Joe Tizzard will head into the Cheltenham Festival full of confidence after a big Saturday double at Sandown on Imperial Cup day.

Tizzard has enjoyed many great days in the saddle at Prestbury Park but is yet to saddle a winner at the showpiece meeting, with JPR One leading the Venn Farm charge in the opening day’s My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase.

After breaking his Grade One duck as a handler at the track on Trials day, he will now return to the Cotswolds full of optimism after Rose Of Arcadia’s (9-2) win in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase supplemented Scarface’s triumph in the previous Betfair Serial Winners Fund Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Tizzard said: “It’s always lovely to have a double on a Saturday full stop, but the weekend before Cheltenham is just what you need.

“It doesn’t just boost me, it boosts the staff, the owners, everybody. If you are struggling to find a winner it’s a different story, but that will just give the whole team a big boost and we’ll look forward to next week now.”

Tizzard was delighted to see the 13-2 scorer Scarface finally fulfilling his promise in his two-and-a-half-mile test.

“He’s improved for every run over fences and we’ve always held him in high regard,” said Tizzard.

“He’s got his confidence and after winning, it was a good run at Plumpton last time (when second) and even better again today now he’s got his confidence.

“Hopefully he’s at the right end of the handicap and I don’t know what we will do next. We just saw this pot and thought we would have a crack at this and thought the conditions would suit him.

“We’ll just have a think now and decide if we go to Ayr or we could hold on for the nice race over a bit further up at Ayr. There will be some nice races for him.”

Dan Skelton gained compensation for Faivoir’s near-miss in the feature Imperial Cup when picking up Listed honours with racecourse debutant Honky Tonk Highway in the British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

The 3-1 favourite had accounted for Ben Pauling’s useful Diva Luna in the pointing field and could now head to Aintree for graded action in the spring.

“Harry just felt the whole way round she wasn’t going and if you notice going through the wings of the first few, he actually sits down to hunt her along a little bit,” said Skelton.

“She has bundles of stamina and it was a very good point-to-point she ran in – Diva Luna who was second to her has won a Listed bumper at Market Rasen – so that was a sparkling bit of form in a point-to-point.

“When we started working this horse she didn’t exactly fire straight away and the more we’ve done with her, the better she has got. You saw there half-way up the run-in she ran around a bit, but she has a bit of fire in her belly not dissimilar to what Roksana had and the good mares like that.

“We would have high aspirations for her and whether she goes to Aintree or not, we will wait on the ground. We’ll keep her in training for it and see if it is appropriate.”

Skelton was another to register a double when Jet Plane landed a shock 22-1 success in the concluding betting.betfair.com Handicap Chase, while there was a rare jumps winner for Stuart Kittow, who saw his likeable filly Spiced Rum make most at odds of 13-2.

“We might go back on the Flat now, but she’s been on the go for quite a while, so I think when the ground dries up we will have to turn her out,” said Kittow.

“She obviously likes the softer ground. She took it up really easily and it’s quite stiff here and the softest part of the track is in the home straight. I think she actually jumped and travelled better where the ground was better down the back straight.

“She’s obviously still improving which is brilliant. She’s a nice dual-purpose horse.

“I have two jump horses, this one and Cornish Storm and he has been running nicely as well, so we’ve had a bit of fun this winter – makes a change from Wolverhampton at 9pm.”

Luke McNally scored a late winner as Stoke boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 Championship victory over play-off hopefuls Preston at Deepdale.

Andrew Hughes was unfortunate to put into his own goal after 64 minutes to give Steven Schumacher’s Potters the lead.

Preston substitute Milutin Osmajic’s clever finish – three minutes later – levelled matters before McNally’s 87th-minute winner clinched a surprise victory in Lancashire to take them three points clear of the relegation zone.

Ryan Lowe’s side’s play-off hopes were dented as they fell to their first defeat since January and now lie five points off the top six.

The hosts were first to threaten to break the deadlock in the 19th minute when their penalty claims were dismissed after in-form striker Emil Riis latched onto a smart Alan Browne ball in the box, but slipped under pressure from defender Ben Wilmot.

The travelling Potters were made to wait until the 37th minute before their first shot on goal, as Bae Junho collected a loose ball deep in the Lilywhites’ half and had a low effort easily collected by goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

Schumacher’s men then tested Woodman’s gloves again only five minutes later, when forward Tyrese Campbell’s quick right-sided run allowed him to release a tame strike on goal from the near post.

Preston looked rather more comfortable following the break and had another strong call for a penalty denied in the 54th minute after Riis excellently flicked in Browne, who stumbled under pressure on the right-hand side of the box.

Lynden Gooch should have put the visitors ahead two minutes later when he picked up Preston midfielder Mads Frokjaer’s loose pass by the near post, but Woodman just about managed to parry the former Sunderland player’s strike.

But the former Premier League side’s pressure paid dividends in the 64th minute as Gooch whipped in a venomous ball from the left wing and Hughes opened the scoring with an own goal.

Yet that lead only lasted for around four minutes before Hughes worked to cancel out his mistake. Preston achieved parity through Osmajic, who flicked Hughes’ left-sided cross under former North End goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.

Preston then almost carved out a lead of their own in the 82nd minute when midfielder Ben Whiteman was slipped in one-on-one by via a counter attack, yet his effort was excellently saved by Iversen.

The hosts were left to rue that missed opportunity only five minutes later as they failed to clear a Lewis Baker free-kick and McNally poked the ball home following a defensive mix-up to edge Stoke into the lead.

A boisterous home support willed their side on for a much-needed equaliser, but none was forthcoming as the Lilywhites’ seven-match unbeaten run came to an end.

Stevenage’s League One play-off hopes suffered a blow as they failed to capitalise on Harrison Holgate’s red card in a 0-0 draw against relegation-threatened Fleetwood.

Steve Evans’ side had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Adam Herczeg in the 13th minute after top scorer Jamie Reid went down in the box.

The best opportunity of a quiet first half fell to Reid with two minutes remaining but he did not get enough power behind Carl Piergianni’s flick-on to trouble Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch.

Lynch was forced into action again after half-time, tipping Luther James-Wildin’s effort behind for a corner.

Celtic loanee Bosun Lawal almost gave Fleetwood the lead from a tight angle moments later but keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond punched the ball away to safety.

The visitors continued to grow into the game but, with 22 minutes remaining, Holgate was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Reid had the ball in the back of the net in the closing stages but he was judged to be offside and Fleetwood secured a hard-earned point.

Substitute Cauley Woodrow snatched an equaliser in the final seconds of added time as Luton drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace to hand the Hatters a crucial point in their relegation battle.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early opener at Selhurst Park looked to be the winner until Woodrow headed home, extending the Eagles’ Premier League-leading tally of late goals conceded in the process.

Sunny Singh Gill made history as the first British South Asian to referee a Premier League match, and was spotted signing autographs as he waited in the tunnel ahead of the second half.

The result draws Luton within three points of safety, while Palace will be ruing a huge missed opportunity to put more breathing room between themselves and the drop zone.

Singh Gill’s decision-making was tested early, when Palace protested for what they felt was a Teden Mengi handball, but the ex-prison officer – who comes from a refereeing family – waved play on.

Luton’s brightest spell of the opening period came when the Hatters won an early corner and Palace were only able to half-clear, the ball pinging around the 18-yard box where Luton came closest through a nodded effort from Ross Barkley, who needed treatment for a nose bleed after colliding with Joel Ward.

Mateta rolled an effort at Thomas Kaminski during the hosts’ first real break into Luton’s final third, not long before the Eagles took an 11th-minute lead through the Frenchman.

Mateta’s fifth league goal of the campaign followed some good work from January signing Daniel Munoz, who was able to latch on to Alfie Doughty’s loose back pass and find his team-mate just inside the six-yard box, where he opened the scoring with a backwards flick.

The Hatters had a handful of chances to reply, but it was the Eagles who applied more pressure as Ward, Jefferson Lerma and Mateta all misdirected efforts.

Singh Gill issued his first Premier League booking to Issa Kabore, who took down Lerma with a reckless challenge in the 27th minute, and showed his second yellow to Eberechi Eze for a pull on Reece Burke’s shirt.

Palace, who managed to keep the in-form Carlton Morris quiet throughout the first half, had a chance to double their lead before the break when another back pass – this time from Reece Burke – allowed Mateta to pounce and round Kaminski, but he found himself at too tight an angle and fired into the side-netting.

Eze threatened twice before the hour mark, while Luton’s best early chance after the break came via Chiedozie Ogbene, who directed a header wide of Sam Johnstone’s left post from six yards out.

Morris finally had a crack, directing a sharp volley straight at Johnstone before Daiki Hashioka sent his effort over the bar.

It was nevertheless an encouraging spell for the Hatters, who entered the afternoon having scored more goals in the final 15 minutes than every Premier League side bar Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal – while the Eagles had conceded the most in that same period.

Yet it was the Eagles who had the first big chance in the final 10 minutes of normal time through an audacious effort from Eze, who launched the ball from inside the centre circle that the scrambling Kaminski could not have stopped, but to his relief skimmed just over the crossbar.

The majority of the chances in six minutes of added time went the hosts’ way – including a crossbar-clipping effort from Odsonne Edouard – but it was Woodrow who made his count when he guided in ex-Eagle Andros Townsend’s delivery to stun Selhurst Park.

Jordan Rhodes was sent off for the first time in his 17-year professional career as battling 10-man Blackpool clung on for a precious point in a goalless home draw with Portsmouth.

The Huddersfield loan star was controversially dismissed two minutes before the break by referee Edward Duckworth for leading with his left arm in an aerial challenge with defender Joe Rafferty.

The decision looked incredibly harsh on the Seasiders’ 15-goal leading scorer but, to their credit, the hosts dug deep for a hard-fought draw at Bloomfield Road and extend their impressive home unbeaten league run to eight games.

Midfielder Hayden Coulson rifled wide for the home side early on, while Rhodes shot wide from a tight angle.

Rhodes was dismissed just before half-time and the visitors came within a whisker of going ahead when midfielder Abu Kamara’s fierce strike struck a post.

Blackpool goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw thwarted Jack Sparkes with a fine save shortly after the hour mark, before saving from midfielder Owen Moxon in the 80th minute.

Grimshaw denied substitute Kusini Yengi in the dying stages as the hosts showed real character to ensure they maintained their long unbeaten run at home in the league.

Nine Tenths continued to demonstrate her ability with a smart success in the BetMGM Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton.

William Haggas’ four-year-old has been faring well on the all-weather over the winter, winning over course and distance on debut before finishing second in both a Newcastle handicap and the Listed Tandridge Stakes at Lingfield.

She was the only filly in a field of six on her return to Wolverhampton and started as the 15-8 favourite under William Buick.

After allowing others to make the running, she pounced on the turn for home and pulled clear of her rivals to prevail by a length and a quarter, leaving Misty Grey in second and Shouldvebeenaring in third place.

“She did everything right there, seven furlongs is probably her trip and she won very well,” Buick told Sky Sports Racing.

“She tries hard, I’m impressed.

“She looked a picture beforehand and she had race fitness on her side, she was very fluent throughout the race – very smooth and relaxed.”

Kingdom Come overcame a slow start to land the BetMGM Lincoln Trial Handicap.

Clive Cox’s five-year-old was partnered by Rossa Ryan and started as the 11-4 favourite after two good runs on the all-weather so far this year, including finishing third behind Dear My Friend at Lingfield last time out.

The gelding rocked backwards in his stall at the start of the contest, however, briefly unbalancing himself and Ryan.

They began the race on the back foot as a result, but Ryan did not panic and weaved through the field to find a more competitive position.

In the the final half-furlong he hit the front and held off the challenging Final Voyage to prevail by a head.

“He has tended to be slow out of the gates, my plan was to jump and go forward and let the pace from out wide come across and get in but it didn’t work,” Ryan said.

“I punted round, I had the horse when I needed him.

“Clive’s held this lad in high regard all the time, always has done, the middle of the season last year didn’t go to plan for him.

“He’s got back on track, I think we would have given Dear My Friend a proper race last time but we went so slow.

“The draw didn’t help and he has to drop in because he’s keen, but Clive has a plan with him this year and he’s really developing into a lovely horse.

“I think when he gets on a bit of fast ground, he’ll be a happy horse.”

Substitute Jason Kerr scored with his first touch to give Wigan a narrow but well-deserved 1-0 victory over 10-man Leyton Orient at the DW Stadium.

Wigan had an early let-off when a weak header from Luke Chambers presented the ball to Darren Pratley, who fired wide from the edge of the box.

But only a desperate header off the line prevented Wigan going ahead after a deep corner from Chambers was headed back in by Charlie Hughes.

Wigan should have hit the front when Callum McManaman fed Josh Magennis, who shot wide from eight yards.

But the game completely changed three minutes before half-time when Orient’s Ethan Galbraith picked up his second yellow card in the space of 13 minutes – both for fouls on his Northern Ireland international colleague Jordan Jones.

From then on it was attack versus defence, with McManaman shooting just wide of the target at the beginning of the second period before substitute Charlie Kelman somehow headed wide from eight yards against his old club.

But Wigan finally got their breakthrough 17 minutes from time when Jonny Smith crossed for Kerr to head home – both of their first touches after coming off the bench.

Bolton rescued a dramatic late point in a 2-2 draw at Exeter following a rousing second half.

Bolton were in almost complete control of the first period but only had one goal to show for their efforts, Alan Sheehan pulling the ball back for Paris Maghoma to sweep in from 12 yards after 34 minutes.

Exeter levelled within 10 seconds of the restart as, from kick-off, Ben Purrington headed a Pierce Sweeney long ball into the path of Sonny Cox and he lobbed Joel Coleman from 20 yards.

Exeter went 2-1 up four minutes later when Cox was played in on goal and he lashed a stunning left-footed shot into the roof of the net.

Cox was denied a hat-trick by Coleman’s instinctive close-range save, but Bolton levelled in the 88th minute when Jack Iredale delivered a superb cross which was headed in by Eoin Toal.

Substitute Mo Eisa almost won it in stoppage time for Exeter, but his shot on the turn was superbly saved by Coleman, while Iredale was denied by an equally good save by Vili Sinisalo at the other end in a breathless finish to the match.

Enes Unal came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal in stoppage time as Bournemouth fought back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-haunted Sheffield United.

Strikes from Gustavo Hamer and captain Jack Robinson looked to have earned the struggling Blades only their second away win of the season.

However, goals from substitutes Dango Ouattara and Unal in the final 16 minutes earned the hosts a point from a pulsating game in Dorset.

The Cherries were awarded a spot-kick with just 14 minutes played after Tom Davies clumsily swept Dominic Solanke off his feet.

Solanke stepped up in search of his 15th Premier League goal of the season but lost his footing just as was about to address the ball and ballooned it over the crossbar off his standing left foot.

The Cherries were then thwarted by an excellent 25th minute save from Ivo Grbic, who turned away Antoine Semenyo’s low shot from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play two minutes later courtesy of Hamer’s fourth goal of the campaign.

Hamer set Jaydon Bogle free down the right and when his initial shot was beaten away by Neto the former Coventry playmaker was on hand to fire the rebound into the roof of the Bournemouth net.

Croatian Grbic made another superb save to push Semenyo’s powerful close-range header from a Ryan Christie cross behind for a corner,

In first half stoppage time Neto saved awkwardly from Tom Davies’ header, before McBurnie nodded straight at the home goalkeeper from a corner.

Bournemouth started the second half on the front foot in search of an equaliser and Christie should have done better five minutes after the restart than firing over after good footwork from Marcus Tavernier had create the opportunity.

Neto had to be on alert to push wide Oliver Arblaster’s cross-cum shot but it was the goalkeeper’s mistake from the resulting corner that helped United double their lead in the 64th minute.

Neto punched the corner against Solanke’s back, sending the ball kindly into the path of Robinson at the far post and the Blades captain fired home off the inside off the post, with the goal decision system showing it had crossed the line before the Bournemouth goalkeeper clawed it away.

Bournemouth thought they were back in the game moments later but the luckless Solanke’s close-range effort was ruled out for a handball by the England international following a lengthy VAR review.

They did pull a goal back 16 minutes from time when Ouattara was left totally unmarked to head in Christie’s corner from four yards.

And after Ouattara missed a free header, Turkey international Unal rifled home at the far post in the first minute of added time to break the Blades’ hearts and deny them two points.

Alfie May scored twice as Charlton secured back-to-back League One wins for the first time this season, beating Carlisle 3-2.

After a 20th-minute volley from Luke Armstrong gave the visitors an unlikely lead, Charlton turned the game around with goals either side of half-time – May following up a deflected shot from Daniel Kanu in the 37th minute and Kanu himself crashing home from close range in the 54th.

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson had asked his players to show pride and they did so, Taylor Charters equalising from the penalty spot after Macaulay Gillesphey had fouled Armstrong.

But the hosts’ quality eventually told, May latching onto a loose back-pass from former Addick Sam Lavelle and rounding the keeper to claim his fourth goal in four games after just one in the previous 13.

Charlton’s first home victory since November means they now find themselves comfortably in mid-table, 10 points above 21st-placed Cheltenham and quickly forgetting any relegation concerns.

Carlisle’s 10th loss in 11 games means they will almost certainly go down.

Wycombe claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory at Reading in their League One clash thanks to a late penalty from Beryly Lubala.

After the scrappiest of openings, from both sides, Wycombe went ahead after 16 minutes in spectacular style through defender Nigel Lonwijk.

The centre-back, scoring a first goal for Wanderers, took advantage of slack home marking with a superb overhead kick.

Reading lacked any threat going forward and Wycombe could have doubled their lead before the break, only for Kieran Sadlier to blaze over from a Garath McCleary cross.

The hosts improved after the interval, with Tyler Bindon almost levelling when nodding against a post from a cross from substitute Charlie Savage.

Sam Smith was then denied by Wanderers keeper Franco Ravizzolo from a tight angle but did better later when rising to meet a Femi Azeez cross to head home his 10th goal of the season.

However, Lubala snatched the points for Wanderers in the 88th minute, converting from the spot after Reading defender Clinton Mola had clumsily felled Chem Campbell in the area.

Lincoln extended their unbeaten run to 11 games with an emphatic 5-1 away victory over Barnsley.

Joe Taylor opened the scoring before a Jack Moylan brace, Daniel Mandriou and Jovon Makama added second-half goals.

Adam Phillips pulled one back for the hosts, but they could not push for a comeback.

Lincoln took the lead after 15 minutes when Lasse Sorensen knocked it across for Taylor to finish beyond Liam Roberts.

They doubled their lead in the 55th minute through substitute Moylan, who weaved past the Barnsley defence before slotting past Roberts.

Michael Skubala’s side added a third three minutes later when Josh Earl gave the ball away in his own half. Mandriou picked up the ball and drove into the box before finding the back of the net.

Moylan got his second of the game in the 72nd minute when he let fly from 25 yards out and found the bottom left corner.

Barnsley pulled one back with 13 minutes to play when Phillips fired home from inside the box.

The Imps responded quickly and added a fifth through Makama two minutes later.

Newcastle-born striker Adam Armstrong helped extend Sunderland’s losing run to six matches as Southampton’s 4-2 victory breathed new life into their Sky Bet Championship promotion push.

Armstrong, who played 21 times for the Magpies after coming through their youth set-up, converted a first-half penalty after Stuart Armstrong had already poked Saints ahead.

Romaine Mundle and Jobe Bellingham pulled it back to 2-2 but Joe Rothwell’s quick-fire brace off the bench – both with heavy Adam Armstrong influence – maintained Mike Dodds zero per cent record since taking over from Michael Beale.

Sunderland didn’t have a shot on target in the first half but could have led inside 90 seconds but Mason Burstow curled just wide.

Burstow would also shake a post from the most acute of angles but otherwise the hosts dominated and should have gone in better than their 2-0 lead.

David Brooks set the tone in the fourth minute when he was given plenty of time to get a shot away but could only fire wide.

The opener came five minutes later as Brooks clipped a ball to the back post and Bellingham headed back across his own goal under pressure to offer Jan Bednarek a free header. That was saved but only as far as Stuart Armstrong, who swept in from a yard.

It was the Scotland international’s first league goal since December and fourth of the season.

He almost had a second in the 19th minute when a clear shot was deflected behind before Che Adams couldn’t divert a low cross in and Brooks struck a free-kick straight at goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

Saints’ second came in the 37th minute after Ryan Manning had his legs taken from under him by Leo Hjelde for a stonewall penalty.

Adam Armstrong converted, albeit with a slip which drew complaints of a double contact from the Black Cats, before celebrating in the corner where the away fans were situated.

But the momentum completely changed in the second half, specifically on a pair of double substitutions in the 58th minute.

Russell Martin’s withdrawal of Brooks and Will Smallbone didn’t work but Dodds’ introduction of Adil Aouchiche and Nazariy Rusyn was a masterstroke.

Rusyn had already blasted into the side-netting before Mundle pulled one back in the 62nd minute from 20 yards with a strike off a post.

Bellingham completed the comeback with a wonder strike after shifting on to his right foot from the edge of the area to beat a diving Gavin Bazunu.

But Saints rallied and another double swap reverted their fortunes as Rothwell turned things back around and James Bree shored things up.

Rothwell was in the right place at the right time twice in three minutes within seven minutes of being subbed on in the 73rd minute.

His first came after Adam Armstrong’s blocked cross landed perfectly for him to follow in and lash home before Adam Armstrong’s low delivery was cleared off the line and into the path of the Bournemouth loanee to pounce again.