Four out of six for Pipe Champion trainer Martin Pipe`s record-breaking attempt to go through the card at Newton Abbot today hit the buffers when his two representatives in the second race - Royal Cayras and L`Etang Bleu - proved no match for clear-cut winner Frederic Forever. After landing the opening Purchase Selling Hurdle with Miss Tango, ridden by Tony McCoy, Pipe told everyone who would listen that he had no chance of getting any further as his duo could not beat Philip Hobbs` charge, who was sent off a very warm 4-11 favourite. And so it proved as Frederic Forever always travelled cosily for Richard Johnson before cruising to the front just past halfway and romping clear for a decisive 19-length verdict in the O`Dwyers 30-Year Partnership Juvenile Novices` Hurdle. Pipe took the setback on his chin saying: 'I knew we were up against it as the Hobbs` horse had beaten L`Etang Bleu easily last time and it was never really on the cards. But it`s nice to have this challenge and we will probably try to do it again one day when everything falls into place. 'It took three of our horseboxes to get the 14 horses to the track and a lot of hard work at the yard. We`ve managed four winners but I dearly wanted to win the ones in between as well, however a one-two-three in the final race was fantastic. Contrary to popular belief I don`t find it easy to send out one winner let alone four in a day.' Despite the disappointment Pipe still went on to land a 19{-1 four-timer following victories for Miss Tango, Infini, Sulphur Springs and Intox III. Miss Tango`s nine-length win over Navarre Sampson got Pipe off to a flying start but the trainer was far from amused at being run up to 12,000 guineas at the subsequent auction to take the filly home. However, after his reverse in the second race Pipe was quickly back among the winners in the Pot Black Novices` Chase when Infini maintained his 100 per cent record since coming over from France. He scored by an effortless 11 length from Augusta Brook. The winner runs in the newly formed 20-strong ROA Arkle Partnership, an initiative put together by the Racehorse Owners Association and overseen by Peter Deal who had Champion Hurdler Make A Stand with Pipe. Sulphur Springs clocked up his fourth win on the bounce and a treble for McCoy when proving much too strong for Maidstone Monument in the Tom Holt and Reality Handicap Chase. Pipe had made little secret of the fact that he dearly wanted to win the concluding Pond Handicap Hurdle as he had entered 13 horses at the five-day stage. However, he settled for just five of the eight runners in the contest and Intox III partnered by claimer David Howard, came out best when beating stablemates Baclama and Versicium.
