Rocky proves a treasure for jockey David Bass at Doncaster

Despite being very different in character – Bailey is the archetypal country gent while Bass is a music-loving vegan – they click when it comes to their racehorses.

And so it proved with Rocky’s Treasure whose game display in the bet365 Handicap Chase at Doncaster’s pre-Christmas meeting was the horse’s first success since the December Novices’ Chase on this card two years ago .

The nine-year-old had led most of the way and briefly looked beaten when headed, but he rallied for Bass to defeat Give Me A Copper by half a length.

Bass said: “He’s quite a funny horse and he can be in and out.

“Last year he had two bad experiences on almost unraceable ground and it took us a while to get him back to where he is now.

“I felt at Newbury he travelled well for a long way and was coming back to himself.

“He felt great today and was loving it in front.

“He’s got loads of ability and has some very good form.”

Give Me A Copper is co-owned by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who was present to see Monmiral maintain his unbeaten record in the bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster.

The French import was slashed to 12-1 from 25-1 for the Triumph Hurdle after adding to an Auteuil success when with Francois Nicolle and a win at Exeter for his new trainer Paul Nicholls.

Monmiral travelled like a 1-2 shot should throughout the extended two-mile journey and drew away on the flat to score by 11 lengths in the hands of Sean Bowen and lift the Grade Two spoils.

Nicholls said: “He went to Exeter and won his prep for that very well. He will have one run before the spring, either here or possibly at Haydock and then he will go to either Cheltenham or Aintree.

“The idea is then look after him as he will be a chaser in the future.

“He made a bit of a mess at the second last, but he soon picked up and took off again which was good to see.

“Sir Alex was up there to watch it and he nearly had two winners with Give Me A Copper, who has run well in defeat, so he has had a good day up there.”

Bowen added: “He’s a lovely horse.

“He travelled great. He was probably in front too soon.

“He was just travelling and winging hurdles. He’ll be better with a lead for longer, but I like him a lot.

“He wasn’t great at the second last, but he was just having a look round in front and he was good at the last.

“He’ll keep improving. He’s a very nice young horse.”

Irish raider Chatham Street Lad ran out an impressive winner of the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham, giving jockey Darragh O’Keeffe the biggest success of his career.

Trained by Mick Winters, the eight-year-old looked a class apart as he bounded up the hill.

Back in second was Midnight Shadow whose run delighted trainer Sue Smith and jockey Ryan Mania – they can consider themselves unfortunate that they ran into such a well-handicapped horse in Chatham Street Lad.

But they can draw comfort from the fact that they have a horse, improving all the time, who will be competing in better races, and possibly over three miles, as the season progresses.

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