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Salver delivers in Finale

Salver (5/4 favourite) made relatively light work of the testing conditions to win the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle.

Always to the fore in the Grade Two contest, Salver swept clear of Balboa and toiling Irish raider Harsh before the final flight and went on to extend his advantage, eventually winning by 21 lengths.

Salver, trained by Gary Moore and ridden by Caoilin Quinn, is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles and was providing his trainer with a second win in the race (formerly a Grade One) in three seasons.

Winning owner Keith Graves said: "I can't believe it. Gary said have a look at this horse and I bought it, it's three on the spin and he looks like he can go on.

"Jockey just said 'I think I could have gone faster' which is nice. It was a shame about the (forecast) favourite (Burdett Road, a non-runner) but you can only beat what's there and our paths will obviously cross in the future so we'll see what happens."

Salver was cut to 16/1 from 33s by Betfair Sportsbook for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“I think he is special, a very nice horse,” said Moore. “Whether he is best on heavy ground when other horses aren’t, that is the only thing that worries me.

“I couldn’t care less if I run him again this year, he’s a great big horse and what he has done has kind of surprised me, he’s won that well. I think it’s because he goes so well and his jumping was outstanding – he winged every hurdle.

“He could be anything, but I won’t spoil him this year because he could be a nice horse for next year.”

Tenacious D

Quel Destin (7/1) got the better of three rivals to win the Coral Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden.

Market leader Good Risk At All didn't appear to be on a going day and was never competitive while War Lord was never better than third. Popular veteran First Flow jumped out in front but was tracked by Quel Destin who appeared to be going by far the better of the pair in the straight.

However, the eventual winner was outjumped by First Flow but kept coming back for more under Cobden. They finally got the upper hand between the final two fences allowing Quel Destin a little leeway at the last but the eight-year-old began to tie up - or pull himself up - with the winning line in sight, allowing the gallant second to close to within four lengths.

"He loves that heavy ground," Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. "He had a lightweight and they were always going to go quick so I was hoping he was going to follow it up (his win at Fontwell); ideal conditions for him. The blinkers have just sharpened him up a bit, doesn't do a whole heap in front either.

"He needed his first run back as he always does, he's a tank of a thing. The key to him is heavy ground and probably a smallish field. Do you remember him winning the Finale as a three-year-old? He's been an amazing horse for connections."

Ditto delights

Ito Ditto (4/1) made almost every yard of the running in the Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices' Hurdle. Favourite Jackpot D'athou had been due to contest a Grade One at Aintree on Boxing Day but missed that race due to the testing conditions; connections, keen to get a run into him, allowed him to take his chance despite similar going but Cobden was sending out the distress signals before they turned for home.

In contrast, the relatively experienced Ito Ditto - trained by Nicky Martin and ridden by James Bowen - was swinging along in front from Imperial Saint; the latter tried to mount a challenge approaching the last but lost all chance when hanging to his left, finishing three and a quarter lengths adrift - there were 16 lengths back to the third.

Bowen, fresh from riding a first career Grade One winner yesterday, said: "We were hopeful, we knew he had the potential to do something like that but on paper it looked an impossible task. We knew he'd improve and he's improved a lot this season and he's proved it today.

"He quite likes making the running. I probably went a bit slow on him last time because he's normally quite keen but now he just drops the bit and you can keep clicking away. We went a good gallop for the ground and he's a strong stayer. We'll try and find a nice handicap for him."

Rest of the action

Connections of Classic Concorde (7/1) must have had their hearts in their mouths in the closing stages of the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle as the in-form 10-year-old allowed his rivals another bite of the cherry having gone clear.

However, once J'Ai Froid and Tanganyika were back within hailing distance, Classic Concorde consented to run on again for Connor Brace, going on to win by two and a half lengths. Trained and owned by David Brace, Classic Concorde was winning for the fifth time in six starts.

Minella Blueway (85/40 favourite) had the opening Maiden Hurdle sewn up some way from home. The Evan Williams trained winner travelled smoothly in behind the leaders before taking control of the race in the home straight, galloping on strongly to win by 11 lengths under Adam Wedge.

Zambezi Fix (7/2) survived a blunder two from home to get the better of a good tussle with You Say Nothing to win the New Bet-In-Race With Coral Handicap Chase.

The runner-up was back in front jumping the last but Robert Williams gathered his mount up for a renewed challenge and Bernard Llewellyn's charge powered past his rival on the run to the line to record a five-length success.

"Really pleased, good family effort, we all work together as a family for Grandad and the horses so we're all really pleased, a big day," said Williams.

The winning trainer added: "Too many seconds, nice to see him winning. Robert was quite confident, he said 'I'm going to win it' and he did!"

Only four runners faced the starter for the closing bumper but it produced a stirring finish with David Maxwell and Queensbury Boy (6/5 joint-favourite), trained by Harry Derham, only getting the better of market rival Rocking Man in the final half a furlong; the winning margin was a length and a quarter.

Maxwell said: "I knew I was going to win turning in! Harry had said to me 'right David when you get to the second last pull alongside him but do not kick clear until you get to the last'.

"I got upsides him by three out and I thought 'oh God there's still another three to come' but there was only so long I could hold onto him. We were up before the last but he kept plugging on well. He doesn't do a lot in front, Harry said he just gets to the front and waits, but nice horse.

"Harry had him absolutely spot on. Good young trainer, he knows when they're going to win, can't fault him. The only problem is going to be, quite soon, getting horses into the yard because he's full and doesn't have enough boxes!"

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