GIFFORD EYES THE FESTIVAL WITH PERCY

Josh Gifford is eyeing the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy for Mr Percy following an impressive winning debut in the Groby Novices` Chase at Leicester.

Mr Percy may be seen as old at the age of 10 to go chasing, but not by the Findon trainer after his charge had put in a 'foot-perfect' round of jumping to beat a small but select field.

Spring Grove looked like landing the spoils when he held a narrow lead at the final fence but Mr Percy`s superior speed came into play on the run-in and he got up to beat Errand Boy by half-a-length. Spring Grove, giving the first two 6lb, was a similar distance away third.

Mr Percy was eighth in last year`s Champion Hurdle and was third to Geos in the Bula Hurdle back at Cheltenham last month, but the Arkle is now on the agenda.

'We may not even enter him for the Champion after this,' said Gifford.

'The owner wanted me to wait until he came back from holiday at the end of the month to run him over fences, but I said that if we were to go for the Arkle he would need three runs under his belt.

'He`s 10 now and you can`t go for the Arkle with just one run as you never know what the weather is going to do in February. We`ll try to get a couple more runs into him and he does like Cheltenham.'

Winning jockey Philip Hide said. 'He was foot perfect and he`s had a nice school round which was the plan.

'I must have schooled him 20 times at Findon, more than any other horse. We`ll see how we go but it would be nice to go to Cheltenham.'

Ibal, who would have run in the race at Uttoxeter abandoned because of a bomb scare, gained quick compensation in the Nomad Novices` Hurdle.

Trainer Dina Smith had been worried that the long journey from her Pulborough stables last Saturday would have taken its toll but her fears proved unfounded as the five-year-old strode six lengths clear of Double Red.

Always prominent, the 3-1 joint favourite had the measure of Red Sun when he fell at the last. Mane Frame stayed onfor third, nine lengths behind Double Red.

'We`ve waited a long time for this. He was eliminated at Newbury and at Taunton, the weather also foiled us and then there was Uttoxeter,' said Mrs Smith.

Ibal had hinted that he would win races when only beaten a neck by Martin Pipe`s Iznogoud at Chepstow five weeks ago.

'Now he`s won his maiden we can pick and choose his races. He`s such a big horse that we`ve had an extra wide stall made him in the horse box,' said Mrs Smith.

Aonfocaleile landed his first success since joining Venetia Williams from Edward O`Grady`s stable in Ireland when holding off Dixie River by five lengths in the Leicester Novices` Handicap Hurdle.

'He`s settling down much better now. He was trying to do too much when he first came,' said the Hereford trainer, who paid 12,000 guineas for the nine-year-old at Doncaster August Sales.

However, some betting shop punters may have missed out as Aonfocaleile was mistakenly announced as a non-runner for about45 minutes at lunchtime.

Surprise Gunner overcame an absence of 23 months to give Wayne Lewis, 25, his first winner from his first ride in the Leicester Amateur Riders` Handicap Hurdle by a neck from the 7-4 favourite Dare.

'Wayne`s been with me for nearly six years and he always rides this horse at home,' said Merrita Jones, who trains the winner for Lewis`s mother Tegwen.

The Chieftain Claiming Hurdle turned into a battle of the veterans with 12-year-old Native Field outpointing Our Slimbridge, 13, by three lengths after being beaten by that horse in this race 12 months ago.