Express win for Foley and Lavelle

Presenting Express put the icing on a fruitful cake for Emma Lavelle at Newbury today with a fourth success on the bounce in the Vodafone Handicap Chase.

Confidently ridden by Marcus Foley, the 9-2 shot made his only mistake five out but took the contest by the scruff of the neck at the final ditch and kept on strongly to score by seven lengths and a length and three-quarters from Parsons Legacy and Jakari.

Lavelle did not enter Presenting Express for Cheltenham and explained: “I wasn’t convinced that after winning twice at Folkestone and once at Taunton he had quite the credentials required for the Festival and this was by far his toughest assignment.

“I guess you could say this was his Cheltenham because it is a nice prize in its own right. I always felt he would handle quicker ground like this and I wouldn’t be against taking him to Aintree.”

Presenting Express has been known to make the odd error early in his races and his trainer concluded: “He’s a little bit keen through the first couple but Marcus said he jumped better than ever today.”