Houndscourt's form is rewarded

Foster, who trains near Menston, attributed the quirky horse’s win to a light weight, the positive tactics deployed by jockey Jo Foster and two outings with the Pendle Hunt that rekindled the 10-year-old’s enthusiasm.

“He’s a low weight and he’s in good form,” said Foster, who was recording her first win of 2017 and who hopes to double that tally when Urban Gale lines up in Catterick’s handicap chase today.

“Houndscourt is a bit of a monkey. If he gets out of bed the right way, all well and good. If not, there’s nothing you can do.”

Even though Foster’s attempts to persuade Middleham-based Henry Brooke to ride out at her stables have fallen on deaf ears, she was fulsome in his praise for the Middleham jockey.

“I can’t get him to ride out, but he’s positive, he’s very confident and he gives good feedback to the owners,” added the trainer.

Brooke and Houndscourt received a warm ovation from members of the Berry Syndicate who own the horse.

They are friends of Injured Jockeys Fund stalwart Jack Berry whose rehab centre in Malton was instrumental in Brooke’s remarkable recovery from life-threatening injuries incurred last October.

On a bracing afternoon tailor-made for National Hunt winter diehards, jockey Tom Scudamore prepared for this Saturday’s Cotswold Chase assignment at Cheltenham aboard King George hero Thistlecrack with a treble.

The Neil Mulholland-trained Most Celebrated was a wide-margin winner of the opening maiden hurdle – Cheltenham’s Triumph Hurdle is a possibility for the former Godolphin Flat horse – before stablemate Fingerontheswitch took the handicap chase, bounding clear up the home straight with some flawless jumping.

After the horse’s first win over larger obstacles, Scudamore said: “Fingers crossed that will do his confidence the world of good. Hopefully he is growing up. Most Celebrated is a horse with a future.”

Scudamore then completed a treble, winning the concluding Bumper on Mr Big Shot for his main trainer David Pipe.

2015 Grand National hero Many Clouds will provide stern competition for the aforementioned Thistlecrack following a pleasing piece of work under the watchful eye of trainer Oliver Sherwood.

“He did his last bit of routine work this morning and Leighton (Aspell) is going to come and pop him over some fences on Thursday,” said Sherwood. “We had a little hiccough over Christmas when he was going to go to Ireland, his trach (wash) just wasn’t 100 per cent, and it was a long way to go for a question mark. He’s been a star for us and we’re just looking forward to Saturday.”

York has suffered a blow after the Juddmonte International, the Ebor festival’s day one highlight, fell further down the latest international ratings.

The best race in the world in 2014 on official ratings according to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities before slipping to third in 2015, it no longer features in the top 10, which is headed by the Breeders’ Cup Classic in America.

The Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot is now the best Flat race in Britain.