Four winning favourites lifted the autumn spirits of punters at Towcester on Thursday... and those of Brackley firm Agetur UK in particular.
The engineering company regularly takes a hospitality box at this meeting for customers and staff, with its founder Rob Rexton forging strong ownership links with the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard at Naunton in Gloucestershire.
So when trainer’s son Sam Twiston-Davies steered home 13/8 shot Samenerve to take the 2m 3 1/2f handicap chase by a handsome seven lengths, it brought the biggest cheer of the afternoon, although this horse is owned by the Million In Mind Partnership.
Other ‘jollies’ to oblige during the afternoon were the Emma Lavelle-trained Highland Lodge (6/4 fav), Ardkilly Witness (5/4 fav) and Bishophill Jack (11/8 fav), the latter pair for Dr Richard Newland and Kim Bailey respectively.
Highland Lodge was a most impressive winner of the 3m beginners’ chase. The commanding performance in the hands of Dominic Elsworth had experienced race watchers muttering about a genuine RSA Chase candidate for next March at the Cheltenham Festival.
Champion jockey Tony McCoy bounced back from another recent spell in the wars by taking the winning ride on Ardkilly Witness in the 2m 5f novices’ hurdle.
Less than a week earlier he had received 20 stitches and suffered two broken teeth after being kicked in the face by a horse at Wetherby.
The success of Bishophill Jack was due to a fine ride from Nick Scholfield in the 2m 6f handicap chase, fending off McCoy and Spot The Ball by a length and a half.
Also successful on the seven-race card which featured only one non-runner from the overnight declarations (and that was for an injured jockey) were the Robin Dickin-trained mare Valrene (11/1) for Charlie Poste in the 2m maiden hurdle, Martin Keighley’s Benbane Head (11/2) in the hands of Robert Thornton in the 2m 5f handicap hurdle and 7/2 chance Reach The Beach for the father/son Brendan Powell senior and junior combination in the National Hunt flat race.
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