Henderson bitter over loss of Windsor

Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald went to the funeral of jump racing at Windsor and left mourning its demise - but with a double by Grecian Dart and Copper Coin to cheer them up.

Yet despite his good fortune, trainer Henderson was bitter about the end of National Hunt fixtures at the track.

After Grecian Dart, the favourite, had led two flights from home in the first part of the aptly-titled Farewell Novices' Hurdle, Henderson said: "It is an absolute tragedy. I know the track has a bonanza with their summer evening Flat meetings and that is where the money is, but it is such a good jumping course - good for London, good for owners and everyone in the National Hunt game.

"It has never been short of runners over the obstacles. Figures show it has the second highest average of runners per race in the country and the class of racing was not rubbish.

"Unfortunately economics tend to rule the day. But they have got to look to the future. With jump courses like Lingfield and Nottingham also closing, what chance is there for tracks like Plumpton and Fontwell?"

Henderson and Fitzgerald clinched their double in the second division with Copper Coin, who just held on from Dragon Lord.

Henderson said: "I brought him back to this two mile trip, but the only thing that won him the race was his jumping. He's going to make a lovely chaser."

The Rous Amateur Riders Chase became a catalogue of errors. Cheeky Charlie unseated at the first fence, Injectabuck fell at the second, Scobie Girl crashed at the 10th and Hawaiian Youth was hampered by a loose horse and unseated his rider a fence later.

The carnage was not over there, however. Philatelic, the eventual winner, found himself confronted by Hawaiian Youth galloping head on down the track towards him.

Jockey John Moore said: "I saw him there in front of us and thought "heads or tails, left or right?" but fortunately Hawaiian Youth turned sideways and stopped. I just missed him but a following horse hit him."

Philatelic, trained by Robert Alner, won by a neck from River Bay, with only four of the original eight runners finishing.