Hales is hearty after Bourbon Beauty outshines rivals for Old Stoics club

This season was already one to remember for Alex Hales, but it got even sweeter when Bourbon Beauty outshone her rivals in the Grade 2 mares' novice hurdle.

Hales also won a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in November with For Pleasure and the victory of Bourbon Beauty was his 21st of the campaign, a personal best.

"I'm delighted for the owners and the team at home. It's been hard work, so to have winners like that is great," Hales said.

"It's massively important for the yard to have days like this, winning races on ITV. As a trainer you want to keep upgrading, so hopefully someone's watching and taking notice!"

Bourbon Beauty runs in the colours of the Old Stoics Racing Club, a syndicate put together by Henry Kimbell, who went to the same Stowe school in Buckinghamshire as Hales and winning jockey Harry Bannister, who survived a scare when his reins broke during the race.

"Henry is a massive supporter and has been slightly unwell, so that'll be a big boost," Hales added.

It will also be a tonic for syndicate member Dick Fellows-Smith, who is undergoing treatment for cancer and leads the Tote Racing Post Ten to Follow field of 37,000 in pursuit of the £104,000 first prize.

Newbury aces Harry Cobden and Paul NichollsCredit: Steve Davies

Nicholls on the ball – again

No-one has had more winners at Newbury this season than Paul Nicholls, who, thanks to Good Ball in the 2m3f handicap hurdle, recorded another as the track's jumps programme drew to a close.

"He's a chaser and the sooner he goes chasing the better," said the leading trainer, whose stable jockey Harry Cobden was top rider at the Berkshire circuit this season.

"He's a lovely horse for the future and is quite exciting."

Curtis makes her point

The shutdown of point-to-pointing had an upside for Rebecca Curtis, who won the veterans' chase for conditional jockeys with Tinkers Hill Tommy.

He was making it two victories from three starts for Curtis since switching from the amateur code.

"There's a girl, Anna Lewis, who works for me in the yard and he's her granddad's horse," said Curtis. "When the points were off, she said if he was worth a go under rules, and it's worked."

Flash Gordon

Trainer Chris Gordon is often smiling and had double reason to after a brace with Lord Baddesley (novice hurdle) and Shut The Box (2m handicap chase), who were ridden by Tom Cannon.

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