Doyen Quest could have booked Newbury ticket with Exeter win

Doyen Quest jumped for fun with an easy success in the ICL Conscious Of Our Impact ‘Future Stars’ Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase at Exeter.

Dan Skelton’s chestnut was a 5-1 chance for the three-mile contest, with Harry Skelton in the saddle among a field of four.

He hunted round while giving weight to all three rivals, and pulled further clear in the closing stages to eventually canter to a 10-length success, with Paul Nicholls’ 5-6 favourite Quebecois behind him.

The winning rider said: “We have experience under our belt and so we thought we would make use of it. It was a nice little pot (to win), perfect. To be honest, in front he is always saving a bit so you are never going too fast – he has always got a bit left up his sleeve.

“He is going the right way now. We had a couple of runs under our belt and we’ll take this one.”

Assistant trainer Tom Messenger added: “Credit to the horse, but even more credit to the jockey as that was a fantastic ride. We had a penalty and on official ratings we were wrong at the weights.

“He had a willing partner in Harry. He was aggressive on him, and he jumped fantastically, but it was one we probably nicked a little bit. We had to think outside the box and it was good to watch.

“He could now go for the Coral Gold Cup. He needs a few to come out and unless lots of rain comes it will cut up a little bit. It is worth having a go at that, but I don’t think we will make the running like that!”

Joe Tizzard and Brendan Powell teamed up to take the Radmore & Tucker, Stihl Garden Machinery Novices’ Hurdle with Lisbane Park, a 5-1 shot who was making his debut under rules after a second-placed point to point start in Ireland.

Tizzard said of the £110,000 purchase: “I loved him at the Aintree aale. I looked at them all and I said ‘there is only one horse I want’. We managed to buy him and he wasn’t that expensive in terms of what horses go for nowadays.

“He had been good at home and that was a lovely performance. He jumped great and travelled well and he put it to bed well. He pricked his ears going to the last and popped it. He is a very likeable horse.

“I’d say we would take another small step with him as he has only run in one point-to-point and he is only a four-year-old as well. We are in no rush and I’m not going to put a target on his head.”

The Skelton team were in rare form in Devon, winning the feature Haldon Gold Cup with Thistle Ask and then claiming a third winner on the card as Theonewedreamof (3-1 joint-favourite) took the Oddschecker ‘Challenger’ Stayers’ Handicap Chase by a comfortable two and a half lengths.