Faasel rolls back the years

Faasel could try to make it third time lucky in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at Cheltenham after winning for the first time since November 2008.

The 11-year-old has finished second in the last two runnings of the Festival's amateur riders' handicap chase, and showed he was no back number when landing the 32Red Veterans' Handicap Chase at Doncaster.

Faasel had been trained by Nicky Richards for his last success and finally opened his account for David Pipe when giving jockey Tom Scudamore his 50th win of the season. After shrugging aside the pace-setting Wogan, he galloped on strongly to beat Atouchbetweencara by three lengths.

Scudamore said: "This horse is a character, there's no two ways about that, but he's loved every single second of it. He might go to Cheltenham, but that's up to David. He's waited a long time to get back in the winner's enclosure. He's run well at Cheltenham before, I just wish the Kim Muir wasn't an amateur race."

Eagle Rock (15-8) could also be Cheltenham-bound after ending a run of three seconds when all out to hold Kian's Delight by a head under James Reveley in the crownhotel-bawtry.com Juvenile Hurdle.

"This horse is a character in his ways but they are all positives. He's in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and that's the plan," said trainer Tom Tate.

Philip Hobbs saddled his first winner for almost four weeks when Allthekingshorses (10-1) came from out of the clouds to gun down Corkage in the 32Red.com Handicap Hurdle. Only ninth at the second-last, the six-year-old found an extra gear for Tom O'Brien to get up 100 yards from home and score by three-quarters of a length.

Hobbs' wife Sarah said: "We have been quiet, but the horses have been running well. This horse lost his confidence when he had a breathing problem. Tom gave him plenty of room and let him come into the race quietly."

Conditional rider Jake Greenall had his first winner since returning from a broken cheekbone when making all on Henry Daly's Quentin Collonges (100-30) to take the 32Red Casino Beginners' Chase by five lengths. "It's great to be back. I've a couple of bits of metal in my face to hold it all together," he said.

Ballyalton (4-6) gave favourite backers a scare before just holding Kaysersberg by a neck in the 32RedPoker.com Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race. The five-year-old was a Christmas present from golfer Lee Westwood to his father John and has now won both his bumpers.