Alfred Wincham justifies trainer Paddy Neville's faith with another big handicap win at Doncaster

Neville had told The Yorkshire Post in the build-up to the race that he felt his charge could follow up his runaway win at York last month.

And despite a massive 13lb hike in his weight in the aftermath of that success, he raced to a cosy one-length win in the good to soft ground under Oisin Orr.

Backed into 3-1 joint-favourite with Richard Hughes’ Nobody Knows and Ryan Moore, the pair raced together for much of the contest before Alfred Wincham burst clear to put the race to bed and claim the £38,600 pot in the final major race of the Flat season.

Moore’s son Toby followed the winner home on Too Soon (22-1) for his uncles Josh and Jamie, finishing a length behind the winner, with Ian Williams’ outsider Real Dream (40-1) back in third for Charles Bishop.

Charlie Johnston’s Solarized (11-1) ridden by William Buick was fourth and the Hughes charge fifth of the 23 runners.

Speaking after his victory in the 12-furlong contest, Orr told Sky Sports Racing: “It was pretty easy to be honest, my only worry was I was drawn in 10 and I wanted to get a position but I ended up getting in pretty easy and he’s won with his ears pricked.

“He won easily at York and I’d say he was only doing the bare minimum today. He’s won with a fair bit in hand and obviously gets through soft ground well.

“He’s not over-big but he’s got an engine. It’s a great one to get.”

Alfred Wincham was originally bought as a hurdler and won his bumper in Ireland before being bought by owners and transferred to Neville who spotted his Flat racing potential.

He won on his stable debut at Pontefract before finishing sixth at Southwell and second at Town Moor before his Knavesmire success.

Neville, best known as a jumps trainer who steered The Real Whacker to Grade 1 glory, says he is enjoying training Flat runners and looks to have a real prospect on his hands here, along with another recent winner on the level, Longshanks Luke.

On a day when Jason Hart received his Cock O’ The North cap as the north’s leading rider for the second season running, Malton’s Joanna Mason showed once again why she is one of the country’s leading riders.

Mason completed a hat-trick on Mick Appleby’s Coul Angel (11-4 fav) in the Listed Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Wentworth Stakes over six furlongs.

Having finished third and second in handicaps at York earlier in the season, horse and rider teamed up for the first time to win at the Curragh in August.

They followed it up with victory at York in October and delivered again as the four-year-old stepped out of handicap company with aplomb to win by nearly three lengths from George Scott’s David Egan-ridden Poatan (10-1) with Montassib (7-1) a neck back in third for William Haggas and Cieren Fallon.

Coul Angel sports the same colours as Big Evs and Big Mojo and his owners Paul and Rachael Teasdale appear to have another classy sprinter on their hands.

Mason told Sky Sports Racing; “That was a bit special, I’ve come up against him a few time when I’ve ridden Sondad but he did that so effortlessly.

“I got a nice tow in to it, asked him to quicken and he’s gone. I couldn’t compare him to Sondad, I love them both!

“He’s been so progressive, he impressed at the Curragh when he beat me (on Sondad) and then he’s come here and won a Listed race, they’ve done a great job with him.

“With a nice horse like that they do it effortlessly, it’s not hard work and they do it easily.

“My Grandad (Mick Easterby) will be watching, he always says I’m better over a trip but I’ve just won a Listed sprint there so right back at you Grandad!”

Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp could have another top prospect on his hands after Taurus Bay made a winning chasing debut in the Grade 2 Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

A lot of the pre-race chatter revolved around Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End making his eagerly-awaited fences bow and he was sent off the 8-11 favourite.

However, Ben Pauling’s five-year-old was a more than useful hurdler in his own right last term and always seen as more of a chasing prospect.

With No Drama This End’s tank flashing empty on the run to the last it was left to Ben Jones on board Taurus Bay to outbattle the match-fit Dan Skelton runner Talk To The Man after the last, edging a one-and-a-quarter-length verdict at odds of 13-2.

Pauling said: “He won his two novice hurdles as he liked last season and then ran in the gloom at Cheltenham, when he ran a mighty race.

“We always knew he had the ability but today was a good race. Ben said he just took a blow like all mine do, so he will improve a lot for it.”

Alexei justified 4-7 favouritism in the other Grade 2, the William Hill Molyneux Hurdle, to make both a winning return to action and lay down an early Champion Hurdle marker in the process with Paddy Power cutting his odds from 20-1 to 12s.

Trainer Joe Tizzard said: “That was smashing and a lovely reappearance, you couldn’t ask for much more really.”