Treble delight for O’Neills, on Chepstow card with much to savour
It was a day for old favourites and young bucks coming good at Chepstow on Friday, highlighted by a 171-1 treble for the Jonjo O’Neill yard.
Inch House, Monbeg Genius and Beachcomber maintained the popular trainer’s good form, the trio ridden by his son, Jonjo Jr.
The former edged out The Newest One in a driving finish to the Vickers.Bet Independent Family Owned Bookmaker Novices’ Hurdle.
Inch House was winning at the third time of asking, but it was in the balance until the dying strides, with the 5-1 chance going on to score by three-quarters of a length.
The winning jockey said: “I think the step up to three miles would suit him and he is a chaser for next year.”
In another pulsating finish, Monbeg Genius (10-11 favourite) defied top weight in the Follow Vikers.Bet On Facebook Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase to beat Stormy Flight by a length and a quarter.
O’Neill Jr feels he could be one for the Midlands National at Uttoxeter in due course.
He said: “He is improving. He acted on the ground, but I would say he is better on softer. He idled a little bit after the last, but we were fairly trapping up the home straight and he was jumping nicely.
“I’m not sure what’s next for him, but the Midlands National might suit him, maybe. He wants softer ground than this, but it will always be safe at that meeting.”
The treble was completed by Beachcomber, the 14-1 shot slamming his rivals by 16 lengths in the concluding bumper.
O’Neill said: “We thought he’d run well at Carlisle (on debut) but he ran shocking. We had no clue why.
“We gave him a bit of time. He is quite nervy but he could be a nice horse, hopefully. There are no plans. That was the plan.
“It has been a nice day, It would have been nicer had it been four, or five. It is nice when they are running well, they may not all win, but it’s good to see them running well.”
Two equine veterans also struck, with 11-year-old Skinflint winning for the first time under rules at the 17th attempt, taking advantage of bottom weight as he routed his 12 rivals.
Though up in grade and with cheekpieces back on, Bryan Carver rode the 15-2 shot positively and the Henry Oliver-trainee powered away with a faultless round of jumping to score by 10 lengths from Ballinsker.
Age also proved no barrier to Max Dynamo (14-1), with the 13-year-old a runaway 25-length winner of the Vickers.Bet Handicap Chase.
Harrison Beswick, sporting the famous white, black and pink colours carried by the Wilson family’s four-time Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler Willie Wumpkins, allowed the Emma-Jane Bishop-trained gelding his head and he fairly scooted clear in the three miles and two furlongs event.
Owner Melinda Wilson, wife of the late Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Jim Wilson, said: “It was not really expected. You hope, but he’s never, ever made the running before.
“We said to Harrison to take his orders from the horse. He jumped himself to the front and you don’t want to take a pull. He’s only got one gear. He is maturing with age, like a fine wine.”
A young star also emerged in the shape of Doyen Star, who remained unbeaten and made every single yard of the running in the Download Vickers.bet App EBF Novices’ Hurdle under Adam Wedge.
The five-year-old Doyen gelding, owned by William Rucker, never looked in any danger as he led his rivals a merry dance to score by two and a half lengths.
The only surprise to trainer Evan Williams was Doyen Star’s generous 15-2 odds.
“He might be a very nice horse for the spring,” said the Llancarfan handler.
“He has done it well within himself. He has a good way of going, he has a nice way about him. I’d been waiting for a bit of decent ground with him.
“I just think he’s got a little bit up his sleeve. He’d beat a selling plater the same as he’d beat a good horse. It will be very interesting to see how it all pans out for him.
“I wanted to run him, as he is in a few races at Cheltenham. He had to go and do something under a penalty to even warrant thinking about that.”
