Friday 28 November 2014 17:17, UK
A round-up of the rest of Friday's action from the second day of the Hennessy Gold Cup meeting at Newbury.
Old Guard, successful on the Flat for Roger Charlton, made a winning start over jumps at Newbury for trainer Paul Nicholls.
The 6/1 chance claimed the Q Associates Juvenile Hurdle by a neck under Sam Twiston-Davies, who rousted him along to hit the front at the last to deny 5/6 favourite Karezak.
The Ditcheat handler said: "I nearly pulled him out last night as he had only run on good ground on the Flat, but you don't know until they try it.
"He jumped with Irving over eight hurdles and is the best three-year-old I've run so far, but I've only run two others."
A date at Cheltenham could beckon for bet365 Open Handicap Chase winner No Buts.
David Bridgwater's runner hit the front approaching four fences from home and eventually proved eight lengths too powerful for Sound Investment, with Lamool another two and a quarter lengths back for minor honours.
The 6/1 winner was the second leg of a double for jockey Tom Scudamore after an early strike on Tullyesker Hill.
Bridgwater said: "We thought about the Paddy Power Gold Cup for him but the timing was wrong as he ran the week before at Sandown and this race looked all right.
"This is a good horse - he stays and jumps very accurately. We'll have to consider the December
(Caspian Caviar) Gold Cup at Cheltenham for him now."
The yellow and black colours of owner Terry Warner, carried by Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster, graced the winner's enclosure after Nicholls secured a quickfire double courtesy of Wilton Milan in the bet365 Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase.
The 3/1 shot, ridden by Jack Sherwood, looked to be in trouble when joined by 11/4 favourite Quick Decisson at the second-last, but a mistake by the latter, who stayed on for second, gave Wilton Milan renewed impetus and he went on to score by 13 lengths.
"It wasn't ideal ground," said Nicholls. "That's why we went back in trip. It was a boys' race and I thought they might go a good gallop and come back and it went ideal.
"He might run again at Sandown next Friday without a penalty."
The combination of trainer David Pipe and owner Bryan Drew is becoming a bit of a standing dish here as the pair scored for the second time in two days with Tullyesker Hill in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, having scored on Thursday with Vazaro Delafayette.
The Scudamore-ridden winner, returned at 10/1, made every yard of the extended three miles to outpoint Junction Fourteen by four and a half lengths, with Little Boy Boru a neck back in third.
Pipe said: "Maybe Unique De Cotte (4/5 favourite) bounced. All this fellow does is gallop and stay and he loves a big galloping track.
"The blinkers helped him and hopefully he'll be a long-distance chaser one day."
Talk of Nicky Henderson's horses being out of form appears to have been incorrect after the local trainer secured a double in the Inkerman London Novices' Hurdle with Out Sam (3/1) and Different Gravey (5/1) in the concluding bet365 "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle, both in the grey colours of Richard Kelvin-Hughes.
Barry Geraghty, who rode the former, who beat Thomas Brown by three lengths, said: "Out Sam was pretty immature and innocent, but is a lovely horse."
