Step Back leads from the front to claim Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown

The Mark Bradstock-trained horse made easy work of the strong field to lead home Rock the Kasbah and Present Man in emphatic style.

It was also a successful Saturday at Sandown for trainer Nicky Henderson who landed four winners with three of those with jockey Nico de Boinville, with Daryl Jacob guiding the other as part of a duo of winners.

Either side of their victories, Step Back and jockey Jamie Moore took apart the healthy 20 strong starting field with a tremendous run. Making early headway from the start, the pair settled in nicely and got stronger and stronger as the race progressed, eventually bursting clear to win by 13 lengths from Rock The Kasbah in second, with Present Man a further 14 lengths back in third ahead of Relentless Drummer in fourth.

The day’s racing started with a double for Jacob, the first coming in the bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle as Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ballymoy came in a length and a quarter ahead of Highway One O One ad Equus Amadeus.

Jacob then backed that up and started Henderson’s quartet of victories on the card in the following Oaksey Chase (for The Menorah Challenge Trophy). Here, it was Top Notch who lived up its name and race favouritism beating Art Mauresque by two and three-quarter lengths, with O O Seven a distant third a further 10 lengths back.

The Henderson-de Boinville combination then took out two victories either side of the Bet365 Gold Cup, the first coming in the Celebration Chase courtesy of Altior who ran in three-and-a -quarter lengths clear of San Benedeto in second and God’s Own in third.

Their next success in the Select Hurdle was something of a procession as joint favourite Call Me Lord won by a massive 16 lengths from Lil Rockerfeller in second and Wholestone in third.

Henderson and de Boinville then had to wait until the final race on the card, the Handicap Hurdle, to round things off, as Soul Emotion was a four length winner from Wolf Of Windlesham in second. Fidux trailed the leading pair in third by 11 lengths denying Dashing Oscar by a head.

Colin Tizzard saddled the winner in the penultimate race of the day, the Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase, as Silverhow was a four length victor over favourite War Sound in second and Geordie Des Champs in third.