IT was a good afternoon for McManus and Geraghty at Ascot last Saturday because 20/1 chance Regal Encore, trained by Anthony Honeyball, took the Lavazzo Jolie Silver Cup Handicap Chase in a good finish with Minella Daddy and Tenor Nivernais.

Minella Daddy was always up with the pace and went for home two out.

He did nothing wrong but Geraghty, keeping the winner out wide, came with a long, raking run to score by nearly two lengths. Regal Encore’s excellent effort at Punchestown was more than balanced by five failures to get round.

Venetia Williams had no luck at all where Tenor Nivernais was concerned because the ground for two red-hot handicaps at Cheltenham was never soft enough and he was pulled out. He ran a blinder over three miles here, despite starting at 33/1.

HENDERSON STILL FLYING

Nicky Henderson saddled two winners including 12/1 chance Brain Power in the Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle, formerly known as The Ladbroke.

Although little could be seen from the stands, Brain Power picked up the £85,000 plus for owner Michael Buckley with the minimum of fuss, emerging from the gloom under David Mullins to head outsider Fergall before galloping on to beat stable-companion Consul De Thaix by five lengths.

The pair had filled the same places last time at Sandown but Brain Power was more authoritative here.

This looked very smart form indeed and the winner is surely capable of stepping up in class.

Tony Martin was responsible for 4/1 favourite Golden Spear and Quick Jack. They were left behind by the winner late on but did well enough in fourth and fifth to promise further success down the line.

Henderson also won the graduation chase over two miles and five furlongs with 4/5 favourite Top Notch. The Champion Hurdle fifth moved through to master Sizing Codelco and obliged by just over a length. There is not much of him but he jumps well and was completing a hat-trick. Paddy Power and Betfair clipped him to 14/1 for the JLT Novices’ Chase.

Buveur D’Air plays his part

NICKY Henderson is very strong in the novice chase department. Quite apart from Top Notch he has Arkle favourite Altior and also Buveur D’Air, who made a perfectly satisfactory start at an even foggier Haydock.

Whether the meeting should have been completed is certainly open to question but things had not deteriorated all that much at lunchtime, when Aidan Coleman brought Buveur D’Air through to collar Cloudy Dream in the four-runner novice chase over two miles.

He started at 10/11 after an absence of eight months and won with authority, suggesting that he can take on the best when the trainer sorts out the right targets for his arsenal of talent.

“He was low and accurate and took me tight into every fence. He’s a very nice racehorse,” Coleman commented.

Venetia Williams can generally be relied upon in prestigious Saturday races and took the 32Red.com Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase with 3/1 favourite Yala Enki in the hands of Charlie Deutsch, who is excellent value for his 5lb claim.