Charm has National target

Supreme Charm is on course for another tilt at the Martell Grand National next spring after winning the Worthington Creamflow Neville Crump Memorial Handicap Chase at Doncaster today.

The Kim Bailey-trained gelding was sent into the lead with four to jump in the three and a quarter mile test and he was kept going well by amateur Des Flavin, though their cause was helped when Gunther McBride made a mistake at the last.

But jumping is the name of the game and Supreme Charm had one and a half lengths to spare, much to the delight of Bailey who said: 'He was going well in the National last time when a horse fell in front of him (unseated his rider as a result) and that race will be the aim again.

'He would have won at Leicester on Wednesday in another ten strides, they went very slow and he wants every yard of three miles - I think he will run a good race for an outsider in the National if the ground is good so we will see.'

However, Flavin picked up a four day suspension (December 26th-29th) for using his whip with excessive force and frequency, but Bailey reasoned: 'Des had a lot of experience in point-to-points and he presents a horse at a fence very well - but remember he is only 19 and claims seven pounds.'

Ian Balding`s Duchamp is only a four-year-old but he has taken well to fences and raced to a convincing success under Barry Fenton in the Betfair.com Novices` Chase.

Balding said: 'I think he is going to make a three mile chaser one day, he loves jumping and the bigger the fence the better he jumps - I have popped him over a few little ones myself!

'He is the last of Mr Mellon`s (the late Paul Mellon) home-breds, he won on the Flat for Mrs Mellon and was then bought for Mr Hitchins (the late Robert Hitchins) - and I am pleased the family decided to keep him.'

Korakor put up a splendid display of jumping in the hands of Rupert Wakley in the Vulrory`s Clown Handicap Chase, putting in an enormous leap at the second-last as he went on to beat Merry Path by two and a half lengths.

Robert Widger`s dash North when Cheltenham was abandoned was rewarded when he replaced conditional jockey Aaron Bateman on Philip Hobbs` Bow Strada, who ran out an impressive winner in the first division of the Doncaster Racecourse Sponsorship Club Novices' Hurdle