Nocte Volatus wins Unibet Veterans' Handicap Chase Final at Sandown

The £100,000 contest was the Saturday feature on a card that passed a morning inspection due to the cold weather but these likeable veterans warmed the cockles in a race packed with incident.

Annsam led them along for more than a circuit but capsized down the back straight after reaching for one while Copperhead unseated Freddie Gingell at the last of the Railway Fences when the screw tightened.

That left Gustavian to kick on for home out in front, a horse who had made bad mistakes at the Railways the first time around himself, but he couldn't see off the late challengers headed by Nocte Volatus.

With the Pond Fence omitted on both circuits due to low sun Nocte Volatus made his move from there on the final circuit under Stan Sheppard, with good jumps at the final two fences helping him to overhaul Gustavian as he made his way home.

It was all over up the hill as Le Milos held on for second from a flying Gabbys Cross, Nocte Volatus a length and a quarter ahead of the pair as he justified 11/4 favouritism.

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