By Peter Moore at Newbury Saturday 28th February 2026
Three time C&D winner Heltenham continued his love for Newbury after taking the feature race of the day the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup on day two of BetVictor weekend.
The nine-year-old finished second in last year’s race but went one better twelve months later. After finishing well behind Jonbon at Ascot two weeks ago, Dan Skelton elected to take a chance in the race, with the decision vindicated at the odds of 20-1.
Under Charlie Todd, the gelding was held up in rear before ridden to lead outright approaching the last and just doing enough to hold on from Blow Your Wad by half a length.
Joe Tizzard was waxing lirical about Copperhead after he overcame a troubled summer to land a tenth success and break the £200,000 barrier in prize-money.
A Grade 2 winner in the 2020 Reynoldstown Chase, the 12-year-old required colic surgery in the summer, but returned to winning ways on his third outing of the season in the 3m2f veterans’ handicap chase.
Tizzard said: “He had a massive colic surgery last summer, which was after winning the final, and we said we’d let him tell us if he wants to race again. I’m so proud of him, especially with what he’s been through.”
“These horses are special because they keep producing. It’s a fantastic series for him, but every year it gets harder because you have the ten-year-olds coming through.
“There’s another one at Ascot in a month, so why would we stop? We’ll have to do it sometime, but he’s just put up as good a performance as he has, and he loves it.”
Dan Horsford registered his fourth jumps winner from 23 runners when the six-year-old Eddie My Eagle held off Treasure Planet in the 2m½f novice handicap hurdle.
Horsford spent 15 years with Alan King, 12 of them as assistant trainer. Twenty four hours earlier, Horsford was celebrating a flat winner with Miss Lady Grace at Wolverhampton.
He said: “I’ve a good team behind me and they’re very important. It makes a big difference and makes my job a lot easier. It’s all about attention to detail. I was at Alan’s for 15 years and I hope I’ve learned something.”
Horsford, who has 26 horses over jumps and on the Flat and hopes to add to the numbers, added: “I’d like the phone to go more, but we’ll keep our heads down and do our jobs, and hopefully we get a bit of attention. I’m loving it.”
Another trainer loving life at the moment is Wiltshire trainer Neil King who has won with five of his last six runners after Rubber Ball duly obliged in the 2m 1/2f handicap hurdle by five and a half lengths with Jack Quinlan in the plate.
Nicky Henderson was smiling once again after saddling Noble Park to victory in the 2m 4f novice chase.
Dropping down in trip, under Nico de Boinville the seven-year-old travelled well to score by four and a quarter lengths.