Horse Racing: Billingsgate markets AGFA prize

Despite the name, there was nothing fishy about the result of Sandown’s big race as Billingsgate continued his fantastic return from the injury list when taking the €65,800 Agfa Diamond Handicap Chase.

The Philip Hobbs-trained nine-year-old was off the track for two and a half years with a leg injury until making a winning return at Newbury in November.

He again injured a tendon that afternoon but the talented gelding bounced back to land the spoils here, showing great resolution under Richard Johnson to reel Echo’s of Dawn in and score by half a length at 7-2.

Favourite Iris Bleu was hindered by some sloppy jumps and did well to finish a further three parts of a length back in third.

The Martell Grand National could eventually be the target for Billingsgate, who shares the name of the famous London fish market.

Hobbs said: ‘‘I have known his owner, David Chesney, for a long time and it is nice to see the horse win again.

‘‘He has just turned 60 but he is a fitter man than me and he still comes to the stables every week to ride the horse out.

‘‘Billingsgate got a bit of a tendon injury at Newbury but we put different boots on him today so he couldn’t do that again.

‘‘He’s in the National and we’d have to think about that for him. He could run in the three-mile handicap at Cheltenham first.

‘‘He needs a bit of cut because of his leg but I’m not sure he’d want it really soft.’’

Ladbrokes make him a 33-1 chance for the National behind 14-1 favourite Supreme Glory.

Tiutchev returned to his best when winning the opening Elmbridge Handicap Chase.

The winner of the Arkle Chase at the 2000 Cheltenham Festival was lucky to even be on a racecourse after surviving a serious attack of colic during the summer which almost claimed his life.

But he seemed none the worse for his illness here, defying top-weight of 12st to score under stable jockey Mick Fitzgerald by an easy 12 lengths from Abalvino.

Trainer Nicky Henderson’s wife, Diana, said: ‘‘He nearly died this summer, not once but twice, and we weren’t sure how he would take it.

‘‘But we’re very lucky we still have him and it’s great to see him win like this.’’

Tiutchev will now run at Ascot in a fortnight’s time before heading to Cheltenham for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

William Hill were most impressed with this success, making him 4-1 from 8-1 for his Festival target but Coral offer 7-1 (from 10s)

Another horse with aspirations to success at the same meeting is Bilboa, who ran out a tidy winner of the Agfa Hurdle.

The French-trained filly had occupied the runner-up spot on all five of her starts this season but had far too many guns for favourite Rodock in this contest, scoring pushed out by two and a half lengths.

Having been longest about Tiutchev for the Arkle, the roles were reversed this time with Coral making Bilboa an 8-1 chance (from 14-1) for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and William Hill keeping her price unchanged at 16-1.

Trainer Francois Doumen said: ‘‘She will prefer better ground at Cheltenham but this was a good run.

‘‘I expect her to improve again before then but there is a big difference between that race and this one. She was very relaxed today which is important.’’

Bilboa’s win was a welcome boost for Doumen, who earlier this week had been forced to retire stable star First Gold for the season through injury.

In contrast to Tiutchev and Bilboa, Golden Goal will be given a break before the April’s Martell Grand National meeting at Aintree.

After seeing the 10-1 shot edge out Silence Reigns in the Weatherbys Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, Mark Gichero, the spokesman for the gelding’s owners The Winning Line, explained that Golden Goal would not be Cheltenham-bound.

‘‘He is only six and still a bit leggy he will be a lovely horse with another 12 months on his back,’’ Gichero said.

‘‘I’d say he is a flat-track horse so we will probably keep him fresh and send him to Aintree.’’

Henderson, who was in France looking at potential new recruits, completed a 59-1 double when Iris Royal showed impressive resolution to land the Scoop6 Handicap Hurdle.

With Fitzgerald unable to do the weight, the 14-1 winner was ridden by conditional jockey Marcus Foley.

Foley earned rave reviews as he got Iris Royal back past Surprising and Richard Johnson who had snatched the lead after the final flight to score by a neck.

Owner Robert Ogden’s racing manager, Barry Simpson, said: ‘‘I thought we were done for two out but the horse and the jockey have really put up a good fight.’’

Johnson’s efforts to catch the winner were rewarded with a two-day suspension (February 11 and 12) for using the whip with excessive force.

The JCB Triumph Hurdle has a new ante-post favourite after Volano made a winning debut in the Ripley Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.

The son of Pistolet Bleu completed a treble for Henderson and a double for Fitzgerald when easily accounting for Bilboa’s stablemate Kelami.

He is owned by the same syndicate of ‘‘20-something’’ employees of the Wahlberg Bank that own Champion Hurdle outside hope, Geos.

Syndicate spokesman James Stafford said: ‘‘He cost about €115,152, although there was a condition of a further payment if he wins a graded race his owner in France didn’t really want to sell him and Anthony Bromley had to work hard to persuade him.

‘‘He was quite a good handicapper on the Flat in France and that was a pleasing first run.’’

William Hill (10-1) and Coral (8-1) make him their new market leader for the Triumph Hurdle but Stafford warned: ‘‘If it came up fast ground at Cheltenham then he’d be more 33-1 than 10-1!’’

Classified was made to work hard to land the odds in the finale. He seemed to be tiring up the final hill in the February Novices’ Hurdle and punters who took the 8-15 about the winner must have felt a flutter in their hearts.

But Tony McCoy is a tough man to pass and he had enough in reserve to score by two and a half lengths.

Owner David Johnson said: ‘‘He’s won six now and I think he must be a pretty good horse.

‘‘Tony felt that it was pretty tacky out there but he picked up when he gave him a smack and you’ve got to be pleased.

‘‘I would have thought it unlikely that he will run again before Cheltenham. He’d probably appreciate a week on the easy list.’’

Coral eased Classified from 3-1 to 5-1 for the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle, making him the new joint market-leader with impressive Uttoxeter scorer Keen Leader.