Gift back in business

Former Stayers’ Hurdle winner Iris’s Gift made a winning seasonal bow in the Blue Square Novices’ Chase at Market Rasen.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained gelding was the top three-mile hurdler in 2004 but he was confined to just one run last term, finishing last of five in a Grade One event on his chasing debut.

However, sent off the 1-2 favourite, the grey looked back to full health as beat Sweet Diversion, who was giving him 8lb, by four lengths.

Worlaby Dale set a slow early gallop but after a slightly hairy moment at the third fence, Tony McCoy decided to turn the pace up a notch and hit the front after jumping the seventh.

McCoy kept upping the gallop from there on in the extended two-mile-six-furlong contest and although he brushed through the top of the third-last, he ran on to the line for a satisfactory start to what could be a big season.

Paddy Power left him unchanged at 20-1 for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham next March.