Sametegal success is consolation for the Cottons

Owned by John and Barbara Cotton, the victory provided some consolation for the Harrogate couple after their highly promising chasing Mon Successeur’s fatal fall at Kempton seven days previously.

Sametegal, a top juvenile hurdler before slightly losing his way, could reappear in Brown Advisory & Meriebelle Stable Plate at the National Hunt Festival with winning jockey Sam Twiston-Davies admitting: “He’d be interesting in that.

“We’d have to see how he comes out of that and we leave decisions like that to the boss, he tends to know what’s best. I think he’d be better on better ground. He’s a nice-moving horse.”

Twiston-Davies played a waiting game before unleashing his mount in the straight and the seven-year-old responded generously after the final fence to score by four lengths.

Tom Jonason, Nicholls’s assistant, said: “I thought Sam gave him a peach of a ride. Paul’s made up for the owners after they lost Mon Successeur.”

The Bumper went to Sam’s Adventure for Thirsk-based Danny Cook, enjoying a career-best season, and in-form Malton trainer Brian Ellsion. The Newbury meeting saw Malton-born Andrew Tinkler judge the pace to perfection to make all to land the novice handicap chase on Johnny Og for Martin Keighley, who grew up in West Yorkshire.