Somersby - easy winner.
SOMERSBY SHINES ON CHASING DEBUT
By Press Association Sport Staff
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Henrietta Knight's Somersby was the star turn at Warwick when making a pleasing introduction to fences in the Commscope And Anixter Business Partner Novices' Chase.
The five-year-old, third in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season, always looked an embryonic chaser in the making.
And he appears to have a bright future in the game after having landed odds of 11-10.
Settled nicely by Paul Moloney, Somersby made his challenge between Kanad and Olympian Boy turning for home and was not extended to win by 14 lengths from the former.
Straw Bear was very disappointing back in fourth.
Somersby earned a quote of 12-1 for the Arkle from totesport, while Paddy Power were less impressed and go 16-1.
Knight said: "He did a great job but still has a bit more to learn, although it was very good considering it was his first time over fences.
"He may go to Sandown for the Henry VIII Novices' Chase and I don't think he really minds whether it is a flat track or if he goes up hills.
"I think he goes on any ground except extremes and I wouldn't risk him on firm or heavy.
"The Arkle is the plan."
Golden Square foiled the front-running tactics of Rampant Ronnie by winning the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap Hurdle,
The 15-2 shot, trained by Tony Carroll and ridden by 7lb claimer Lee Edwards, took over from the top weight, who was the eventual two-and-a half-length runner-up, after the second-last.
A fine leap at the final obstacle effectively sealed the contest, with General Smith staying on well to fill the third spot, a further length away.
Carroll said: I'm very pleased with him and he deserves another win as he's been very consistent.
"I don't know where he'll go, but we'll keep it low key and good ground definitely helps him."
Front-running tactics were more effective on Andy Boxhall's Lord Generous, who made every yard under champion jockey Tony McCoy to justify 85-40 favouritism by 11 lengths to Paddy Live in the Banbury Novices' Hurdle.
Holmwood Legend was a length away in third.
Having finished in the first four on seven previous starts, Red Jester cannot be accused of winning out of turn in the Weatherbys Bank Handicap Chase.
The successful 3-1 favourite, trained by Laura Young, was given the office by Andrew Glassonbury before the second-last.
He then went on to record a three-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Tempting Paradise, with Secret Cavern another three-quarters of a length back in third.
Young said: "I thought that he would win.
"We stepped him up to two miles, five furlongs in the summer and he ran a great race, but he loves the pace in a two-mile contest."
The TurfTV Juvenile Novices' Hurdle went to hurdling debutant Causeway King.
Alan King's 11-2 shot denied the gambled-on Screaming Brave - backed from 6-1 into 100-30 favouritism - by a length.
The winner's jumping was far from perfect - he nearly gifted the race to the runner-up after flattening the last - but the three-year-old recovered to stay on well for Wayne Hutchinson in the closing stages.
Patience is a virtue, as connections of Overton Lad know only too well.
After all, Peter Pritchard's charge broke his duck under Rules at the 22nd attempt in the Warwick Racecourse Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase.
Three aspirants were in with a chance in this war of attrition inside the final 50 yards, but Harry Skelton managed to get the best tune out of the winning 4-1 favourite, who outpointed Feeling Peckish by half a length - with the same distance back to long-time leader Carnt Spell.
The concluding DBS/EBF Mares' bumper went to Nigel Twiston-Davies' Banjaxed Girl (5-1), who beat Sparky May by a length and three-quarters.
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