Jay Jay Reilly sprang a 33-1 surprise to give trainer Dan Skelton a second straight success in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton.

Last year, it was Bridget Andrews in the saddle as West Balboa prevailed by a short head.

This time, Tristan Durrell sent the eight-year-old Jay Jay Reilly to the front at the penultimate obstacle and he kept on gamely all the way to the line.

Nemean Lion looked a big danger approaching the final flight, but a sloppy jump left the 9-2 shot fighting a losing battle on the run-in and he went down by a length and a quarter.

Impose Toi, the 11-4 favourite, and 28-1 outsider Good Luck Charm filled the minor placings.

Durrell, who still claims a 3lb allowance, had earlier obliged on Flegmatik for the same handler and he told Racing TV: “It’s unbelievable. Obviously, the best day of my career.

“I’ve never ridden a double before and a double on a big day like this is just unreal. To win the Lanzarote, it’s a big, competitive handicap, I’m just very grateful to Dan and the owners for putting me up and putting their trust in me. It’s nice to go and win.

“On the way down, I said to Bridget ‘you need to tell me how to win a Lanzarote, because you won last year’.

“She said ‘you need an OK start, so you’re not too far away because there’s so many runners, and just try to keep out of trouble’ – and that’s where I was.

“I had a nice bit of room, just followed Harry Cobden through and it couldn’t have worked out better for me.”

Jay Jay Reilly’s past nine outings had been over fences, including an eighth-place finish in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham last time out.

“It’s funny, because he was a big price but at home we all thought he had a good chance, as he’s never felt so well all year and back over hurdles, they just gain confidence, don’t they,” added Durrell.

“We thought he had a good chance, but it’s always unbelievable when it happens, isn’t it. It’s a great day for the team and just brilliant.”

My Silver Lining hung on for victory in an exciting finish to the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick.

The three-mile-five-furlong heat proved a thorough test of stamina on soft ground and it was Emma Lavelle’s charge who emerged the victor in the hands of James Best.

Percussion was the first to really set sail for home but the two mares, Galia Des Liteaux and My Silver Lining, had the race to themselves in the straight.

My Silver Lining (17-2) had a couple of lengths in hand jumping the penultimate fence and still held a distinct advantage at the last, but Galia Des Liteaux was cutting into her lead with every stride on the flat.

However, the winning post arrived in time for My Silver Lining, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length, with the pair 12 lengths clear of third-placed Guetapan Collonges.

Stefano Pioli is suitably wary of a backlash from Jose Mourinho’s wounded Roma as AC Milan look to make a positive response of their own to a midweek cup setback when the Serie A giants clash at San Siro on Sunday.

The Rossoneri were dumped out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by Atalanta on Wednesday night, with Roma enduring a derby defeat by Lazio to exit the competition.

Pioli’s Milan are better placed in the league as they occupy third place – six points clear of Fiorentina – compared to a lowly eighth for Mourinho’s men, but the home boss knows complacency could soon lead to disaster for the 2021-22 Scudetto winners.

He said at a press conference: “We have to recover straight away, we have to do it for own good and for the fans.

“We are Milan – criticism is part of the game. From day one I’ve always made sure my players are in the best condition possible to express themselves.

“We’re in the second half of the season now and we have to do even better than we did in the first half, making sure we at least guarantee ourselves third place.

“If we can then achieve even more then we will try and do our best but that isn’t entirely up to us. We have to prove we can improve significantly.

“I’m expecting an open and competitive match in which we’ll have to produce a high-level performance and win all our one-on-one battles.

“Roma are experienced, physical and organised, they don’t concede many and know how to hurt you whether going forward or from dead balls.

“Mourinho is a top boss and you can always tell it’s a big match when he heaps praise on his opponent.”

Beyond Wednesday’s upset, Roma are struggling for league form, winning only one of their last five and getting nothing away from home since beating Sassuolo in Emilia-Romagna on December 3.

Trying to put the Lazio loss to bed, Mourinho told asroma.com: “It’s very easy. The game is over and we lost. We did many things well in accordance with our limitations. We did other things not well. We analysed what we did well and not well yesterday.

“We talked, we analysed, always seeking to improve within our limitations. And we start again, from my personal point of view, as I have done for over 23 years.

“Game played, game analysed, game over. And next game. There is no other story.”

On Milan, he added: “I face a team who play for the title, a team that won the Scudetto two years ago, a team who play to win the Scudetto, even if this year the distance in points between them and Juventus and Inter is a distance that will not be easy to bridge. They will put everything into this match.”

John Kington enjoyed his biggest victory in the saddle as J’Ai Froid took advantage of a final-flight blunder from Kyntara to claim the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Warwick.

Both Laura Morgan’s winner and the Mel Rowley-trained runner-up were to the fore throughout in the extended three-mile contest, but J’Ai Froid’s chance appeared to have evaporated as the 11-year-old came under a drive two out while Kyntara appeared full of running under Charlie Deutsch.

However, Kyntara put in a sluggish leap at the last which gave the chasing pack hope and Kington conjured up extra from the willing veteran to rally for a three-quarter-length victory at odds of 8-1.

Kington was keen to express his gratitude to J’Ai Froid’s handler Morgan, who has allowed him to strike up a fine partnership with one of her stable stalwart’s this season.

He said: “I moved down by Laura’s at the start of the season and began to ride out, I’ve been in four or five mornings a week and she ended up putting me on him for his first run of the year and he ended up winning.

“Luckily enough and thank you to Laura, but she has kept me on him and we haven’t been out of the first two.

“It’s marvellous for the team back at home and I’m just a small part of the team who gets to enjoy riding him on the track.

“It’s one of the biggest days of my riding career and I’ve been at it a long time. I love my racing and this is what I’m here to do. I’m normally away somewhere else riding when the racing is on the TV and it’s thanks to Laura really for giving me that opportunity.

“Days like this are what you wake up in the morning for, finding that one horse, and I’m over the moon.”

Nigel Hawke’s Donnacha (2-1 favourite) had bumped into quality opposition when placing at Cheltenham the last twice, but supplemented his early-season Chepstow success with a battling display under Lorcan Murtagh in the Michael Costello Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

“He deserved that,” said Hawke. “The last two runs have been in good company and he hasn’t disgraced himself and he’s a work in progress and is improving all the time.

“We won at Chepstow first time out, so this is his second win of the season and he has been to Cheltenham twice. The idea was to go to Cheltenham to get an idea of what we have got and we got that.

“We waited 18 months before he even hit the racecourse, he was a lovely three- and four-year-old but we’ve waited and are reaping the rewards now. There is a lack of these horses in the country because it takes time, but with the right owners you reap rewards long term.”

Betfair left Donnacha unchanged at 16-1 for Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle on February 10 and Hawke confirmed that race would come under consideration for the steadily improving six-year-old.

He added: “He’s in at Newbury (in the Betfair) and we will see what happens – we will have to have a look at it.

“Whatever he does this year, he will be a better horse next year over two and a half (miles) and probably fences, so I won’t be killing him this year.

“I think we will look after him a bit and there are thoughts of the EBF Final (at Sandown) but by then the ground might have dried out.

“Let’s go home with the programme book and see, If he had won by 15-20 lengths today and he didn’t have the Newbury entry you would be kicking yourself, but we’ll see how we go. He’s a great horse for the future.”

There were only two runners in the Unibet Edward Courage Cup Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase but Dan Skelton’s Etalon marked himself as a horse on the rise by following up his impressive Newbury return with a cosy 44-length success.

Meanwhile, Joe Tizzard’s Diamond Ri (evens favourite) opened his hurdles account at the second attempt in the Wigley Support Fund ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle.

An impressive bumper winner at the track in the spring, he bumped into Paul Nicholls’ well-regarded Insurrection at Exeter on his hurdles bow, but upped in trip he produced a professional performance in the hands of Brendan Powell.

“I think the form of his Exeter run is brilliant and he just tweaked a muscle, hence you haven’t seen him again since,” explained Tizzard.

“He’s still very raw and has a lot to learn still, but he’s getting the hang of it and he’s getting the hang of jumping at home. He’s not going to be an immediate natural because he’s a big frame of a horse, but he has a big engine and Brendan was just educating him and said once you gave him a flick, he quickened away nicely. I like him a lot.

“He’s going to make a lovely chaser and he’s just a big, raw National Hunt youngster, he’s not a speedster or anything like that but he has a lot of class.

“He’ll get all the entries and we will run again in three weeks’ time (in a novice under a penalty) and we’ll see where we are. He hasn’t got to go to Cheltenham but he’ll have the entries and sometimes you have to take your chance while you can as well.

“We’ll just try to do right by the horse, let him develop and let him tell us where he wants to end up.”

Banbridge kept on strongly to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Grade Two Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton.

Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old was having his first outing for 275 days but got the better of defending champion Pic D’Orhy thanks to jumping the final fence better under JJ Slevin.

Pic D’Orhy, who coasted to a 16-length success in this contest 12 months ago, set the pace early on from Banbridge, with the other three runners in a line a few lengths back.

Notlongtillmay made a brief forward move on the turn for home, while Edwardstone and Janidil never quite got into the contest.

That left Banbridge and Pic D’Orhy to battle it out up the home straight and a late blunder by the latter proved decisive, with the 3-1 victor prevailing by a length and three-quarters.

Winning owner Ronnie Bartlett told Racing TV: “We were always looking for good ground for him and we got it today. He was maybe a wee bit rusty at times but we’re very happy – he put up a solid performance.

“He made a few mistakes but he’s been off the track for a long time, so it’s pretty exciting.

“He just seems to be very professional, he’s more mature, he’s got bigger and thicker and he’s just in a good way. He was very cool about travelling over here, he was relaxed and it was a good way to start the season.

“We’ve had him bubbling for a long time and there have been races we were going for but the ground wasn’t what we wanted, but Joseph said there is still some improvement to go and we’re happy with that.”

Banbridge was cut from 10-1 to 5-1 for the Ryanair Chase by Betfair, Coral and Paddy Power.

“We’ll wait and see what the ground is like, he’s a spring horse, so we’ll watch him accordingly, but all being well, that’s the race we’ll be going for,” added Bartlett.

There was a sad postscript to the race, as Notlongtillmay suffered a fatal fall at the last fence.

Tearful trainer Laura Morgan told ITV Racing: “It’s absolutely horrendous, he didn’t deserve that. He just took a nasty fall at the last and broke his shoulder.

“He’s been our stable star and it’s so upsetting. It will leave a massive hole in the yard every day, he was such a character as well – and little Ernie, the pony that has come with him, he will miss him.”

Grey Dawning regained the winning thread with a comfortable triumph in the Trustatrader Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Dan Skelton’s charge had looked set for a Cheltenham victory last time out, only to make a mess of the penultimate fence, which saw him have to give best to Ginny’s Destiny.

Sent off the 5-4 favourite to make amends, Harry Skelton was happy to settle in behind the front-running Apple Away for much of the three-mile contest, with Broadway Boy the only other horse really in contention on the turn for home.

However, he began to struggle as Grey Dawning made smooth progress on the outside to grab the lead from Apple Away at the second last, despite running slightly down that fence.

He was also a bit slow to jump at the last, but Skelton’s mount kept galloping to the line to win by 14 lengths – a result which saw Betfair cut him to 10-1 from 16s for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Coventry’s sensational late show stunned leaders Leicester as the 10-man Foxes were deservedly beaten.

Callum O’Hare’s double and Milan van Ewijk’s goal fired the Sky Blues to a 3-1 win.

O’Hare’s 79th-minute strike hauled them level, after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s controversial penalty gave the visitors the lead, before the midfielder netted late following van Ewijk’s effort two minutes from time.

The Sky Blues were furious about the penalty but were given hope by Abdul Fatawu’s red card in first-half stoppage time.

Leicester slipped to a first defeat in 11 Championship games with Coventry maintaining their play-off challenge.

Beforehand, both clubs condemned those who had hung banners on the M69 mocking the death of former owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and abusing Leicester fans.

The hosts had lost just once since December, a seven-match unbeaten run pushing them to the brink of the play-offs and the Sky Blues took that confidence to go at Leicester early, coming close after six minutes.

The busy O’Hare won the ball back for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and the winger jinked past James Justin and Mads Hermansen turned his drive onto the post.

A minute before Matty Godden curled at Hermansen while Kasey Palmer drilled wide soon after with the Foxes yet to get going.

Leicester last lost in November, successive defeats to Leeds and Middlesbrough, and had dropped just four points since yet they were unnerved by Coventry’s bustling approach.

Godden’s deflected effort skidded wide as the Sky Blues continued to press, only for Leicester to issue a warning 10 minutes before half time.

Good work from Dewsbury-Hall saw the Foxes break and when the midfielder swapped passes with Stephy Mavididi he teed up Cesare Casadei, only for the forward to slide his shot inches wide.

O’Hare then had his own chance but failed to get a connection before late drama at the end of the half.

Van Ewijk lost possession and allowed Dewsbury-Hall to chase, Bobby Thomas came steaming in and, while he won the ball, the defender caught the Leicester man with the follow through.

Referee Darren England pointed to the spot and Dewsbury-Hall sent Brad Collins the wrong way after 44 minutes.

If the visitors thought they would then see out the half with few problems they were mistaken when Fatawu – who had earlier been warned to calm down by Wout Faes – cleaned out Jake Bidwell in stoppage time and was instantly shown a red card.

Coventry tried to capitalise and Godden wasted a fine chance, heading van Ewijk’s cross at Hermansen 10 minutes into the second half.

Leicester carried little threat and it was up to Coventry to break them down but Mark Robins’ men struggled for inspiration, despite the man advantage, until O’Hare struck with 11 minutes left.

Substitutes Ellis Simms and Jay Dasilva combined to set up O’Hare for the midfielder to curl in low from 12 yards.

Coventry went chasing victory and went ahead in the 88th minute when Sakamoto’s corner was only cleared to van Ewijk on the edge of the box and he found the bottom corner.

There was still time for O’Hare to volley in a third in stoppage time to cap the comeback.

Chelsea made it three Premier League wins in a row for the first time since October 2022 as Cole Palmer’s penalty guided them to a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

The winning goal came in stoppage time at the end of the first half, the top scorer for Mauricio Pochettino’s side notching his ninth goal of the season after Raheem Sterling was tripped in the box.

However, the move had been started by a moment of Palmer genius, spotting a gap and threading a superb ball through the middle that drew defender Issa Diop into a clumsy foul.

Marco Silva’s visitors never truly looked beaten until the final whistle sounded.

Chelsea, though, defended doggedly in the final moments to breath genuine momentum into their season.

The first half began in a familiar pattern, plenty of possession for the hosts but little or no penetration in the final third. Sterling was busy down the left during the opening 15 minutes, Kenny Tete at right-back barring the way.

The only chance of those opening exchanges fell to Conor Gallagher, the captain lifting his shot a couple of yards over the bar from just outside the box.

Sterling opted for a different tact on 20 minutes, laying it off wide to Enzo Fernandez to cross. His centre was met by Armando Broja at the front post, who failed to get enough of a glance on the ball and thumped his header wide.

The best chance of the half, though, was Fulham’s. Willian fed Andreas Pereira overlapping on the left, who picked out Harry Wilson stealing away into space on the far side. Wilson hit it first time, looking to sneak it inside Djordje Petrovic’s near post, but the goalkeeper spread himself well, rebounding it away with his legs.

Chelsea’s goal in added time at the end of the half was not deserved on the balance of play, but the pass from Palmer to carve out the chance was sublime. Making eyes for a lofted cross, he instead slipped a reverse ball through the middle for Sterling, who in cutting in onto his left was tripped by Diop. Palmer did the rest from the spot.

Chelsea were seeking a fourth win from five in the league, the kind of points return they had not enjoyed since former boss Graham Potter’s early days in charge more than a year ago. They were, in truth, fortunate to lead at the break.

Sterling headed against the post from six yards out at the start of the second half after Fernandez’s cross had picked him out. Malo Gusto played a low ball for Broja at the near post, but he failed to get a touch and it was cleared by Tosin, as a rebooted Chelsea emerged after the break with renewed purpose.

Fulham took time to get going in the second half half but finally found some bite after 70 minutes, Raul Jimenez shooting low first-time at goal and drawing a save from Petrovic dropping to his right. Pochettino responded by sending on Ben Chilwell for his first appearance in nearly fourth months after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Gallagher struck the post with a superb curling effort off the outside of his right boot as Chelsea looked to kill the game off, then Willian just cleared the bar from a free-kick, Fulham refusing to lie down easy.

In the end, the clock ran out on them, as Chelsea’s resurgence under Pochettino rolled on.

Boris Becker would not rule out Andy Murray appearing at the Australian Open in 2025.

Murray will make his 16th appearance in the main draw at Melbourne Park on Monday when he faces 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round.

It was five years ago at the 2019 Australian Open when three-time grand-slam champion Murray contemplated retirement and a highlights montage shown after his round-one exit appeared to signal the end of his career.

Surgery to resurface his hip followed and while it has enabled the five-time Australian Open runner-up to continue playing well into his thirties, the Scot cut a frustrated figure at the end of 2023.

But Becker had little concern over Murray not appearing in Australia again.

“Well, I would never rule Andy out,” Eurosport pundit Becker insisted. “As long as he has fun, as long as he enjoys it and as long as he has success, he will continue.

“I was worried a couple of years ago when he did the press conference and said it was most likely his last one because it was before his surgery so he didn’t know if he would come back.

“We moved past that and I think he is physically fit enough, but obviously the tennis circuit doesn’t sleep and Andy doesn’t get younger either.

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“Those 22-years-old are now those 24-years-olds and Andy is 36 so the clock is ticking.

“I am sure he will do well this year., I am sure he is aiming for a successful Wimbledon and he’ll take it from there.”

At the other end of the spectrum, British number four Jack Draper will aim to make his mark in Melbourne after an injury-hit past campaign.

Draper, 22, recently beat Becker’s protege Holger Rune to win the UTS event in London last month and earned praise from the six-time grand-slam winner.

Becker said: “Look, an unbelievable talent. You can see he loves the competition, he loves tennis, he loves to be out there, but he had some injury problems last year, so he couldn’t play as much as he wanted to.

“He is a big guy, a powerful guy and he needs to address his body. He needs to be longer in the shape he is right now.

“I don’t know him and I don’t know his group of people too well, so I don’t how much he trains on and off the court, but what I could tell is that physically he struggled last year and that is the foundation of a successful tennis player.

“I am sure he learned his lessons, I am sure he had a good winter. I saw the result in Adelaide, he looked fit. I am sure they have done a lot of off-court training and I wish him luck.

“Great Britain needs good, young players. You have got Wimbledon around the corner, you have the Queens tournament so you want your local heroes to be successful there.”

:: Watch every moment of the Australian Open LIVE and exclusive on Eurosport and discovery+ from 14-28 January.

Paul Nicholls introduced an exciting prospect at Kempton in Kalif Du Berlais, who galloped on strongly from the front to win the Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Juvenile Hurdle by seven and a half lengths at 4-5.

Nicholls was quick to play down his chances of heading to the Cheltenham Festival, with a future chasing career his long-term target, but that didn’t stop punters from backing the French import into 12-1 with Betfair for the Triumph Hurdle.

Kalif Du Berlais had previously scored impressively on his racecourse bow at Compiegne and Nicholls told Racing TV: “We thought he was a smart horse.

“My only reservation was that he hasn’t been in this country all that long and normally they need a bit of a break to acclimatise, but because I knew we were going to have to give him a run, I just kept going straight on with him and he’s just thrived on everything.

“He’s never looked back from the minute he came in the yard and he’s a gorgeous horse – he’s a chaser, that’s what he was bought for, so we need to mind him. He won’t have too many races this year; we need to look after him and we will.

“His jumping is brilliant but he’s not a Triumph horse is he! All those types like him in the past – Clan Des Obeaux, Frodon – they always finish in the middle and end up superstar chasers, so I don’t see a point in running them in the Triumph Hurdle.

“He could come back here for the Adonis, although we’ve got a few runners for that, so it might be one more run and possibly look at Aintree. All options are open, but I don’t see him as a Triumph horse because he’s the wrong type.”

Nicholls feels Kalif Du Berlais has leapt to the top of the pecking order among his juvenile hurdlers but added: “He’s all about the future and I don’t see any point staying around over hurdles with him for too long, he might have to go chasing in the autumn as a four-year-old.”

Flegmatik secured a third course victory in the New Bet-In-Race With Coral Handicap Chase over three miles, scoring by two lengths at 7-2.

Tristan Durrell gave Dan Skelton’s charge a positive ride and his 3lb allowance came in handy as they saw off the late challenge from top-weight Chianti Classico.

Assistant trainer Bridget Andrews said: “He’s been a great horse for the owners and obviously has a love for Kempton.

“He definitely bounces off the bit better ground, although it looks a bit tacky today, but I don’t know what it is about Kempton.

“He’s a strong traveller and we’d normally hold on to him a little bit more than we did today, but it was always happening a bit slowly for him lately and he was taking a bit to get going, so we said if he does get to the front today, just press on – and Tristan gave him a great ride.

“I was pleased to see him push on when he did, the horse has sometimes pulled up a bit when in front but he never gave me that impression today and stayed on really well.”

Nicky Henderson’s Gentle Slopes survived a stewards’ inquiry to claim the Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Hurdle at 4-5, having edged right on the run-in before shading Junkanoo by a nose.

Midfielder Trezeguet hopes Egypt’s final heartbreak of 2022 can act as motivation for Africa Cup of Nations success this year.

Egypt have not won the tournament since 2010 and have fallen at the last hurdle in their last two final appearances, more recently two years ago when they lost on penalties to Senegal.

The Pharaohs begin their campaign on Sunday when they take on Mozambique in Group B and Trezeguet is determined to go one step further and pick up the trophy this time around.

The 29-year-old Trabzonspor forward told the tournament’s official website: “It is really difficult to lose two finals.

“It is painful but we will try again to get the title. We must have what we deserve and we hope that this time luck will be on our side and that God will help us.”

Egypt will face Ghana in their next game and will conclude the group stage phase when they play Cape Verde and the former Aston Villa player admits it is not an easy group to progress from.

He added ahead of the opener in Abidjan: “It is a difficult group. It is not easy.

“All the African teams are strong and have very good players. We will play all the matches as finals and see what they look like We came here aiming for a new title.

“Since our arrival, the entire team has only one goal, to go be crowned champions.”

Colonel Harry took full advantage of Trelawne’s wayward tendencies to continue a golden season for his jockey Gavin Sheehan in the William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby.

Sheehan has already won the Coral Gold Cup on Datsalrightgino, representing the same connections, the December Gold Cup on Fugitif and the dramatic King George on Hewick.

Jamie Snowden’s Colonel Harry had finished second to Le Patron in a Grade One over two miles at Sandown last time out and was racing over two and a half miles on this occasion.

This Grade Two had been previously run over three miles and while only four went to post over the new distance, all had claims.

Kim Bailey’s Trelawne attempted to make all but he continually lost ground by hanging markedly to his right and at one point was seemingly intent on heading to the car park on the home bend.

The fact he only went down by a length and three-quarters to the 5-4 favourite spoke volumes, with the winner having to fend off Trelawne’s renewed challenge on the run to the line.

“He’s done it well but Trelawne probably made it a bit easier for us,” said Sheehan.

“Our lad jumps great, he has the right attitude and he didn’t mind stepping up in trip there.

“It’s been brilliant of late, there’s no hiding that fact – I’ve had some great success and long may it continue.”

Hew Glyn Davies, of owners the GD Partnership, said: “I was delighted with that. Obviously it was a small field and the second horse is very good, we were worried about him.

“He travelled great but Gavin said he was ready for him when he opened out on the back straight and he didn’t really have to get into him.

“I think at Sandown he pecked at the first fence and lost his position, he was behind the ball the whole of the way. He got going late and, frankly, if it had been another few yards he’d have got there.

“The longer trip really helped, we’d been debating it, or Jamie had, for a while.

“I think the Scilly Isles (at Sandown) will be a possibility but Cheltenham is a question mark.

“We’ve had a great year so far with Datsalrightgino winning the Coral Gold Cup too.”

Kim Bailey lamented not fitting the runner-up Trelawne with cheekpieces.

“We tossed and turned as to whether to put cheekpieces on today, we gave him the benefit of the doubt but I wish we had,” he said.

“He did the same in his second novice hurdle at Exeter and he’s always been quirky, but he’s got a serious amount of ability.

“He’s a very talented individual, to go so close having run off the racecourse. He’s a winner without a penalty but he hasn’t picked up the prize money either! It’s a very frustrating situation.”