Indian Jockey impressive

MARTIN PIPE'S Nicholashayne stable continued in supreme pre-Cheltenham Festival form with a near 15 to 1 double at Bangor yesterday…

MARTIN PIPE'S Nicholashayne stable continued in supreme pre-Cheltenham Festival form with a near 15 to 1 double at Bangor yesterday as Indian Jockey and Knight In Side, partnered by Tony McCoy and Chris Maude respectively enjoyed easy victories in successive races.

The two winners took the West Country team's seasonal tally to 146, but neither will be accompanying the Pond House yard's team of stars to next week's National Hunt showpiece fixture.

Indian Jockey, jumped soundly throughout to secure an effortless nine lengths verdict over outsider The Secret Grey in the Croxton Novices Chase after drifting in the betting from 1 to 4 out to 9 to 4 on.

It was Indian Jockey's third win from as many starts since switching to fences in January and follows a fine record over hurdles which produced six successes. "If every horse in the yard boasted a record like his, you'd be very happy," said Pipe's son David.

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Indian Jockey is jointly owned by Pipe senior with Manchester bookmaker Stuart Mercer, who said: "We're going to Liverpool next for a novice handicap chase with this fellow."

Half an hour after Indian Jockey's ninth career triumph, his lesser known stablemate Knight In Side stepped into the winner's enclosure for the first time since January 1992 when making most of the running en route to a near effortless 11 lengths success in the Holywell Selling Hurdle.

Winning jockey Maude was partnering his 38th winner this term - more than half of which had been for Pipe - which equals his personal best score, achieved last season.

Pipe Jnr, who retained Knight In Side for 5,250 Guineas at the auction said: "This horse has had a lot of problems in his career. You name it he's had it!

"But he ran a fairly decent race at Chepstow in October on his first outing for over two years. Unfortunately he's experienced several more little problems since that Chepstow run.

"He's been entered up on numerous occasions this winter but kept going wrong."