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Classy Classico a Live! one for Aintree

Chianti Classico (11/4 favourite) defied a rating of 152 and top-weight to win the feature Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot.

Kim Bailey's charge had enjoyed a fine first season over fences, winning his first two starts - including one over course and distance - before adding to his tally in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival; he signed off with a fourth-placed finish in a Grade One at Aintree.

Tom Bellamy jumped Chianti Classico out in front and the pair enjoyed an uncontested lead. A handful of his rivals attempted to lay down a challenge in the home straight but Chianti Classico always appeared to have their measure and ran on resolutely to win by three lengths.

Highstakesplayer, four from five over fences coming into the race, was his closest pursuer and may have finished nearer still but for a slight error at the second last. It was only on the run to the line that he was put in his place by the winner. He pulled over a length clear off Neon Moon who travelled into the race strongly but was found wanting in the heat of the battle.

"Absolutely class," said Bellamy. "I was a passenger to be honest, I'm not going to take any credit. I slowed him up where I could because every time he saw a fence we were flying and he's as fit as he possibly could be, he's been away from home and stuff, but it's still his first run of the season so I'd have looked an idiot if I'd gone and really pressed on and walked in. So I gave him his breathers when I could but I'm not going to take too much credit because I was a passenger.

"That's the beauty of an easy lead, you can dictate and you're not having to go and look for silly strides; you're just sat there and he measures them up himself. If I wanted to go and pop one to give him a blow I could because sometimes if someone is half a length down and pushing you along you end up forcing things and it all goes to pot.

"It was just fantastic fun.

"That wasn't the plan to make the running. Mr Bailey said to me beforehand last year he ended up in front at the first, pecked a bit and scared himself; he did win but he never got into that fluent rhythm. So I got a lead over the first and then I'd say he was cursing me after that but we put it right in the end."

Bailey is hoping that Chianti Classico will develop into an Aintree contender, saying: "This horse will stay forever, I've always looked on this horse as being a Grand National horse. The handicapper might have a say in that because you certainly wouldn't want to be carrying a huge amount of weight in the Grand National.

"We'll mull it over. We were planning on going to the Becher Chase after today but we'll see.

"Tom started riding out for me when he was 13 years old so I've known him for a long time and he's always kept on coming in. When David (Bass) decided to move on and do his own thing we sat wondering for a while and Tom was riding out and it sort of fitted in; thankfully it's gone very well. His first day officially riding for me was at Worcester and he rode three winners. He's a very talented rider, he's had plenty of experience, he has a cool head on him and he's a horseman."

It all pointed to Martator

There was a second winner of the season for Venetia Williams when Martator (6/1) lifted the Byrne Group Handicap Chase under Charlie Deutsch.

The Sporting Life daily tipsters Punting Pointers had advised a 1pt win on Martator citing the good stable form of this time last year reasoning 'there’s no reason we shouldn’t be backing her runners blind again'.

Uncle Phil took the field along until a blunder down the back straight left Issar d'Airy in front and the Moores' runner led them into the straight having been stalked by top-weight and favourite Master Chewy. Martator, who completed a hat-trick in March and April, moved into contention on the outside but a slight blunder at the second last halted his momentum.

Deutsch gave him the time to find his stride again and the pair were alongside the leader at the last which they met well before running on strongly to win by a length and three quarters from Issair d'Airy and stablemate Kotmask. Master Chewy was fourth.

Williams said: "The higher quality your horses, the less your opportunities and the easier in fact to pick the races so I gave the owners a fortnight's notice which is big for me! He's one of the few horses that I'm happy enough to run on this sort of ground, we don't have many.

"He's a very small horse, he's usually the smallest in any race he's in and he's light on his feet. He needed to (improve for his summer break) really because this is obviously a step up again and he's won so....

"He's an extraordinary horse. When he's out in this huge field which is in front of my horse, when I walk in there - there are twenty odd horses there - I can guarantee that the first horse that will come out of the pack and come and say good morning, how are you? is Martator. He's really inquisitive and that's probably why the cheekpieces help him a little because it gives him less opportunity to be inquisitive to everything all around him."

Seriously good

Bhaloo (6/4) battled back to deny 5/4 favourite Bad in the Ascot Underwriting Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

Nico de Boinville was positive aboard the winner who enjoyed a good duel with the runner-up throughout. In the straight it appeared as though Bad was going to gain a deserved success after a frustrating sequence over hurdles that saw him finish second or third in four consecutive starts, flattering to deceive on occasion.

The pair jumped the last two together but Bad, who hit the front going to the last, couldn't hold off the challenge of Bhaloo who had pulled a length clear by the line.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson said: "That was good, good start. I always feel quite brave bringing novices here first time, I've never been convinced about it, but he was good. Nico gave him a wonderful ride, that was education, education and more education and by the time they got to the racing bit, his confidence was up.

"We have got, I think, a real big bunch of seriously good novice chasers, it's just a matter of where we slot them all in and the ground is interfering. It's about getting a run into them all.

"He's lovely. We love him. He's a family pet. He's still on a learning curve, how far he'd get I wouldn't be too sure but I wouldn't want to go down to two with him."

Champ delights Gordons

De Boinville and Henderson had to settle for second in the Lavazza Handicap Hurdle as Break My Soul was narrowly denied by Our Champ (10/1).

The Sussex Champion Hurdle winner was trained by Chris Gordon and ridden by son Freddie and showed the benefit of a pipe-opener at Market Rasen in September.

The two had the race between them after the last and despite having the rail to help, Break My Soul was worn down close home by the top-weight.

Secret Squirrel, 7/2 joint-favourite, was a little laboured in third - fellow market leader Fiercely Proud was in contention when falling - ahead of Afadil in fourth.

Techno hit

James Owen's good form continued when Ballytechno (7/1) ran out a ready winner of the Grundon Waste Management Conditional Jockeys' Novices' Handicap Hurdle under Calum Hogan.

It was a first rider over jumps in Britain for Hogan who told Sky Sports Racing: "I have to thank Aidan Coleman for this, he text me Tuesday or Wednesday morning to see if I'd come over Saturday to ride one and I said 'of course'. I'm delighted to get one over here.

"The gallop we were going, I was just sitting soft where I was because he was switched off and jumping well for the rhythm. Missed two down the side, he kind of launched at the two, but I had no room and it was probably my own fault but after that I wheeled him out wide.

"He's done it very well, I probably got there a minute too soon and he was having a look at the stand but he was impressive."

Hopefully we can ignore Chepstow

Clap Of Thunder (5/6 favourite) was a costly failure at Chepstow but set the record straight in the GL Events Novices' Hurdle under a confident Sam Twiston-Davies.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' charge was a very disappointing beaten favourite on last month's hurdling debut but moved easily to the front on this occasion and was held together by his jockey. The penalised runner-up Illegal d'Ainay ensured that he didn't have everything his own way and stuck to his task but never looked like posing a live threat to the eventual four and three quarter length winner.

"He's progressed a lot from Chepstow to today," said Sam Twiston-Davies.

"With the horse coming out it did look like a nice opportunity for him but most importantly he jumped nicely, travelled well and won as he liked so hopefully keep progressing.

"I put him up early in the season as my horse to follow so when he trailed in a very poor fourth at Chepstow I was really questioning my judgement but the way he's gone through the race there and the way he's won is the sort of horse I thought we had so now hopefully we can ignore Chepstow.

"It's nice to have horses like him winning over hurdles and you know one day when you do jump a fence you're going to find a bit more progression again."

Only six runners went to post for the Ascot Round Table Open National Hunt Flat Race but all six were in with a chance as they raced through the wings of the final flight.

The Paul Nicholls trained Kajikia (17/2) proved fleetest of foot in the dash to the line, beating Eternal Angel by a neck to provide jockey Jay Tidball with his first winner for the stable.

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