Richard Hughes rides 200th winner of season

Richard Hughes: Kempton feat. Picture: PA

Aertex, sent off an 8-1 shot, prevailed by a length and a quarter for Hughes, who is the first jockey since Kieren Fallon in 2003 to achieve the feat of riding 200 winners.

At Exeter, meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies lauded the positivity of the ride his son, Sam, gave to Red Riverman as he fought gamely to win the totepool Mobile Best Mate Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Red Riverman looked booked for second at best as Funny Star led going to the final fence of the competitive feature event, but the Paul Nicholls-trained leader stuttered and lost momentum. Not for the first time, Twiston-Davies, also wearing the colours of his father, threw everything at his mount and the five-year-old responded in great style and having been two lengths down at the last, he left the fence with a length advantage.

He then had to fend off the challenge of The Italian Yob and the 10-1 chance found more under pressure to win by three-quarters of a length. “He jumped very well for one with not much experience and Sam gave him a great ride,” said Twiston-Davies. “Sam was very positive on him all the way up the straight and it made the difference.

“He’ll keep mixing hurdling and chasing now as he’s not the easiest to win with because he’s quite high up the handicap. It’s nice when they win in your own colours, especially when it’s decent prize-money.”

Nicholls had earlier been on the scoresheet with Sonofvic (13-8), who beat the talented Kentford Grey Lady in the Your Favourite Pool Bets At totepool.com Beginners’ Chase. When Tony McCoy and Rendl Beach fell at the second, the race became a match but Kentford Grey Lady did herself no favours by racing keenly throughout and the writing was on the wall with the final three to jump. Daryl Jacob was able to come home unchallenged as a 12-length winner. Sonofvic was given a quote of 20-1 for the RSA Chase in March by Paddy Power.

The lightly-raced Masters Hill looked a cut above his rivals in the Have Your Christmas Party Here Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Hurdle while the Philip Hobbs-trained Horizontal Speed justified even-money favouritism in the Greystone Novices’ Hurdle and Ray Diamond (7-2) was another winning favourite.

Fontwell

2.20 Regal Park

2.50 Bit Of A Clown

3.25 Dark Desire

4.00 Fox Appeal

4.30 Decoy

5.05 Red Rock

5.40 Perfect Romance

Newmarket

2.30 Eastern Belle

3.05 Pretzel

3.40 Spark Plug

4.10 Touch The Sky

4.45 Deglet Noor

5.20 Devilment

Worcester

2.10 Handsome Buddy

2.40 Achimota

3.15 Midnight Tuesday

3.50 Binge Drinker

4.20 Garnock

4.55 Neville

5.30 Jean Fleming

Kempton

5.50 Kindlelight Storm

6.20 Presumido

6.50 Moonfaarid

7.20 Bury Pacer

7.50 Bowstar

8.20 Bold Lass (nap)

8.50 Future Reference

9.20 Poetic Belle

Double

Bold Lass

8:20 Kempton

Pretzel

3:05 Newmarket