Garden Blooms For Richards

Monet's Garden exorcised the demons that haunted him at Kempton over Christmas as he landed his first Grade One success in the Commercial First Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track.

The handsome grey trailed home 52 lengths behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase despite being strongly fancied, with Nicky Richards suggesting the overnight stay at Kempton may have had an adverse affect.

With that in mind, the nine-year-old travelled down from Greystoke in the early hours of Saturday morning and showed his true colours with a polished display.

He was always racing keenly for Tony Dobbin and having led the field into the Ascot straight, the 11-10 favourite soared over the final two fences and was eased down close to the line.

Thisthatandtother boxed on from the back of the field to take second under Ruby Walsh, some eight lengths in arrears,

Richards said: 'That was a bit better and was back to normal.

'He is pretty good when he is good and Tony said he felt fantastic today.

'He didn't stay overnight this time and the box driver and my daughter left the yard just before five this morning, so it is a good effort on their part.

'He looked a little dehydrated in the paddock before Kempton as his skin was tight, and he ran similar to the Relkeel at Cheltenham, but it is easy to make excuses after the event.

'I don't know which race he will run in at Cheltenham. I will discuss the Gold Cup but I would say that is doubtful.

'If the ground was slow he could go for the Champion Chase, but I think he wants good ground and if we get that, the Ryanair would suit him best of all.'

Ladbrokes make him the 3-1 favourite from 4s for the Ryanair Chase with Coral going 7-2, while the former quote him as a 10-1 chance for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Gungadu gave his supporters a scare when ploughing through the seventh-last fence but the classy seven-year-old still ran out a smart winner of the John Smith's Reynoldstown Novices' Chase.

Walsh set out to make all aboard the 4-7 market leader and all was going to plan as he tanked along in front in the Grade Two event.

However, he failed to take off at the seventh from home and sent the birch flying, but the partnership remained intact and Paul Nicholls' charge went on to beat 33-1 outsider Wee Robbie by four lengths.

Walsh said: 'The BBC camera truck came close to him early on in the race and from then on he had one eye on that and one eye on the fence, which is why he made the mistake.'

Bargain-buy Overstrand has been a model of consistency this winter and seven days after finishing runner-up in the totesport Trophy, he added another valuable prize to his haul in the £80,000 Betfair Handicap Hurdle.

Steve Jones sent the 9-1 shot into the lead at the second-last and his mount found plenty under pressure to hold Nation State and Flying Falcon by three-quarters of a length and two lengths respectively.

Dr Richard Newland's charge now faces a step up in class at the Cheltenham Festival, with Blue Square and William Hill both offering 66-1 about his chances in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

VC Bet are considerably shorter though, and quote him at just 25-1.

Newland said: 'He is fantastically tough. He worked in mid-week and I couldn't believe how well he went so I had to run him.

'He is in the Coral Cup, Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle and we will go home and discuss which race to go for. It is a step up to championship races but he has earned his place.'

David Pipe broke through the 100-winner mark with a hat-trick at Wincanton and added to his profitable day as the Timmy Murphy-ridden Marcel obliged as the 5-2 favourite in the Servo Computers Handicap Chase.

Pipe said: 'The horse was good today and was always going well, but you never know what he'll find off the bridle.'

Warlord put his rivals to the sword in the O'Callaghan Hotels Richard Power Novices' Hurdle with Richard Johnson steering the 3-1 chance to a 10-length victory over Sound Accord on just his second start over timber.

Owner Nick Elliot said: 'He is a big baby and will be a three-mile chaser next season, probably of a very high standard.'

The Book Your Horseracing Hospitality At europacorpevents.com Mares' Only Novices' Hurdle fell to the Noel Chance-trained First Feerie (9-1) with the odds-on favourite Shatabdi crashing out mid-race.

Chris Down sent out his first winner for 81 days in the Gardiner & Theobald Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race as his Sir Harry Ormesher (10-1) careered away to collect by three and a half lengths.

(C) PA Sport