Newtide took advantage of the last-fence fall of Boldmere to score a fortunate victory in the William Hill Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby.
Kim Bailey's stout stayer appeared booked for an honourable second place when the hat-trick-seeking Boldmere held a three-length lead only to fall at the last in the Grade Two feature over three miles.
Bailey voiced his sympathy for Boldmere's trainer Caroline Bailey, and fellow connections of the 5-2 favourite, after Newtide (9-2) had then kept on with great determination under David Bass to win by four and a quarter lengths from long-time leader Ardlethen.
"We were lucky," said the Cotswolds trainer.
"Sorry, Caroline Bailey deserved to win that. But we've picked up a Grade Two, which we probably shouldn't have done.
"We've run very well, though, and I'm delighted for the horse and his owners."
Newtide lands the Grade 2 William Hill Towton Novices' Chase for @kimbaileyracing and David Bass
— Wetherby Racecourse (@WetherbyRaces) February 1, 2020
👏🐎👏 pic.twitter.com/UkTgmvtfLh
Newtide, winner of his only previous start over fences from just two rivals at Ffos Las in November, holds entries at the Cheltenham Festival in both the RSA and National Hunt chases.
Bailey, however, is already looking longer term to a future Welsh Grand National with the rangy seven-year-old.
Asked for the winning jockey's post-race thoughts, Bailey added: "He said he kept on staying - which we knew he would do.
"But I don't think he'd have won.
"So I'm not going to stand up there and say we would have won - we would have been second, and a worthy second.
"You need a bit of luck occasionally."
As for the future, Bailey is likely to take a patient approach - unless there is a deluge at Cheltenham next month.
He said: "He's a soft-ground horse - he's certainly not an RSA horse.
"He's a proper, old-fashioned four-mile chaser. So if conditions were suitable, we might think about that (National Hunt Chase).
"He doesn't have any respect for his fences. He's so big - they look so small on him.
"But long term, he's a Welsh National-type horse, isn't he - in bottomless ground?"
