First Flow put up a remarkable performance to outrun a clutch of established Grade One stars for victory in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
Kim Bailey’s nine-year-old mud-lover was stepping up to the top level over fences for the first time in his career, but extended his winning sequence to six — taking on reigning Champion Chase hero Politologue from a long way out and staying on to win by seven lengths at 14-1.
First Flow, ridden in trademark style by the dynamic David Bass, was also providing the popular Bailey with his first Grade One success since Master Oats won the 1995 Cheltenham Gold Cup for him.
Paul Nicholls’ 11-8 favourite Politologue led early, and First Flow was always his nearest pursuer — as the pair built up a sizeable lead over the rest of the eight-strong field in the back straight.
Relishing the soft conditions, First Flow took over on the turn towards home and stayed on with great determination to repel all challengers, with Politologue second and Waiting Patiently just holding on for third ahead of the closing Fanion D’Estruval.
Meanwhle at Haydock Royale Pagaille looks a horse destined for the very top judged on a brilliant display in the Peter Marsh Chase.
The French import was beaten on his first two starts for trainer Venetia Williams and leading owner Rich Ricci last season, but appears much improved this winter, with this his third successive victory.
A novice chase success on Merseyside was followed by an emphatic victory on his handicap debut at Kempton over the Christmas period — and even a 16lb hike in the weights to a lofty mark of 156 was nowhere near enough to stop him completing his hat-trick in devastating style.
Initially ridden with restraint by Tom Scudamore, Royale Pagaille jumped and travelled with such fluency that he tanked his way to the from racing down the back straight for the second time.
While most of his rivals had cried enough in the ultra-testing conditions rounding the home turn, Scudamore’s mount was remarkably still full of running — and safely negotiated the remaining obstacles in the straight to score by 16 lengths.
Scudamore said: “To do that in this ground — win off a mark of 156 by 16 lengths — is very impressive. You don’t get too many horses that are able to do that.
“I don’t know him well enough to know if this ground is important to him, but he’s handled it well enough today.
“He’s jumped from fence to fence and travelled so well. He’d got them cooked at the top of the straight.
“It was a huge thrill and a pleasure to be able to ride him today.”
The seven-year-old has several options at the Cheltenham Festival, having been entered for three of the four novice chases, as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup - for which Coral go as short as 12-1.
Navajo Pass inflicted a surprise defeat on the returning Buveur D’Air in Haydock’s The New One Unibet Hurdle.
Donald McCain’s winner was sent off the 4-1 outsider of three to beat dual Champion Hurdle hero Buveur D’Air and Ballyandy — who took this Grade Two 12 months ago.
But forceful tactics paid off as Navajo Pass led from the outset and kept enough in reserve to see off Buveur D’Air, who challenged after the last hurdle but could not reel in his rival and had to settle for a four-and-a-quarter length second.
Sent off the 8-11 favourite, Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air was having his first run in 14 months, since suffering an injury that required surgery when also beaten at short odds in the 2019 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
A thrilled McCain said of his Sean Quinlan-ridden winner: “He’s going to be a very smart horse.
“This is a season where you usually get lost a bit because it’s his first season out of juvenile hurdles. We’ve been running in handicaps with huge weights and today he was taking on two horses that were twice his age!
“It’s hard, but we knew he was fit, we knew he could jump and we knew he was in good nick after winning up at Musselburgh.
“We could have floated round for third, but I spoke to Tim (Leslie, owner) before and we said we’d take a punt and make it a test and see what happens.
“We were obviously counting on Buveur D’Air needing the run in bad old Haydock ground. To get the old horse back from the injury he had is a big effort from Nicky and his team.
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We just came here thinking there was nowhere else to go before the spring festivals and it’s worked out.”
Navajo Pass is not entered in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Asked whether supplementing was a possibility, McCain added: “We’ll speak to Tim. I don’t think he’s a Champion Hurdle horse — I don’t think he’s got the natural speed for a Champion Hurdle, but I might be wrong.
“My first thoughts were he’s going to be more suited to Aintree, if anywhere. I know Tim likes Aintree and we love Aintree, obviously.
“We’ll just enjoy today for now. I can’t emphasise enough that he’s next year’s horse.”
Bookmaker reaction to the comeback defeat of Buveur D’Air saw his ante-post price for this year’s Champion Hurdle double from 10-1 to 20-1 with Betfair and Paddy Power.
Henderson said: “Of course we’re disappointed, but the winner set a really good gallop and I think they were going as fast as they could behind him, to be honest.
“It looked as though he (Buveur D’Air) was going to get there comfortably, but when he got to the last he just had a big blow.
“That ground is not for him, but he’s done well and his jumping was as good as ever — he jumped every hurdle like he used to.
“I’d expect him to come on hugely. He’ll definitely still go for the Champion Hurdle and he won’t run beforehand.”
