Undersupervision swooped late to land the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster.
Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by his son Sam, Undersupervision travelled well throughout the three-and-a-quarter-mile test and eventually denied the game Mister Malarky in a thrilling finish.
The runner-up had looked to be struggling through the early stages as Le Milos and Legends Gold set the early pace, but once Mister Malarky got into a rhythm for Harry Bannister, he made swift progress and grabbed a useful lead with a handful of fences still to jump.
Grand National hopeful Cloth Cap briefly looked as though he might mount a challenge, but the top weight was toiling two from home as Undersupervision emerged as the only real challenger.
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Mister Malarky was still in front a stride before the last, but Undersupervision jumped by him and under strong driving from Twiston-Davies, he eventually prevailed by a length and three-quarters.
Cloth Cap kept on for a distant third while favourite Storm Control was pulled up.
The winner is entered for both the Ultima Handicap Chase and the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival, with Betfair making him a 12/1 chance from 25s for the first-named event.
“He’s been really good all season and now he’s gone up the handicap a bit. He got punished for coming second in a novice, which I didn’t think they could do but somehow they did,” Twiston-Davies said.
“He’s gone really well since, he’s been very unlucky not to have won one, but it’s great to get his head in front today. He’s won by far enough, it was poor riding on my behalf as it’s quite easy just to pull your stick through but it’s a Grimthorpe, you just want to win, it’s a prestigious race.
“It’s my fault so I’ll take that, he was looking round in front which was a shame but at least he’s got his head in front. He’s entered (at Cheltenham) but he won’t go, it was all about today.”
Twiston-Davies received a three-day ban (March 19-21 inclusive) for careless riding in the finish.
Listed glory for Fonzerelli
Rebecca Menzies’ Fonzerelli landed Listed honours at Doncaster after taking the Virgin Bet Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle under Nathan Moscrop.
The bay was a winner last time out at Newcastle over two and a half miles with a six-length victory under the same jockey in another mares’ novice hurdle.
At Town Moor, the six-year-old seemed to relish the step up to three miles when jumping well and staying on to defeat Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic by half a length at 18/1.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits“She’s absolutely gorgeous, I can’t fault her at all, she’s been brilliant from the day I got her,” Menzies said of the 18-1 shot. Obviously it was dropping her in the deep end today against these, but we knew she was good and we knew that two and a half (miles) last time would be her minimum and she won very well.
“We thought we’d take our chance to get some black type if we could and it’s worked, she’s won impressively. She’s got bags of stamina, she’s a clean-winded mare, she’s very sound and easy to train – she’s just a delight.
“We said to the owners that anything she achieved over hurdles this year would be a bonus as she’s a very good jumper over a fence, so she’ll be one to look forward to in the novice chases next year.”
