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Sparkling start from Jukebox

Ben Jones punched the air in celebration as he crossed the line after The Jukebox Man made a sparkling start to his chasing career in the Coral John Francome Novices' Chase.

He produced a fine round of jumping - including when going long at one down the far side - and one-by-one his much-vaunted rivals cracked.

Masaccio emerged as the main threat going to the last but the biggest worry for the leader was his hanging to his left after landing clear.

Jones managed to get him across the Elbow in time and the 9/4 joint-favourite was never in any danger as he went on to score by two lengths.

The winning rider told ITV Racing: "That was unbelievable. He's been so, so good at home, a little too brave and he took a chance at the water and one down the back and I'd say that's done him the world of good.

"He managed his fences really well after that. He's the best horse I've ever sat on without a shadow of doubt and I felt like I cantered round and quickened up the home straight.

Winning trainer Ben Pauling said: “I always thought I hadn’t had one as good as Barters Hill as he was an exceptional talent and I think this one might be the same. There is loads to work on. He was a bit close to the first few. He was almost in hurdling mode, then he became stupidly big and bold and Ben did well to rein him in and just get him to pop them down the back, but that just got a blow into him as well.

“He is a big horse and this is his first run of the season. He will improve a ton as all mine do. It could be quite exciting from here on hopefully. We are not always right, but I had in my head that he wasn’t just a dour stayer. We ran him in the Albert Bartlett and he got collared late home.

“At home he is as slow as a hearse, but on the track he finds another gear. I thought he had a touch of class and dropping him back to two and a half miles was always my plan. I was unsure on this ground whether we would have the gears, but it looks like we did so it opens up a lot of other options.

“He is by Ask and they are a bit quirky and he does that (hang a bit left) for no apparent reason. One thing I said to Ben (Jones) is that if you get into a battle, don’t try and pull him right handed as he will lug into it.

“I still think if we had ducked in behind Captain Teague in the Challow Hurdle he would have gone by, but we kept trying to pull him around and interrupt his stride. You were supposed to have seen him once already, then here and then somewhere around Christmas. He is the sort of horse I could go to Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown with as he is as hard as nails.

“We are not going to fall into the trap of not running a good horse because he enjoys his racing more than his work at home, but at the same time we will be campaigning him properly. We’ve lost the Dipper and that would be the obvious route. It leaves Kempton on the cards, but there are other options."

Stroll survives scare

Regent's Stroll survived a scare at the second last to make a winning start to his career over timber at Newbury.

Unbeaten in two bumpers and bought for 660,000 guineas to stay in the Paul Nicholls ranks at the Chris Giles dispersal sale, the 4/11 favourite impressed with how well he travelled and jumped for the majority of the contest.

However he got the penultimate obstacle all wrong, but stayed upright and was able to regather himself and pull nine-and-a-half lengths clear of main market rival Good And Clever under hands and heels riding from Harry Cobden.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 16/1 from 25s for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nicholls said: “It was amazing how he picked up after that mistake two out. He has ended up winning well, but he is a good horse. He is only a novice and he will learn from that. I was always going to go for the Challow Hurdle back here afterwards, but Harry (Cobden) said don’t be afraid to stay at two miles.

“Aintree is a sharp track, but it is always soft there and he does love soft ground, so the Grade One on Boxing Day there is a possibility. I’ll be interested to see how Quebecois runs in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown next Friday. That will tell us whether he is good enough to go for the Challow Hurdle or if we need to go somewhere else with him. Apart from the mistake he made I thought he was brilliant today.”

Kalif gets it right this time

The same team completed a quickfire double when Kalif Du Berlais won the Coral Racing Club Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

A faller on his chasing debut at Carlisle, the promising four-year-old went to the front three out but had to dig deep to see off the persistent challenge of Tedley.

However the 10/11 favourite found plenty under the Cobden drive after the last to come out on top by three-quarters-of-a-length.

Nicholls said: “He will go up in trip one day, but he is only four. He has had a pretty tough 18 days as he went all the way up to Carlisle and had a horrific fall, which amazed me how he got over it.

"We have done a lot of schooling with him since and now I can back off him a bit and find another race in a month or so for him somewhere. He will get two and a half miles, but being a four year old I don’t see any reason to go too far up in trip yet, but he does gallop strong. He jumped brilliantly today.

“He was a bit unlucky the other day. He was a bit fresh and he tried to come up where the horse in front did, as he has got a lot of scope. The first day we schooled him after that fall you could tell he had learnt from it as he was clever.

“The first time I ran Master Minded he did the same thing at the first ditch at Exeter. He was a bit brave and slammed straight into it, but those good horses learn.

“He is a shell of a horse as he is only four and he can only improve. We just need to look after him. I loved the attitude he showed at the end as he dug deep and kept galloping. He is learning all the time.”

Opec proves far too good

She may have been the stable string according to the betting, but Opec proved utterly dominant in the 'Bet In-Race' With Coral Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle.

Sean Bowen, wearing the distinguishing red cap for the Gredleys, was in control throughout the home straight aboard James Owen's charge and it was clear two out they had the race in safe-keeping.

Stablemate Ambiente Amigo was her nearest pursuer at that stage but the 11/8 favourite eventually tired into third as Prairie Angel came through from the rear of the field but she was still eight lengths adrift of the unextended winner at the line.

Owen said: “On the Flat you would think they would finish the other way around and at home you would think they would finish the other way around, but it is amazing what a hurdle can do to a horse. She is Allmankind’s full sister and she loves to jump.

“She made a few mistakes there, but she is pretty relentless, and she likes the soft ground. It was a good performance, but she has blown her handicap mark. I was pleased with the other filly as she was a little bit keen early on, but she boxed on. They have both got black type now so my job is done. We have just got to look for the next races now.

“I was pleased with them both as they are totally different characters. Opec is a galloper, as is Ambiente Friendly, but she just needs to learn to do it right; however we will sort that out. There is another Listed race like this at Doncaster at the end of January, but we will see where we go with them.

“Opec might as well keep running as she is learning all the time. They will both run two more times then hopefully go to the Cheltenham Festival in whatever races they might be. We have a good team with some nice younger horses which is great and they are all running well."

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