Joe Colliver defies gravity with miraculous recovery as Sam Spinner strikes again at Doncaster

JOE COLLIVER produced the riding recovery of the year to maintain novice steeplechaser Sam Spinner’s unbeaten record over fences – and keep alive dreams of Cheltenham Festival glory.
This is Joe Colliver on Sam Spinner at Doncaster. The second horse, Aye Right, parted company with Calluum Bewley a split-second later while back in third is Brian Hughes on Windsor Avenue.This is Joe Colliver on Sam Spinner at Doncaster. The second horse, Aye Right, parted company with Calluum Bewley a split-second later while back in third is Brian Hughes on Windsor Avenue.
This is Joe Colliver on Sam Spinner at Doncaster. The second horse, Aye Right, parted company with Calluum Bewley a split-second later while back in third is Brian Hughes on Windsor Avenue.

Trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, the exciting horse survived a near catastrophic blunder at the sixth-last fence before landing 
the Grade Two December Novices’ Chase at Doncaster on Saturday.

Moving into the lead, the former Grade One-winning hurdler met the obstacle wrong – he appeared to put in an unexpectedly short stride – and fired Sheffield-born Colliver high into the air.

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But, incredibly, the jockey eventually landed in the saddle – his balance was helped by his left foot staying in his riding irons – and was able to regain the horse’s equilibrium.

Sam Spinner and Joe Colliver are now unbeaten from three starts over fences.Sam Spinner and Joe Colliver are now unbeaten from three starts over fences.
Sam Spinner and Joe Colliver are now unbeaten from three starts over fences.

Yet, while this was happening, Callum Bewley was unseated from Aye Right at the same fence – they appeared distracted by Sam Spinner’s predicament – and Brian Ellison’s highly-rated Windsor Avenue began to show suspect stamina under his jockey Brian Hughes.

It meant Sam Spinner, owned by Caron and Paul Chapman, running out a 38-length victory over the Phil Martin-owned Windsor Avenue who had been sent off the narrow odds-on favourite for this much anticipated race.

The footage, broadcast on ITV and Sky Sports Racing, went viral on social media with Lee Westwood, the former Ryder Cup golfer and racehorse owner, tweeting: “How?”

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Sam Spinner is now unbeaten from three steeplechase starts – the ever popular horse had previously won two races at Wetherby – and the Grade One RSA Chase at Cheltenham next March is the long-term target.

This is Sam Spinner making a winning steeplechase debut at Wetherby in mid-October.This is Sam Spinner making a winning steeplechase debut at Wetherby in mid-October.
This is Sam Spinner making a winning steeplechase debut at Wetherby in mid-October.

“He wasn’t great at the first, but after that I had a bold sight at everything,” said a relieved Colliver after returning to the Doncaster winner’s enclosure.

“He’s better with a lead amongst horses. I could see Brian in the shadows behind me, so going to the fence down the back I wanted to ask for a big one to nick a few lengths.

“That turned out to be the only fence he put down on me! When I was up in the air all I was thinking was ‘please be there when I come down’. He had a little look at the next, but after that he was fine. I think he’s got enough scope, he’s just got a quirk in him.”

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Meanwhile, Leyburn-based O’Keeffe tried to put into words what the horse, now the winner of nine races and more than £275,000 in prize money, means to his team. Though the horse was good enough to chase Paisley Park in last season’s Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham following a chequered season, O’Keeffe believes the seven-year-old has proved his credentials as a steeplechaser.

“He’s taken us to amazing places, he’s a Grade One winner over hurdles, he’s already won a Grade Two over fences – quite unbelievable,” he said. “Obviously I thought it was game over at the ditch, but Joe worked wonders. To win after that was incredible.

“Other than that mistake, I was thrilled with his jumping. I thought it was the best he’s jumped out of the three races, he attacked his obstacles.

“Being honest, we’ve gone over fences because I didn’t think we could beat Paisley Park this season.

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“We did always have chasing in the back of our minds and it’s all going right. Our main target is the RSA, so working back from there it will either be the Towton at Wetherby or the Reynoldstown at Ascot, then hopefully Cheltenham.”

In earlier races, Baron De Midleton benefited from a big leap at the last to win the Novices’ Hurdle for the aforementioned Ellison.

He looked booked for a place at best as Alan King’s Perfect Predator went clear approaching the final flight, but he met it all wrong which gave Henry Brooke’s runner a chance.

“His jump at the last sealed it. He’ll come into his own over fences,” said Ellison. “He had over two years off before his run two weeks ago, just with niggly problems, but he’s very tough.

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Jonjo O’Neill’s Pagero was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the opening Handicap Hurdle.

A winner six days ago at Huntingdon in a conditional jockeys’ race, the odds-on favourite cruised up alongside Kajaki before being given his head by the trainer’s son Jonjo junior to win by two-and-a-half lengths.