Windross victory delights King

Alan King had cause to celebrate at Newbury today as old favourite Windross came out of the wilderness.

The nine-year-old gelding, who at one stage was tipped for the top by his former trainer David Nicholson, struggled to get his act together last season.

But King, who has handled the horse since Nicholson`s retirement, saw Windross come with a powerful late lunge under Robert Thornton to lift the Stan James Mandarin Handicap Chase.

Switched to the outside on the run to the final fence, he flew past Fin Bec and favourite Very Very Noble to score by five lengths and a neck.

King was clearly thrilled to see an old favourite return to winning ways.

'Of all the winners I`ve trained, this one has given me a real thrill,' he said. 'He`s a horse we always thought might be very good and the potential has always been there but last season he just didn`t fire, I don`t know why.

'We gave him a long, long break, he didn`t come back in until October and it seems to have done himsome good.

'He likes Kempton and I`d like to go for the Racing Post Chase with him and then maybe one of the handicaps at Cheltenham - he wouldn`t want to have too many races.

'But I`m just over the moon to see him win again.'

Very Very Noble`s connections gained compensation when No Forecast made every yard to win the Gerrard Novices` Handicap Chase.

Armaturk put himself into the picture for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham with a forthright display in the H & T Pawnbrokers Children In Need Novices` Chase.

Coral make Armaturk a 10-1 chance for the Arkle (from 14-1), behind 6-1 favourite Moscow Flyer.

In Contrast got the best of three-way tussle for the opening Servo Computer Novices` Hurdle while Classified landed an authoritative success in the Cantor Sport Challow Novices` Hurdle.