Chase at Aintree, the son of Montmartre made a winning return to action over three miles in the Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 1st.

Although the Pete Davies-owned gelding, who is the 4-6 Favourite to defend his crown on Sunday with the race sponsor, is dropping back to two and a half miles, Williams believes that shouldn’t pose any problems given the manner in how he claimed the race 12 months ago.

Speaking at a stable visit today organised by The Jockey Club, Williams said: “It hadn’t been our plan to run him in that (the Charlie Hall Chase), but when I saw the entries it was a strong temptation, and he had won over that sort of distance at Newbury in the Denman Chase last season.

“Going into Newbury, the plan had been to run in the Game Spirit. It was only a bit of opportunism that made me put him in that race as well. I think the same probably applied with the Charlie Hall.

“We are obviously stepping back in trip in the Peterborough Chase. It was a very wet day last year, and we all got drenched, and I suspect the ground will be quicker this year.

“Last year I think he also benefited from the Skeltons on a split decision over which distance to run Protektorat, who ran the other day over three and a half miles, and was held up in the race. Be that as it may, he still won it well and put the race to bed fairly swiftly.

“Your first reference point when looking at these races is the handicapper’s point of view, and he has got Grade Two penalties as have four of them.

“Assuming we don’t have to take on Jonbon the handicapper has him, according to his ratings, at the head of the race so I hope he is right.

“Some of ours have come up a little bit short this month. He was our first winner with our second runner so to speak so you would like to think he will be able to go there with his A game.”

Although not kicking on over hurdles following his arrival from France in 2022 having made a winning start over them at Exeter, the Herefordshire handler was confident that like so many of her former stable stars that he would really come into his own over fences.

She added “I’ve always thought he was going to be a nice horse. I bought him at an online sale in France and hoped at that point we were buying a nice horse.

"He had won a small race which he had a battle to do in France, so he has progressed a lot from those days.

“That seems to be the case with so many of these French horses (that they do better over fences) that I manage to buy.

"I think he benefited from a handy handicap mark and I found that race at Exeter, which was the most valuable race at a relatively low rating range.

“As a novice he was wiped out by Matata who did a great attempt to write out half of the field, which was unfortunate, but he has been progressive and hopefully he can continue to be.”

And should Djelo be victorious at the weekend it could set up a step back to three miles for another tilt at Grade One level in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, which Williams claimed back in 1998 with Teeton Mill.

Williams added “He might still do that (and go for the King George), but having won this so well last year it would be a mistake to omit it this year, but he does have an entry in the King George. However it will be one step at a time and it will all depend on how Sunday goes.

“One hopes there is a Grade One in him. Any horse that has won a number of Grade Twos as he has you always hope his turn will come at the top table. The first one on his horizon is the King George, but we will take it one race at a time.

“You are not beating the track or the trip, you are beating the other horses and it just depends on who shows up.

“Sure the other horses in it would have had more time between their races, and you wouldn’t want to do it too frequently, but it would be a mistake to forfeit a race he won so well last year to concentrate purely on the King George.”

Djelo

An appearance in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase also appears to be in the balance for Grade One winner L’Homme Presse with Williams hinting that he is likely to make his return to action in the Southam Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on December 13th.

The 10 year-old, who finished third in the Boxing Day feature on his return to action last season, has not been sighted since pulling up in the Grade One Betfair Ascot Chase at Ascot in February.

Williams added: “He is due to go to Cheltenham on Friday next week for the three and a quarter mile handicap chase there. That would be a quick turnaround for him to run in the King George.

“Remember as a novice chaser he ran his first two races in fifteen days, and he has not had a lot of racing, but first thing first is Cheltenham.

“It (the King George) is always a competitive race so we will see. Hopefully he will go well at Cheltenham and we will take it from there. He seems to be going as well as one can hope for so I’m looking forward to running him.”

L'Homme Presse

And as for fellow Grade One scorer Royale Pagaille, who had to settle for second best in his bid for a third successive win in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park last month, a trip back to his favourite venue for the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase on January 17th is the aim.

Williams added: “I thought he ran a marvellous race in the Betfair Chase. He was the completely discounted horse in the race, despite the fact he had won it the previous two years. It suits him up there.

“We can’t deny that Grey Dawning won comfortably. It looked like he was going to win comfortably last year, but he didn’t.

“Last year it was our ground and this year it was Grey Dawning’s ground. You have to be delighted with the performance that he put up to beat all the others that were well touted before the race was fantastic.

“He has had a go at the King George before, and he has run well in it, but he is not the youth he used to be.

"I think the right thing for him is to wait and hope that the Peter Marsh in mid-January doesn’t succumb to the weather like it did last year, and has before, as that is the obvious route to take with him.”