Review of the racing from Leicester: Hit The Highway aims at Cheltenham Festival

News from Tuesday afternoon's meeting at Leicester where Hit The Highway started out on the road to Cheltenham.

Giles Smyly is dreaming of having a runner at the Cheltenham Festival after Hit The Highway put up a game performance to win for the second time at Leicester.

Successful at the Midlands venue four weeks earlier, the seven-year-old followed up in gutsy fashion as he took the Croxton Park Novices' Hurdle.

Hit The Highway (5-4 favourite) kept pulling out more for Tom Cannon as he shrugged off Knockgraffon by three lengths.

"I've put a speculative entry in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham," said the Broadway trainer.

"It's not a silly idea, but he has got a bit more to prove first. We'll try to step him up in grade for one more run and then see where we are.

"He's very laid-back and as lazy as hell at home. He only does what he absolutely has to, but he does come alive at the races.

"I was a bit worried as he had to do his own donkey work as there wasn't any obvious pace, but he is quite willing to do that."

The David Pipe-trained Doctor Harper (8-11 favourite) registered his first success over fences at the third attempt when seeing off two rivals in the Dick Christian Novices' Chase.

Doctor Harper, who had finished second to two classy types in L'Ami Serge and Garde La Victoire on his two previous starts, made no mistake as he won tidily under Tom Scudamore by four and a half lengths from Deep Trouble.

Scudamore said: "For a horse that wasn't the most natural over hurdles he's learning quickly over fences. He jumped those really well.

"It's great to have him back. He had the best part of two years off the track and yet is still showing the same zest.

"I was just conscious of the two in front getting away and him being tapped for toe, but once he's got to the fences again he's attacked them."

Sky Bet cut Doctor Harper for a raft of Cheltenham Festival races and he is now 14/1 (from 16s) for the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase, 12/1 (from 16s) for the CHAPS Novices' Handicap Chase, 20/1 (from 40s) for the Pertemps Final and 12/1 (from 16s) for the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.

The Leeds-based firm also offer 8/1 that Doctor Harper wins any race at the Cheltenham Festival this March.

Tara Flow outpointed market rival The Organist to take the honours in the British Stallion Studs EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.

The pair were expected to outclass the other two runners and so it proved, with the Venetia Williams-trained Tara Flow (5-4) six lengths too good for Oliver Sherwood's charge.

The Organist made the running, but was a sitting duck in the straight for Tara Flow who led after jumping the third-last flight before going on to land a cosy success in the hands of Aidan Coleman.

"She's very straightforward and she loves that ground, which is a big help," said Coleman.

"We haven't had her that long. I've not ridden her on her better ground yet, but she does like this ground."

Sherwood said of the runner-up: "We were beaten by a better horse. I don't think we should have dropped her back in trip, but we've learned something.

"She won't go for the new mares' race at Cheltenham as it's over two miles. If it was over two and a half we'd have gone for it.

"She'll get a handicap mark now, which will be interesting. Probably the mares' final at Newbury in March would be something to look at."

Irish-born rider Gareth Malone enjoyed his first success in Britain when steering Norse Light home in the Humberstone Handicap Hurdle.

The 7lb claiming conditional jockey had finished second on Norse Light (4-1 co-favourite) in his two previous races and went one better with a patient ride on the David Dennis-trained gelding.

The pacesetting Akula proved a tough customer but Malone cajoled the five-year-old to go on after jumping the last and they got the verdict by a neck.

"I didn't want to hit the front too soon. When he got to the front he pricked his ears, but it worked out well," said Malone.

"It's tough out there, but it wasn't too much of a bother for him. He had run well on heavy ground at Taunton last time.

"I've had nine winners in Ireland, one in France and now this."

Dennis said: "Gareth joined us in early December from Charlie Longsdon. He used to ride for Arthur Moore in Ireland. He's a good lad and claims 7lb. I thought he did nothing wrong the last twice he's ridden him.

"He was unlucky at Uttoxeter in a hands-and-heels race when he just gave him a clip down the shoulder and got a seven-day ban.

"He's got compensation today."

Ballyrath (5-2 joint-favourite) bounced back from a poor run at Warwick where he did not take to the visor with a convincing win in the SIS Handicap Chase.

Leading before the fourth-last, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old bounded away to score by nine lengths from Buckhorn Tom under Sam Twiston-Davies.

"He jumped really well and he likes a test of stamina," said the winning trainer.

"The handicapper might be a bit rude to him, so I think we'll have a look at running him again quite soon."

Black Narcissus (9-4 favourite) just held Loves Destination by a neck under 5lb claimer Mikey Hamill to supplement two wins over fences in the Brook Conditional Jockeys' Mares' Handicap Hurdle.

"She was going to run over fences at Fontwell on Sunday but it was called off. She's done us proud," said trainer Alex Dunn.