Mini Sensation rises to the occasion

Mini Sensation rose to the occasion to land a gamble in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow yesterday.

The 8 to 1 chance has more bad days than good, according to his trainer Jonjo O'Neill. But even the modestly-spoken O'Neill agreed this had been "a great day" for his charge in the £75,000 mud-splattered thriller.

Available at 25 to 1 only days earlier in the ante-post betting, the winner led approaching the final fence and flew it under Tony Dobbin to pull clear from Chives.

The runner-up, who was attempting to give an enormous 22lb to the winner, ran a sensational race to finish just seven lengths behind in testing conditions. Indeed it was only after an inspection that the meeting got the go-ahead hours before the action was due to start.

Chives (10 to 1) finished 13 lengths ahead of 5 to 2 favourite Gunner Welburn, who led at the 14th of the 22 fences but faded after the last. Frosty Canyon (20 to 1) was fourth with only seven of the 17 starters finishing the race.

O'Neill has enjoyed rollercoaster fortunes in recent weeks that have seen him handed two hefty fines under the "non-triers" rules. But there were only smiles in the winner's enclosure after Mini Sensation had triumphed.

"I wanted a jockey who knew him because he can be funny to ride," said O'Neill. "Tony fitted the bill and gave him a great ride.

"Sometimes he can take half an hour to get going but I was delighted with the way he jumped today. He just loves this ground. It can't be too soft for him."

The winner is quoted at 25 to 1 by Coral for the Grand National. But it is the Tote Gold Cup that Henrietta Knight is eyeing for Chives after his splendid weight-carrying performance. And only 24 hours after his stablemate Best Mate cemented his place at the head of the betting for chasing's blue riband prize which he won last year, Knight revealed that she felt Chives was capable of giving his stablemate a scare if conditions were suitable.

"If it was soft in the Gold Cup then he would nearly beat Best Mate," she said. "This horse is Gold Cup class, and I mean that. He will probably have a race between now and Cheltenham, possibly the De Vere Gold Cup at Haydock. He could go for the Grand National after that."

Hopes that Ian Balding could enjoy a big-race winner before he retires from training on January 1st were scuppered as Gunner Welburn was outstayed close home. But Moor Lane will give the handler a chance of bowing out with a winner when he lines up at Cheltenham on New Year's Eve.

Nas Na Riogh took a remarkable contest for the Western Daily Press Finale Juvenile Hurdle. Well-backed 100 to 30 chance Lewis Island set off at a tremendous pace under Carl Llewellyn and by the halfway stage was some 25 lengths clear of his seven rivals. Eventually the colt tired and by the second-last flight, both the winner and Le Duc had gone past and were contesting the lead.

But horses such as Fast Mix and Guillaume Macaire's pair, Lougaroo and Lilium de Cotte, were unable to keep up with the relentless gallop and finished spread out over Gwent. Le Duc fell at the final flight to leave the winner to saunter home by 11 lengths.

"I was more worried about the French horses behind me than the one in front," said winning rider Marcus Foley. "I knew he couldn't keep that up in that kind of ground."

Bookmakers Victor Chandler cut her price from 33 to 1 to 20 to 1 for the Triumph Hurdle at March's Cheltenham Festival. Stablemate Saintsaire is their 6 to 1 favourite.

Lewis Island's trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies was pleased with the runner-up's performance in the prevailing conditions.

"Carl said this is the softest ground he has ever ridden on," he said. "You can't hold him up, you just have to let him bowl, but at Cheltenham when there is a much faster pace that should be fine."

Macaire also blamed the ground for the performances of his charges. "It is like glue and they just couldn't cope with it."

The Festival may also be on the cards for Bolt Action, the easy winner of the opening Aardvarc Cleaning Services Novices' Hurdle. But a valuable novice event at Warwick on January 11th beckons first for the Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old.

Tony McCoy continued his seemingly-irrepressible charge up towards new heights with a double as Claymore took the Ray Horton Memorial Chase and Control Man claimed the Galaxy 101 Championship Bumper.

Trainer Jonjo O'Neill after Mini Sensation's victory at Chepstow yesterday.