James Davies claimed one of the biggest wins of his career on another excellent weekend for Welsh racing.
The West Wales-born jockey took the £100,000 two-and-a-half mile handicap chase on Trials Day at Cheltenham on the Nigel Hawke-trained Donnacha.
Davies, the son of Grand National-winning rider Hywel, took up the running on the eight-year-old entering the home straight. The hot favourite Jagwar loomed up approaching the final fence looking the likely winner, but Donnacha pulled out more on the run-in, getting the better of a sustained duel with Jagwar to win by a head.
The victory rounded off a fine few days for Davies, who had started the week with a win in the Surrey National at Lingfield on the prolific Aworkinprogress. Nick Gifford’s promising staying chaser has won seven of his last eight starts and risen 35lb in the weights in the process.
He now looks likely to be aimed at the Midlands National at Uttoxeter in March.
Ben Jones was also among the winners at Cheltenham. Jones was called up by trainer Emma Lavelle to partner Ma Shantou in the Cleeve Hurdle, with his regular rider Harry Cobden sidelined by injury. And the duo pulled right away from a classy field to win by seven lengths.
Ma Shantou is now among the market leaders for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March, though Cobden may be back on board.
Jones was narrowly denied a double in the concluding Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle, a race run in close to darkness. His mount Taurus Bay – another Ben Pauling star to be owned by Premier League legend Harry Redknapp – was edged out by a short-head by Kripticjim.
There was also plenty of Welsh cheer at Doncaster’s valuable card. James Bowen’s link-up with Warren Greatrex again paid dividends when the trainer’s improving Mighty Bandit landed the two-mile handicap chase in fine fashion.
And Rebecca Curtis was on the mark when Newton Tornado took the three-mile novices’ handicap chase in the hands of Dylan Johnston.
It proved the Curtis horses are in good form ahead of a major few days for the yard. Her great Gold Cup hope Haiti Couleurs heads to Leopardstown this weekend for his Festival warm-up.
Haiti Couleurs will tackle the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival – and a field set to include Galopin des Champs – as he looks to book his spot in the Cheltenham showpiece in March.
He already has winning form in Ireland, having won the Irish Grand National last April.
Ffos Las stage a seven-race card this Friday. It looks like being a competitive day’s racing with a total of 109 horses declared at the six-day stage, including entries from the powerful yards of Nicky Henderson, Neil Mulholland and Olly Murphy.
The first race is at 1.20pm.
