A review of the racing from Newbury: Imagine The Chat wins for Rebecca Curtis

News of the rest of the action from Newbury where the JP McManus owned Imagine The Chat was a well backed winner.

Imagine The Chat stepped up on his debut over fences when he appreciated a marked rise in distance in the Betfred TV Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

In a race which was not short of drama, the Rebecca Curtis-trained six-year-old handled the testing conditions best of all in the extended two-and-three-quarter-mile test.

Epic Warrior took the field along, together with Vice Et Vertu, until the the latter suffered a heavy fall down the back straight - at which point Aigle De La See also came down.

The David Pipe-trained Epic Warrior was left alone up front until the third-last, where he was passed by Sandy Beach and the eventual winner.

There was little to choose between the pair until Imagine The Chat (8/1) asserted quickly up the run-in, crossing the line seven lengths to the good.

Winning rider Sean Bowen said: "The step up in trip has helped him massively. He was flat-out over two miles last time out.

"He is a brilliant jumper and he stayed very well on that ground. It is testing out there but he went through it well."

Silvergrove (5/2 favourite) atoned for his Sandown mishap when gaining compensation with victory in the Betfred Mandarin Handicap Chase.

After parting company with Tom David late on when suffering a tack malfunction with the race at his mercy, the seven-year-old made amends with a three-quarters-of-a-length defeat of the rallying Amidon.

Trainer Ben Pauling said: "I'm very pleased. I was gutted that he was put up 7lb for not completing. He is just a tough horse and jumping is by far and away his biggest attribute.

"When David (Bass) needed him down the straight, he put up when he needed it - he just slightly idled on the run-in.

"It was gruelling out there and Newbury tacky ground is hard work.

"Races like that will take their toll, but something like the bet365 (Gold Cup, Sandown) at the end of the season might be an option."

After earlier victories for Fixe Le Cap and Barters Hill, there was to be more joy for David Bass, who completed a treble on the day when Premier Bond (10/11 favourite) struck in the concluding Betfred 1400 Shops Nationwide Charity Introductory Hurdle for Nicky Henderson.

The Lambourn handler, who was winning the race for the ninth time, said: "Rock On Ruby is the only horse that has got in our way and if he as good as him I will be happy.

"You want a horse that is on the up and he is. I think that will be the last time he runs over two miles."

Violet Dancer (15/8 favourite) made a triumphant return to the scene of his greatest success over hurdles when making it three wins from four starts over fences in the Betfred "Be Part Of The Action" Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

The five-year-old, winner of this last season's Betfair Hurdle in February, showed bags of courage to make every yard of the running and defeat Stilletto by four lengths.

Moore said: "He's a horse with a big heart. I thought he might need the run as we have been easy on him since Plumpton as I thought he was flat there.

"We will make an entry in the Arkle with him but there is also the Grand Annual.

"He will cope with all the uphill and downhill nature of Cheltenham - it's whether he copes with all the other horses around him."

Warren Greatrex's opinion that One Track Mind could develop into a Graded performer moved a step nearer after the 11/8 favourite ground out a win in the Betfred Wishes You A Happy New Year Handicap Hurdle.