Ascot Saturday review | Stylish success for Springwell Bay

Springwell Bay (3/1) was a costly purchase after finishing second to Adamantly Chosen in a Punchestown bumper in 2021 and went a long way to justifying that decision in the Ascot Racecourse Supports Schools Poetry Competition Novices' Hurdle.

Springwell Bay won his first two starts for the yard but had been off the track since returning a beaten favourite in a Grade Two Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham won by Fennor Cross in November.

Held-up off the pace set by the odds-on favourite Attaca, Springwell Bay travelled more kindly than he had at Cheltenham and joined issue with the leader at the second last. He was cajoled along by jockey Jonjo O'Neill and gradually asserted, staying on well to win by almost 10 lengths from Persian Time.

"We've always liked him," the winning jockey told Matt Chapman on Sky Sports Racing.

"Not always the easiest to train, He didn't run too badly at Cheltenham but I was disappointed with the run. Gave him a good long break and it's done him the world of good.

"He hasn't done a lot wrong but he's quite lightly raced and I think the ones behind are a decent yardstick so we'll see."

The winning trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, told Chapman: "He has been a little bit tricky but Rome wasn't built in a day so we'll take our time and when you've got good, patient owners you can take your time.

"He won't be going (to Cheltenham) this year, he needs another run to get into the handicaps. We'll take our time and make sure he's okay when we get back. He's difficult to keep sound and keep right."

He was then asked if he could be the next Black Jack Ketchum for owner Gay Smith and responded: "I would like to think so but he's got a lot to live up to."

Oscar Elite (6/1) didn't achieve as much as expected in his first season over fences and gained his maiden success at the ninth attempt in the Grade Two Bateaux London Reynoldstown Novices' Chase.

Only three runners went to post for the historic three mile contest with 4/9 favourite Bold Endeavour setting out to make all under Nico de Boinville.

The pacesetter stuck to his guns in the straight with Oscar Elite alongside and there was little to separate the pair at the last where the latter produced a large, if ungainly, leap but he hit the ground running and quickened impressively to score by seven and a half lengths under Harry Cobden.

Cobden said: "He's been running at a top level for the last 18 months and ran a fantastic race at the Festival last year when just touched off in the Ultima and I don't suppose things have gone his way after that.

"He probably lost his confidence and today the three-runner race has probably helped him as much mentally as well as his experience. A lovely run and a good pot, that's all that matters."

Trainer Joe Tizzard revealed that another crack at the Ultima, for which Betfair Sportsbook cut the winner to 8/1 from 16s, is at the forefront of connections' minds.

“There’s no doubt he comes better in the spring. We fancied him going into the Coral Gold Cup but it all happened too quickly for him and they got him at it. On his day he’s got an engine,” he said.

“I saw this was going to cut-up and thought it would give him a confidence-booster if nothing else. He was able to get in a lovely rhythm and the further he went, the more he enjoyed it.

“He looked like he was going to win the Ultima jumping the last and then he had a trapped epiglottis at Aintree. You can kind of forgive him getting his confidence back. He’ll go back to the Ultima now and then there’s the novice options at Aintree.

“He had some stiff tasks last year, we threw him in at the deep end on a number of occasions. In the future he could be a National horse.”

A slow season for Christian Williams took a turn for the better when Cap Du Nord (11/2) ran out a ready winner of the valuable LK Bennett Swinley Handicap Chase.

The 10-year-old had returned to form with a fine second in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster last month and built on that run with a decisive success under Jack Tudor. A seasoned campaigner, his programme almost picks itself these days but Williams decided on a change of tack this year by skipping the Coral Trophy that he won last season at Kempton in favour of this race.

Williams had been fearful he would miss the cut next week off a rating of 127 but he showed he was well capable of winning off it, bounding clear to beat Neon Moon by seven lengths.

“We think Frodon is going for the race next week which will push us out of the weights so we played our hand this week instead,” said Williams.

“It’s great to get an Ascot winner for the horse, Jack and the owners. He’s only a 125-127 rated horse but he means as much to us as a 160 horse would in another yard. He wins a big TV race for us every year.

“I bought him off a friend of mine, Pat Doyle, and as his confirmation wouldn’t be great, he wasn’t one for the sales so we bought him and it’s a great story.

“There’s no secret, every time he gets to 130 or above he cannot win a race, it’s in black and white for everyone to see. He ran well at Doncaster last time and Jack is still annoyed about not winning, so it goes to show he was unlucky that day – but he’s put it right today.”

The Cheltenham Festival could come into the equation for Irish Hill, though, after he justified 100/30 favouritism in the Ascot Racecourse Supports Box4Kids Handicap Hurdle.

Partnered by Cobden, already on the scoresheet with Oscar Elite in the Reynoldstown, Irish Hill sneaked through on the inside to hit the front two from home and was always doing enough to win by a length and three-quarters from Zoffany Bay, having his first run for 700 days.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He could go in either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe.

“I thought he won tidily and I’m not sure he was doing a whole lot in front. The third horse (Samarrive) ran a super race too.”

An emotional week for David Pipe ended on a high note with victory for Thomas Mor (10/3 joint-favourite) in the Age Concern Bracknell Handicap Hurdle.

Pipe's long-standing stable jockey and friend Tom Scudamore had announced his retirement with immediate effect on Thursday meaning that Tom O'Brien came in for the ride aboard Thomas Mor.

The six-year-old was always to the fore in the near three mile handicap and stayed on strongly to see off the challenge of Loup de Maulde with the pair finishing a long way clear.

There was a surprise result in the concluding British European Breeders' Fund EBF Mares' Open NH Flat Race which went to Politacus (15/2) for the in-form pair of Fergal O'Brien and Liam Harrison.

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