Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies© Photo Healy Racing
Toby McCain-Mitchell could not hide his delight after booting home The Newest One to secure his first winner at Cheltenham on Friday.
Based with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, the 5lb claimer is a grandson of the late, great Ginger McCain, trainer of the three-time Grand National hero Red Rum.
McCain-Mitchell has enjoyed half a dozen previous winners from just under 50 rides in the past five seasons, but his latest triumph in the Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase was comfortably his most notable to date.
“It’s unbelievable. I was walking back up the chute and Jack Andrews said ‘Toby is that your first winner (at Cheltenham)?’ and I said it was, he said ‘slow down and take it all in’ and he was right – it’s magic,” said the rider after his 10-1 success.
“I didn’t want to get going on him too soon, but I thought if I turned in with my head in front he’d take a bit of passing and he toughed it out really well.
“It’s a bit surreal. The atmosphere here, the history, years of trying to get out of geography at school to go and watch the Supreme (Novices’ Hurdle)! To ride a winner here, it takes a bit of beating.”
Twiston-Davies – a Grand National-winning trainer in his own right – was full of praise for the amateur jockey, while The Newest One could now be readied for an appearance over the Grand National fences at Aintree.
“Toby is a very good rider. He asked to come to us and we’ve loved every minute of it,” said the Naunton-based handler.
“He’s Ginger’s grandson and was perfect the whole way round, wasn’t he? I don’t want to tell everyone that as I don’t want anyone else nicking him!
“He (The Newest One) seems to be getting better as he gets older. I really was hopeful today and we’d planned this from a long way out.
“He could come back here, or there is talk about looking at the Becher Chase.”
Twiston-Davies went on to complete a double in the following Alastair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, with Potters Charm (6-5 favourite) stretching his unbeaten record under rules to three in the hands of the trainer’s son, Sam.
Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father, said: “I said to the owners if it was soft ground he would definitely win because he’s a very good horse on soft ground. The good ground was a bit of a worry, but we know from what he does at home the talent is there and I think he won in spite of the ground and in spite of the trip.
“He’ll eventually be a three-miler and is learning on the job. He races behind the bridle quite lazily, but every time Sam asks him he comes.
“We haven’t had one like this for a while, I think. He’ll only do as much as he’s asked to do at home and that’s a sign of a very good horse.
“I’ve told the owners this horse has been the apple of my eye for a while – everything he does at home pleases dad and I a lot. I promise you we haven’t seen anywhere near the best of him yet.”
Path d’Oroux (8-15 favourite) survived a scare to belatedly open his account over fences in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices’ Chase.
Although winless in 10 previous chase starts, Gavin Cromwell’s charge has been placed in several high-class contests, most notably finishing third in the Grand Annual at the Festival in March.
Cromwell saddled more winners at Cheltenham than all but the all-conquering Willie Mullins last season with nine in all, including a treble at this fixture 12 months ago, and the County Meath handler was delighted to get the campaign off to a flying start once more.
“It’s a great start and I’m delighted for the horse. It was a messy race, they went very slow and it turned into a sprint, but he got the job done,” he said.
“At the end of last season we said this was where he was going to go. We won this race last year with My Mate Mozzie and it’s great to win it again with this lad.”
Cromwell added: “He’s probably not good enough to mix it with the Grade One novices, but at the same time he has plenty of experience and early in the season he might just have the upper hand.”
Henry Daly’s Wyenot (7-1) became the first winner of the new season at Prestbury Park with a determined display in the curtain-raising Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle.
“That is her style of running – she runs and jumps and loves good ground, so it all sort of fitted,” said Daly.
