Pipe poised to play Ash hand
Ashkazar will net a £75,000 bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival after plundering the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown.
David Pipe’s four-year-old scooted home as the 100-30 favourite having made virtually all under Timmy Murphy to put connections in line for the tasty sum.
William Hill make the French import their new 2-1 favourite for Tuesday’s Fred Winter Novices’ Hurdle while totesport go 11-4, with Blue Square, Ladbrokes and VC Bet all offering 3s.
Ladbrokes also make him 5-1 from 10s for Friday’s JCB Triumph Hurdle with totesport shorter 9-2.
Pipe, who netted the bonus last year when Gaspara followed up her Imperial Cup win in the Fred Winter, said: “We didn’t think anything would go on so the plan was to be handy.
“He jumped, travelled and quickened nicely. Timmy asked him for a big one at the last and he came up for him.
“We’ll take him home and see how he is before making plans.”
Jeff Pearce is eyeing two major end-of-season Festivals with Dayia after the four-year-old finished with a wet sail in the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Mares’ NH Flat Race.
Dancingwithbubbles made a bold bid up the straight with her 7lb penalty but the 16-1 winner slowly clawed back the deficit and Philip Hide’s mount was awarded the spoils in a photo-finish.
Pearce said: “She is very genuine and has always been a nice filly.
“I lost my bottle last time when she won at 33-1 and halved my stake, but I’ve made it up with this!
“She’ll go to Aintree now for the mares’ bumper if she’s OK and I might take her out to Punchestown after that.”
Daryl Jacob partnered his first winner at the track as he executed a positive ride aboard Beshabar in the EBF Sunderlands “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final.
The jockey had experienced 14 fruitless mounts at the Esher venue in recent years, but that all changed as the Nick Williams-trained 9-1 shot made the most of his handy position to collect by a length.
Williams said: “That is it for this season and he will make a smashing chaser next year.”
There was no stopping Jacob once he found the winner’s enclosure and he was back there just 35 minutes later as the Robert and Sally Alner-trained Bowleaze ((7-2) took the Bet Online sunderlands.co.uk Handicap Chase.
An afternoon without a Paul Nicholls winner wouldn’t seem right and 10-11 favourite Takeroc made sure the champion trainer’s name was on the scoresheet when taking the Bet By SMS With sunderlands.co.uk Novices’ Chase by a yawning 19 lengths.
Dev, having his first start of 111 days, obliged as 7-4 favourite in the Sunderlands Bookmakers Sport Relief Handicap Chase.
