Progressive Steel Ally completes hat-trick at Warwick's Kingmaker Day
On testing ground, Steel Ally, the highest rated horse in the race, completed a hat-trick of wins over fences when capturing Warwick's Grade 2 Bet Smarter With Oddschecker Kingmaker Novices' Chase from the front-running Mirabad.
The outsider of the field, Mirabad set a good pace in the £75,000 contest and he seemed to catch out the well-fancied Mambonumberfive who was never jumping with fluency, losing ground at a number of the fences. He couldn't shake off Steel Ally, however, who loomed up alongside at the end of the back straight to win by ten lengths.
Leading trainer Dan Skelton was without a winner at the last meeting, but he started the day in the best possible way when 6/5 favourite Just Golden, carrying the colours of the late John Hales, landed the opening Oddschecker Free Bets Maiden Hurdle. Tristan Durrell took Just Golden into a clear lead down the back straight, where one hurdle had been omitted, and, always travelling the best, beat Chasing Glance.
Favourite backers collected again in the followingGet The Best Odds With Oddschecker Warwick Mares' Hurdle when Hollygrove Cha Cha made all the running to beat Jubilee Alpha. Available at 3/1 in the morning, Hollygrove Cha Cha was backed into 6/4, displacing Jubilee Alpha at the head of the market,.
Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies chose Guard Your Dreams, who had not run since May, from their two entries in the Class 2 Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans' Handicap Chase (Series Qualifier) and he was well backed in the morning, shortening from 6/1 to 5/2 with bookmakers Paddy Power. He eased in price before the race, going off at 7/2 joint favourite and, given a positive ride by conditional jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell, made all the running to come home 13 lengths clear of Fugitif.
Transferred from Friday's Sandown Park card, the Grade 2 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices Hurdle turned out to be a thriller. The grey Kingston Queen led into the straight, only to be passed by White Noise after the last flight, but fought back on the run-in to regain the lead and win by ¾ length.
Cornish Storm, trained in Devon by Stuart Kittow, followed up his Taunton win with an all-the-way success in the Oddschecker Cheltenham Free Bets Handicap Hurdle. He looked to have a host of challengers coming into the straight, with favourite Le Yacht the closest pursuer, but Ben Jones had kept enough up his sleeve to send his mount clear on the run-in.
David Pipe was on the mark again in the Class 3 Best Cheltenham Odds With Oddschecker Handicap Hurdle when Rian Corcoran and Phantomofthepoints set a strong gallop that saw off their rivals to some effect, coming home 4¼ lengths clear of Fingle Bridge with the third horse, Believitanducan, a further 24 lengths away.
There was another thriller in the concluding Total Metal Recovery Mares' Open National Hunt Flat Race when odds-on favourite Vrheligonne tried to make all the running only to be caught by Wetherby winner Popton Point inside the last furlong who prevailed by a neck.