Precious victory for Knight at Cheltenham

There was a welcome return to the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure for Henrietta Knight, as she claimed the Raceridecheltenham “Junior” National Hunt Flat Race with Precious Metal.

Some of Knight’s greatest moments have come at Prestbury Park, with the 78-year-old famed for her handling of triple Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate, as well as the exploits of Champion Chase and King George VI Chase winner Edredon Bleu.

Having handed in her licence back in 2012, she shocked the racing world when announcing her return a year ago and having sent out her first jumps winner since her return at Fontwell recently, the West Lockinge handler has now made her mark back at a track she will always be associated.

Precious Metal had shaped nicely on his debut at Wincanton and with connections encouraged to take their chance in this Listed event, the four-year-old was sent off at 16-1 in the hands of Lilly Pinchin.

He showed plenty of zip to shoot clear and leave his rivals trailing as he surged up the Cheltenham hill to register a two-length success and give Knight an across-the-card double following the victory of Fontwell scorer Motazzen at Southwell.

“He’s a nice horse who was sent over from the Costellos in Ireland last summer and came to hand pretty quickly,” said Knight’s assistant trainer Brendan Powell.

“He ran a nice race at Wincanton first time out and we were very happy with him there. We took a punt today and it paid off. He turned the form around with the Wincanton winner and the rain helped us this morning when it went soft. He likes soft ground, he’s tough and honest, and he stay’s well.

“The Costellos are where Henrietta got all her good horses from, Best Mate and all of them, we’ve got quite a few from them and he’s one of the first young horses we have run and he’s done well. It was a nice end to the day.

“We’ve had a double today and Henrietta went up to Southwell and her horse won up there, so she’s had a great day.”

Kalif Du Berlais got Paul Nicholls’ new year off to a blistering start with a bloodless display in the opening Sonic The Hedgehog 3 In Cinemas Now Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Some of the Ditcheat handler’s string had failed to sparkle over the Christmas period, including Regent’s Stroll who was a beaten favourite in the same colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson at Newbury last Saturday.

However, there were no such problems for the 4-7 favourite Kalif Du Berlais, who readily dispatched his two rivals under a motionless Harry Cobden to build on his chasing victory in the autumn.

Cobden told Racing TV: “We have always liked him a lot and he was very lucky not to hurt himself at Carlisle the first time when he had a terrible fall at the ditch.

“Today the plan was to take a lead but I didn’t think we were going overly quick, so I just let him bowl away and I thought his jumping was fantastic.

“He doesn’t ride like a five-year-old and he’s just turned that today. Everything was very assured and never really in any doubt.

“We have plenty of options of where we can go and he will definitely get two and a half miles. But he’s only five isn’t he, so he probably doesn’t want tons of mileage on the clock at a young age. We’re lucky to have him.”

Diva Luna (5-4 favourite) bravely repelled the challenge of Newton Tornado to win the Richmond Villages And Bupa Care Homes Maiden Hurdle.

Trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by Kielan Woods, Diva Luna was a Grade Two bumper winner at Aintree but suffered a surprise reverse when beaten on her hurdles bow last month.

The six-year-old made amends with a gutsy performance, digging deep after jumping the last to hold on for a one-and-three-quarter-length verdict which saw her cut to 14-1 from 25s with Paddy Power for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.

There was also a win for Henry Daly’s Stacken (7-2) who brought up a hat-trick in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle.