Back the outsider of three: 11-2 Pisgah Pike scores on chasing debut

Pisgah Pike, the 11-2 outsider in a field of three, took the 2m½f novice chase after 214 days off the track.

The Jamie Snowden-trained six-year-old jumped best under Gavin Sheehan to get the better of fellow chase debutant and odds-on favourite Tomorrow Mystery, as well as as two-time chase winner Beyond The Clouds.

Snowden, who recently criticised the BHA’s rule change regarding weight-for-age novice chases, was delighted Pisgah Pike was able to get off the mark at the first attempt.

He said: “He was up against it on handicap ratings, but it was a nice performance. These horses need education and Pisgah Pike had the perfect education there.

“It goes to show that novice chases are needed. The industry needs better horses going chasing. If Britain needs to be competing and beating the Irish we need to be altering our programme to encourage better horses to improve.

“I’ve had Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls on the phone backing me up. Thankfully we had a chat with the BHA and they have said they will look to reverse their decision.

“It’s nice to see the BHA sitting up and listening to what horsemen need.”

Doubles for Henderson and O'Brien

Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville enjoyed a quickfire double as the Lambourn trainer attempted to keep tabs on championship leader Fergal O’Brien.

Haul Away took the feature 2m7f handicap hurdle at odds of 9-1, before Chasamax defied a penalty to land the 2m novice hurdle.

O’Brien matched the six-time champion’s double with newcomer Leading Theatre taking the bumper for Paddy Brennan before Coral comfortably took the closing conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle for Liam Harrison on his second start for the yard.

Smith strikes

Gloucestershire trainer Julian Smith enjoyed a first winner of the season as Caro De Flos landed the 2m4f handicap chase under Tom Bellamy on his sixth start of the season.

Results, replays and analysis

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