Thursday 11 February 2016 17:18, UK
News from Thursday's meeting at Doncaster where Willoughby Hedge and Winter Escape completed a double for Alan King.
Winter Escape is likely to skip the Cheltenham Festival and wait for Aintree after landing an impressive success at Doncaster.
Sent off the 1-5 favourite after winning on his debut over the course and distance two months ago, the JP McManus-owned gelding brushed aside the opposition with consummate ease in the first division of the eventmasters.co.uk Novices' Hurdle.
He was barely out of second gear for Barry Geraghty as he dispensed with Bantam by six lengths.
Winter Escape was cut from 16-1 from 25s for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle with Paddy Power but King wants to give him more experience before stepping him up in class.
"I doubt he'll go to Cheltenham. We'll have to step him up in class and get another run into him. He may have another run and then maybe go to Aintree.
"He's only had two races in his life. He has plenty to learn, but he's potentially very exciting."
King was completing a double after earlier scoring with Willoughby Hedge (4-1 favourite) in the Challenger Tracked Tractor Handicap Chase under Tom Bellamy.
The nine-year-old was having his third start since returning from two years off through injury.
"We've had to be very patient, but having had a couple of runs, it doesn't half bring them on," said King.
"We'll see if he's all right after this and plan from there."
King was also on target with My Khaleesi at Huntingdon.
Trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Nick Scholfield enjoyed a double with Rock On Oscar and Nexius with Nicholls also scoring at Huntingdon with Baoulet Delaroque.
Rock On Oscar (3-1) appreciated a drop in trip as he made all to open his account at the third attempt this term in the EBF Stallions 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier).
"He had been too keen dropped in over further, so we changed tactics and dropped him in trip. We popped him along and it's worked," said Scholfield.
Nexius (100-30) took the lead over a furlong out to lift the Larkshill Engineering Novices' Chase, which was not much of a jumping test as nine of the 15 fences were omitted due to the low sun.
"It's hard to draw conclusions from that. It was a funny race as we got racing from further out because there were no fences in the straight," said Scholfield.
"Not having many fences didn't help any of us. I think we were all disadvantaged.
"This fella wants a step up in trip as he really stayed on."
Scholfield missed out on a treble by a nose after being caught on the line on Whataknight by Richard Johnson on Emerging Force (9-2) in the Eventmasters Catering Services Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier).
"We thought he'd be a better horse on better ground, but when he won on soft ground at Fontwell we were happy enough. It was very wet that day," said winning trainer Harry Whittington.
"He's still growing physically and needs to fill his frame which is why he finds heavy ground a bit of a struggle.
"I'm thrilled with that. He'll have one more run this season and go chasing next season."
Ian Popham gave Muthabir (13-8) a confident ride as Richard Phillips's six-year-old took the second division.
Muthabir looked like winning cosily until The Last Bar threatened at the last but was warded off by a length and three-quarters.
Phillips said: "He won his bumper well at Southwell last year, but getting his jumping together has taken a bit of time.
"He's improved with each run and is getting his confidence up. Ian Popham has done a lot of work with him at home. I bought the horse off my first ever boss Graham Thorner, so I'm delighted.
"He's not the biggest but he's strengthening all the time. I'd like to think he'd get better on better ground."
Ian Williams is set to turn out No Ceiling (3-1 favourite) quickly at Musselburgh next Wednesday after the six-year-old bounded away with the Eventmasters Hospitality Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle under Toby Wheeler.
"He looked a winner likely to happen when he ran at Warwick in his first start for us," said Williams.
"He's not going to get a penalty because it's a conditional jockeys race and the handicapper is going to put him up a good bit. He's in at Musselburgh so if he comes out of it OK, he'll be on his travels."
