VALUABLE Saturday afternoon handicap hurdles invariably produce tight finishes with each-way value a prime consideration.

Gordon Elliott’s Folsom Blue kept on well to finish fourth of 16 in the near three-mile Heroes Handicap Hurdle, thus satisfying win and place merchants at 7/1, but there was nothing ‘tight’ about the finish to this Grade 3 contest as Peter Bowen’s Lord Napier picked off Coole Cody at the last and went away to score by nine lengths. Flemcara finished a good third.

Coole Cody ran a blinder at 33/1 and had most of his rivals in trouble soon after turning for home. At one point it looked as if he might hold on but Lord Napier, a son of Galileo, shrugged off two or three minor errors and arrived on the scene with an irresistible late thrust to win impressively.

He has an interesting background and raced for Sue Magnier in his early days with John Gosden. He cut little ice in three runs on the flat and did relatively little for John Ryan, either, but this is his game and a good sixth in the Swinton Hurdle for the Bowens hinted at better things to come. The longer trip helped on Saturday and he was quietly backed from 10/1 down to eights. Not qualified for the Pertemps Final, the three-miler at Aintree looks a logical alternative.

Sean Bowen had won the opening novices’ hurdle on Harry Fry’s 3/1 chance Winston C, who was patiently ridden to account for market leader Beaufort West.

For the second Saturday in succession, Paddy Brennan won the closing novices’ handicap hurdle, again coming from last to first, this time on Paul Henderson’s 7/1 chance Duarigle.

DOLOS COMES GOOD

Paul Nicholls’ Dolos has been a little disappointing, though quite consistent, this term and struck in the 888Sport Bet Handicap Chase. Sent on by Harry Cobden around the bottom bend, the 4/1 co-favourite liked the trip of just under two miles and readily held the gallant 12-year-old Gino Trail, who was conceding him 5lbs.

Nicholls fancied Dolos for the Grand Annual last year but the horse never quite got into the argument. The trainer is more inclined to wait for the better class Celebration Chase back here, taking the view that the pace at Cheltenham will be too fierce once again.

The three-mile Sport Masters Handicap Chase saw Stuart Edmunds’ Classic Ben backed down to 6/1 from nearly twice those odds and he just denied Ami Desbois in a thrilling tussle.

Credit is due to jockey Ciaran Gethings, who walked the course and stayed wide to miss the tacky ground on the inner. Classic Ben has only just turned six and was running in bumpers just over a year ago. This was his first win over fences, but more will follow.

Speedy Kachy cracks the record at Lingfield

AT Lingfield, Tom Dascombe’s very speedy Kachy justified odds of 10/11 in the Listed Betway Cleves Stakes, going well clear for Richard Kingscote to beat Gorgeous Noora. He cracked the course record for six furlongs and will be back on Championships Day.

Frankie Dettori jetted in for his first ride of the year and landed the Winter Derby Trial on John Gosden’s Cambridgeshire winner Wissahickon, who started at 8/15 but had to come around market rival Big Coutry before easily quickening clear. Still improving, the four-year-old will go for the Winter Derby itself and may well be up to Group 3 company back on turf.