When the mud is flying, so are Venetia Williams’ horses. That is an adage that invariably holds true and the King’s Caple handler recorded winner number 17 for the season when Gamaret made a winning seasonal and chasing bow at a rain-lashed Newbury.
Charlie Deutsch gave the Coastal Path gelding a polished ride and the 5-2 favourite went on to take the Coral First For Horse Racing Handicap Chase by two and a quarter lengths from Gallic Geordie, having jumped well throughout.
Gamaret, owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, took a Fontwell maiden hurdle in February and was having his first run since.
Deutsch said: "The fences are quite big, they went a good gallop and the ground is testing. He handled it really well. He's a nice horse for the future."
Williams added: "It was only two miles and first time over fences, two miles at Newbury on more traditional, drier ground would have been sharp enough, so the rain slowed the pace down a bit.
"He is a nice horse, but we mustn't get carried away as he was running off 115."
Owner Andrew John is relatively new to racing, having sold his pump business in Port Talbot 18 months ago.
Midnight Ginger (8-1) has certainly kept his enthusiasm flowing, registering her fifth career success for trainer Andrew Martin, gamely fending off Lime Drop to score by a length and three-quarters under 7lb claimer James Martin in the two-and-a-half-mile mares' handicap hurdle.
"It is fantastic," said John. "I know nothing about racing at all. I've always been a casual fan. We've had her 14 months and she has done so well for us. She is so gutsy.
"I think Andy wants to put her over fences, but I know nothing about it. I'm a novice – beginner's luck."
Blenkinsop is becoming a force to be reckoned with over hurdles, registering a fourth successive victory for trainer Henry Daly in powering to an easy success in the extended two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
The progressive son of Westerner recoded a hat-trick with plenty to spare at Exeter a month ago and the 100-30 chance duly repeated the trick under Tom O'Brien.
The mud-splattered winning rider said: "There was one point where I couldn't see where I was going.
"He is improving massively and Henry fancied him. I rode him like I had a lot of faith in him. I was going wide and a few lengths back and we didn't go that quick early.
"He won at Exeter the last day and it would have been good to soft and you could see he would have preferred softer. He is best on soft, I'd say, but it is going heavy (ground) now."
He added: "Henry is flying and is a very astute placer of horses and he gets the maximum out of what he's got."
Lily Pinchin is riding plenty of winners, with Tea For Free the latest. The Charlie Longsdon-trained gelding produced a fine round of jumping in the Coral-sponsored limited handicap chase and earned something of a marriage proposal from the winning rider.
After the 3lb claimer brought home the 7-1 chance for a fourth successive success, she said: "He is very routine and he is very clever. If he was a bloke I'd marry him!
"He is a lovely horse – he is so quick, he is so nimble, he's so fast through the air. He is just a gentleman and does his work, eats his food, goes to bed, runs and wins.
"My aim always was to ride my claim out, but then I found a great guy and a great trainer in Charlie Longsdon. He has just supported me to the top and I am very, very lucky now – I have great trainers around me.
"I'd love to ride for as long as I could, but you need the support and at the moment, I am very lucky I have that support. Long may it continue, long may it last."
