By Peter Moore at Newbury Saturday 21st March 2026

Prairie Wolf delivered a career-best performance to land the 2m4f handicap chase on Bet Victor Jumps Finale Day at Newbury to continue an impressive season for Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith.

The nine-year-old made it back-to-back victories with a defeat of Twinjets by one and three quarter lengths, with connections now eyeing the Topham at Aintree on April 9.

Parkinson said: “He’s on a career-high mark and is improving. He’s got an entry for the Topham and he’ll probably go for it. It’s in two and a half weeks, so all being well we’ll get him back, but that’s our plan.

“We thought he had the quality for that race, but he hadn’t run for a long time before today and we felt he needed one before he went to Aintree to keep that match fitness.”

The training partnership have registered ten more winners than last season’s tally, and have also more than doubled their prize-money total.

Parkinson added: “It couldn’t have been a lot better. We’ve been happy with our horses. Obviously you’re bound to get some disappointments along the way, but it’s the nature of the beast. On the whole, we’re happy with how it’s gone.”

The decision by Alan King and the owners of Charisma Cat to bypass last week’s Cheltenham Festival proved correct as she struck in the 2m4½f mares’ novice handicap hurdle to win by three and a quarter lengths.

The move to go up in trip on her handicap debut was vindicated. The six-year-old has now won two of her five starts this season after this Grade 2 success.

Joe Tizzard and Chris Gordon enjoyed a friendly exchange in the winner’s enclosure after Kocktail Bleu provided Gordon with success in the 2m½f novice hurdle.

The six-year-old, who finished second in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle last month, edged out the Tizzard-trained Lisbane Park.

Both trainers could clash again in the £100,000 novice hurdle on the final day of the season at Sandown on April 25.

“We’ll see you there!” said Gordon when smiling at Tizzard.

It was a second win of the season for Kocktail Bleu, and Gordon added: “He’s been a tough, consistent horse and he’s been very easy to train. He’s no bother, which makes my life so much easier. The form in the races he’s been running in has stacked up.”

Another Saturday with Neil King in the winners enclosure after saddling Storming George landed the 2m3f novice handicap chase.

Under Jack Quinlan the six-year-old went clear before the last to keep on well to score by three and a quarter lengths from Glancing Jack.

The Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper containing a total prize fund of £110,000 went to the Hughie Morrison trained Lady Hope.

The four-year-old filly, making her rules debut, came up late on the outside under Jonathan Burke to defeat Madam Speaker.