Ascot Christmas Racing Weekend: Mark Of Gold strikes in Noel Novices’ Chase as Personal Ambition fluffs lines

Mark Of Gold made a winning debut over fences in an eventful renewal of the Howden Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot.

Although the winner of seven races over hurdles and three on the Flat, the Gary and Josh Moore-trained seven-year-old looked to have plenty on his plate making his fencing bow at Grade Two level and was an 11/2 outsider of four come the off.

Personal Ambition and Rare Edition were the two at the head of affairs for much of the two-mile-three-furlong journey, with an early mistake from 13/8 favourite Johnnywho quickly putting him on the back foot and he never really recovered.

After seeing off Rare Edition, Personal Ambition looked to have the upper hand over the staying-on Mark Of Gold on the approach to the final fence, but the leader dived badly at the obstacle, leaving jockey Ben Jones with both hands off the reins and he ultimately did well to keep the partnership intact.

Whether that error made the difference between winning and losing is uncertain, but it definitely cost Personal Ambition crucial momentum and left the door open for Mark Of Gold to claim the advantage and pass the post two-and-a-quarter lengths to the good under Caoilin Quinn.

Having looked set to be tailed off at one stage, Johnnywho did make some late headway to beat a fading Rare Edition to third place.

Of the winner, Josh Moore said: “He’s a good horse, we were confident coming here. It’s a big thing to do, first time over fences around Ascot, it’s a tricky track to jump round.

“It was a small field and it was just like running in a normal novice chase, but you can’t get them anymore, you’d rather start here and give the horse a good experience.

“We’ve done that, he’s picked up a good prize in doing it. He is a good horse and I was quietly confident.”

Considering future plans, the joint-trainer added: “He’s a versatile horse, he happily switches back to the Flat, goes on slow ground, he’s competitive over hurdles and he’s obviously competitive over fences.

“He’s jumped so well around here today and that’s a big thing first time over fences.

“We’ll have to seriously look at plans over fences now because he’s taken to them so well. He made one mistake but he made the mistake he needed to help him learn.”

When asked whether he felt the final fence mistake cost Personal Ambition victory, his trainer Ben Pauling said: “I think so, yes. It’s unfortunate as he jumped really well for him. He was just on absolutely no stride and how Ben stayed intact I do not know.

“He did pick up again, so I don’t think he was cooked, but that’s racing, you have to jump and he didn’t.”

Windbeneathmywings takes flight with dominant display

Windbeneathmywings produced a spectacular front-running display to land the King Edward VII Ascot Membership Open National Hunt Flat Race.

A dual bumper winner from three starts in Ireland for Pat Flynn, the four-year-old was stepping up to Listed class on his first start for David Pipe.

Sent straight to the lead by Jack Tudor, the son of Free Eagle was still full of running rounding the home turn, with a whole host of previous winners struggling to lay a glove on him in behind.

The further Windbeneathmywings (7/1) went the better he looked as he just went further and further clear in the home straight, with Tudor nudging him out to the line to score by a widening 14 lengths from Dan Skelton’s 9/4 favourite Moneygarrow.

Pipe said: “We’re very excited with our boy. We’ll go for one of the big spring bumpers now, it was a very good performance.

“We thought he’d run a big race, but there were plenty of other winners in the race. He’s taken us back a bit!

“He’d always been a good work horse, but he just eats and sleeps at home and then wakes up on the gallops.

“He’s quite keen, he likes to race out in front and get on with it and that’s what he’s like at home, but in his stable he’s so quiet.”

Paddy Power initially cut the winner to 14/1 from 50/1 for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but soon trimmed his odds further to 8/1.