Dan Skelton is to waste no time in stepping Born Survivor up in class after striking on his debut for the stable in the Eventmasters Twickenham Hospitality Packages Maiden Hurdle at Warwick.
Dan Skelton is to waste no time in stepping Born Survivor up in class after striking on his debut for the stable in the Eventmasters Twickenham Hospitality Packages Maiden Hurdle at Warwick.
Changing hands for £220,000 at the Brightwells Sale back in April, the four-year-old repaid a slice of the small fortune laid out for him with a two-length victory over Minella Charmer in the two-mile-five-furlong affair in the hands of Harry Skelton.
Sent off the 5-6 favourite, the result never looked in doubt.
Skelton said: "That was very nice. Obviously when they cost as much as he did, everyone is watching and he probably had to win otherwise he was going to fall foul of being a disappointing horse.
"I was really impressed with how he picked up and he jumped exceptionally well for a four-year-old.
"He's a big horse and in that ground it would have been hard enough work for him, but some have got it and some haven't and he has.
"We'll come back here on January 16 for the Leamington Spa which we won last year with Three Musketeers."
The Skelton brothers teamed up earlier in the day to introduce another useful looking recruit in Ashoka, who ran out the convincing winner of the Eventmasters Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle.
Although forced to work hard to wear down long-time leader For Goodness Sake in the two-mile event, the 11-10 favourite had matters well in control on the run-in.
Skelton said: "That was very nice. He handled the ground and fair play to the second (For Goodness Sake) as I know we were giving her the fillies' allowance but she did it the hard way and made it tough for us at two out.
"I think he is quite nice and we've always held him in high regard. We might give him some fancy options next time out and if he is not up to that we can always drop him back with a penalty."
Willoughby Court defied a penalty to ensure that the Eventmasters Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary Standard National Hunt Flat Race headed back to the yard of Ben Pauling for the second year in succession.
After sending out subsequent Grade Two winner Barters Hill to take the two-mile contest 12 months ago, the Bourton-on-the-Water handler repeated the trick when the 6-4 favourite cruised to an eased-down eight-length success to follow up his win last time out at Southwell, completing the second leg of a double for David Bass.
Jason Maguire, racing manager to owners Paul and Clare Rooney, said: "We are delighted with him winning with a penalty on his back in that sort of ground. He has grown up a lot after every run. He will stick to bumpers this year but hopefully he will be a nice horse next season."
The Kim Bailey-trained Red Spinner (9-4) got the ball rolling for Bass when backing up his debut win over fences at Leicester with a decisive victory from the front in the Eventmasters 6 Nations Rugby Hospitality Packages Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
Bailey said: "He was very good and was like a cat on springs. He really enjoys his jumping. He is a really nice horse and the ground might have been a bit too tacky and soft but at the end of the day he has got a little bit of class about him."
David Dennis' Cyclop (2-1 favourite) atoned for parting company with Aidan Coleman late on at Market Rasen seven days ago with a wide-margin success in the Warwick Racecourse Handicap Chase.
Coleman said: "He should have won at Market Rasen but we had a slight mishap. He was foot perfect today so I'm not sure what happened at Market Rasen.
"He was competitive in a big field and he was in the thick of it. He has got a great attitude and fair play to David for getting him out again and finding him a winning opportunity."
Toowoomba (11-4) needed all the assistance of Tom O'Brien to strike for the in-form yard of Philip Hobbs in the racinguk.com Handicap Chase, while Kielan Woods' decision to come to the stands rail late on with the Graeme McPherson-trained Extreme Impact (12-1) paid dividends with victory in the Eventmasters Rugby Hospitality Packages Handicap Hurdle