Martin Pipe smashed his own record for the fastest century of jump winners when reaching the target 15 days ahead of last year's schedule at Newbury yesterday. He passed the latest milestone in his prolific training career when Rainwatch made all the running to capture the Freshman's Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
Pipe reached 100 on December 13th last term but with Tony McCoy, who registered the fastest ton by a jump jockey 23 days ago, now his regular rider the trainer has been in rich form.
It was McCoy who steered the 60,000gns acquisition Rainwatch to a six-length success on his jumping debut from Kilbride Lad to earn a 20 to 1 quote for the Triumph Hurdle.
But they had to survive a last flight blunder to claim a victory that ranks him behind only stablemate The French Furze in the bookmakers' juvenile ratings.
Rainwatch proved particularly effective on soft ground for John Dunlop on the Flat and Pipe revealed he would have been prepared to bid higher for the son of Rainbow Quest.
"He's a really nice horse who likes soft ground and the only thing I was worried about was that he was too cheap. I thought he would make 120,000gns," Pipe added.
McCoy was to ride a double when successfully deputising for Rodney Farrant on Jet Boys, all the way winner of the Sonning Novices' Hurdle.
Farrant had given up his rides after an old back injury flared up during the first race and he will not be fit to ride at Haydock today.
But a treble narrowly eluded the champion when Challenger du Luc, hot favourite for the Jacky Upton Handicap Chase, was beaten a head by Callisoe Bay.
Richard Dunwoody expertly demonstrated how the Pipe chaser needs the most patient of handling when winning last year's Murphy's Gold Cup.
And McCoy waited until the last fence to produce his mount to collar his apparently beaten rival only to get no response from the horse on the run to the line.
"Callisoe Bay battled and the other fellow didn't," said winning trainer Oliver Sherwood.
"I've been a complete prat with this horse by running him over the wrong trip and the wrong ground.
"When I got Coulton, Mick Easterby said he was the new Desert Orchid and four years ago tomorrow, Jamie Osborne got off this horse and said he was potentially the best he's ridden.
"I'm thinking of upping him to three miles now and he could take in something like the Betterware Cup and maybe the Racing Post Chase later on."
Dublin Flyer, a disappointing seventh in the Murphy's, produced an even worse display today. He led until the first in the back straight and was eventually pulled up with five to jump.
