Tom records Best win yet
Conditional jockey Tom Best recorded the biggest win of his career on Toby Balding’s Accipiter in the £40,000 (€59,700) Cantor Odds Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.
Balding, who helped launch the careers of Tony McCoy and Adrian Maguire, believes he has another potential star on his hands in 22-year-old Best.
Accipiter (12-1) led two out to beat Paperprophet by five lengths, with Irish challenger Dantes Reef, the 5-1 favourite, six lengths further back in third.
Jonathan Geake, Balding’s assistant, who takes over at a new yard, Kimpton Down, when he succeeds his father-in-law in November, said: “Tom is very good, and Toby has tipped him for the top.
"He joined us as an amateur, whereas Tony and Adrian were already rather established when they arrived.”
Geake added: “Accipiter’s last race at Sandown (finished fifth), where he made a bad mistake two out, brought him on a lot.”
Trainer Nicky Henderson, who drew a rare blank at the Cheltenham Festival, was back in the winning groove with Lord Of The River in the Guinness Handicap Chase.
The 12-year-old, who was sent off the 4-1 favourite, was always near the front rank and quickened well under Richard Johnson, who was clinching a near 18-1 double, to score by seven lengths.
Lord Of The River was turning the clock back having not won for five years and Henderson said: “The old boy has had his problems and at last the handicapper has relented and given him a chance.”
Johnson initiated his double on Elenas River, who pulverised his rivals in the opening Grosvenor Casinos Novices’ Chase.
The 11-4 favourite made most of the running to beat Dragon Hunter by 18 lengths.
His trainer Philip Hobbs said the eight-year-old gelding would be seen out next in a similar event under a penalty.
“We might even keep him going through the summer,” he added. “He stays really well and did it impressively as the ground was probably against him.”
Johnson is now on the 170-winner mark for the season.
There may not be a lot of Lorgnette, but what there is, is all heart.
Robert Alner’s diminutive mare showed her mettle in the three-mile Derek Hankinson Handicap Hurdle when the 16-1 hope came right away to win by nine lengths from Victoria Gunner.
Alner said: “The handicapper put her up 5lb recently and her owner rang him up to complain. Now she goes and does this!
“She has been second twice over fences, but I doubt if we will go over them again, as she is not really built for it.
“Robert Walford rode a brilliant race on her here.”
Christophe Pieux, 14-time champion jump jockey in his native France, nearly made his debut ride in England a winning one on Valtar in the Jock Scott Juvenile hurdle.
But unfortunately the Pau-based rider, who landed first over the last flight, was caught on the run-in by winner Selvas and Croix De Guerre, who beat the French filly by four lengths and three-parts of a length respectively.
Winning rider Tony Dobbin had earlier fallen at the third fence on Dorans Gold in the Guinness Handicap Chase and was badly winded.
But he said after his victory: “She is a great little trier, and it’s made me feel better now.”
David Easterby sent Sikander A Azam on the 221-mile trek from his North Yorkshire base for the Silwood Park Nurseries Mahonia Hunters’ Chase and the trip proved worthwhile with a convincing success for the 11-4 favourite.
The stewards inquired into the reason why Michael Sheridan, the rider of Alpha Centauri who fell at the second last fence, had failed to pull up before the obstacle on a clearly exhausted horse.
Having interviewed the jockey and viewed a video recording of the race they found Sheridan in breach of Rule 153 (iii) and Instruction H18 and suspended him for six days, on dates to be notified by the stewards of the Jockey Club, for improper riding.
