Wincanton Saturday

THE Grade 2 Elite Hurdle last Saturday went as expected to the 1/8 favourite Rubaud (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden), but not until after giving backers a serious fright.

Things looked to be going to plan as Cobden set the fractions on Rubaud, but the rider had to chivvy his mount along at times to keep him up to his work and it appeared that Hamlet’s Night was travelling best at the penultimate hurdle.

Rubaud lost the lead between the last two hurdles but jumped the last more cleanly than his main rival and rallied to regain the lead on the run-in to beat Hamlet’s Night (James Owen/James Bowen) by a neck, to give Nicholls his 10th success in the race, and a treble on the day for the winning trainer.

Trainer, jockey and horse were registering their third consecutive victory in the race, and for Nicholls it made 10 in total in the feature hurdle.

Nicholls was quick to make excuses for a rather flat effort from the winner, saying: “He had a very hard race the other day at Kempton Park; he knew he had a race and it took a while for him to get over it. I could tell in the paddock that he didn’t look great in his coat, and he has been a bit flat this week.”

Dozen up for Nicholls

Blueking D’Oroux gave Paul Nicholls a remarkable 12th success in the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton on Saturday.

An expensive failure on his chase debut at Newton Abbot, the son of Jeu St Eloi made amends by landing the Grade 2 event as even-money favourite.

The winner wasn’t foot-perfect at various times in the race, but he produced a good jump at the last when it was needed most to beat Breaking Cover (Anthony Honeyball/Rex Dingle) by a length, with long-time leader Rightsotom (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell) another length and three-quarters back in third.

Nicholls said: “He obviously stays well, but we always thought he perhaps didn’t want three miles, but I think three miles might just help his jumping a little bit in time.

“He is just a bit careful. He is not like a big, bold, scopey horse that takes them on. He is always backing off a bit which makes it hard work for you, but he has stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line.

“He was brilliant at the last, but he needed that.”

Rest of the card

The Badger Beers Chase has been a fixture at Wincanton since Quick Step scored in the 1962/63 season for trainer/rider Billy Williams (father of current trainer Ian Williams).

This 64th running went to the bold-jumping Gustavian (Anthony Honeyball/Rex Dingle), who made most and barely touched a twig to win at 11/2 from Scarface (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell), with the winner’s stablemate Credo (Ben Godfrey) third.

The Tizzard stable hit the bar in a couple of the big races, but it was all smiles at the end of the day as Sweet Caryline (Brendan Powell) won the Paul and Richard Barber Memorial Mares’ Hurdle, the daughter of Blue Bresil beating favourite Jubilee Alpha by a length at odds of 11/2, completing a hat-trick of her own in the process.

The seven-year-old is named in honour of Tizzard’s late sister Kim, and so the victory was tinged with emotion.

Doncaster Saturday

Haggas takes finale

THE final day of the turf flat season has traditionally fallen at Doncaster in early November, and this year’s card featured two listed races as well as the November Handicap, which, with the Lincoln in March, bookends the traditional season.

The Wentworth Stakes, over six furlongs, was won by 4/1 chance Spycatcher (Karl Burke/Pierre-Louis Jamin), who relished the testing conditions to beat Zoum Zoum (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan) by two and three-quarter lengths.

The Gillies Fillies’ Stakes proved a one-sided affair, as 10/11 favourite Danielle (John and Thady Gosden/James Doyle) bolted up by nine lengths from Elwateen (Saeed Bin Suroor/Kevin Stott).

The November Handicap was run as the final race of the turf season and victory went to Castle Cove for William Haggas and Jason Hart.

The 4/1 joint-favourite came from the rear with a smooth run and had four and a quarter lengths to spare over Miss Dolly Rocker (Faye Bramley/George Wood) at the line. He’s likely to make his mark in pattern company next year.