IT has been a good National Hunt season for Alan King, who had the satisfaction of supplying A.P. McCoy with his farewell Cheltenham Festival winner, Uxizandre.

He was no doubt disappointed when Chatez failed to progress after starting well over hurdles but the four-year-old won a very warm handicap at Haydock last May and returned to that sort of form in the Lincoln ‘consolation’, the Betway Spring Mile.

Starting at 14/1 and given a good ride by Fergus Sweeney, Chatez came good again after a soft palate operation and won rather easily, bursting between rivals to beat Buckstay by three lengths. He had the ‘steadier’ of 9st 10lb and, on this evidence, would have troubled Gabrial and the rest if making the cut instead of just missing it.