UTTOXETER, 13 May 2007, Soft

3:00 bet365 Best Odds Guaranteed On Every Race Novices' Chase (Class 4) (5yo+) 16 fences (2m6f110y) 2m6½f

[off 3:30] £5,204.80, £1,528.00, £764.00, £381.60

1 Square Mile (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 7 11-6 A P McCoy 9/2 113 98 112+

2 1¼ Holland Park (IRE) Mrs S D Williams 10 11-0 R J Greene 7/1 107 91 104

3 24 Green ´N´ Gold D McCain Jnr 7 10-7 S J Craine 15/8F 103 62 73

4 3 Classic Clover C L Tizzard 7 11-0 Joe Tizzard 33/1 69 66 77

5 5 Great Character (IRE) J S Smith 8 11-0 t Tony Dobbin 10/1 97 — 72

PU It´s Blue Chip R T Phillips 6 11-0 p Warren Marston 5/1 98 — —

PU Gaelic Music (IRE) M Bradstock 8 11-0 Mattie Batchelor 10/1 96 — —

PU Lose The Attitude (IRE) T R George 7 11-0 Wayne Hutchinson 15/2 97 — —

PU One More Native (IRE) J L Needham 10 10-9 t Willie McCarthy(5) 50/1 — —

9 ran TIME 5m 58.40s (slow by 33.40s) TOTAL SP 116%

NON RUNNER: Norton Sapphire

1st OWNER: John P McManus BRED: Mrs K Purfield TRAINER: Jonjo O'Neill

2nd OWNER: B M Yin

3rd OWNER: The Brown And Thomas Partnership

TOTE WIN £5.30 PL £1.80, £2.20, £1.10; Ex £57.20; CSF £36.50

Tony McCoy showed yet again why he is champion jockey by lifting SQUARE MILE to his second success over fences. He needed all of McCoy’s strength to get the better of a ding-dong battle with Holland Park in the last quarter-mile.

The winner is improving in the jumping department and prefers a sound surface, so he’ll be kept on the go this summer.

Holland Park lost nothing in defeat and ran his best race to date over fences. He made Square Mile pull out all the stops and the front two pulled a long way clear of reliable yardstick Green ‘N’ Gold, so the form looks solid enough for the level and although ten years' old, the runner-up is lightly raced in this sphere and can build on this.

Green ‘N’ Gold, who was a bit keen early, led the field onto the final circuit, but the pack closed in on him leaving the back straight and he was soon in trouble.

Classic Clover travelled well for much of the way but didn’t find much when let down, but he fared better than might have been expected given he’s only rated 69 over fences and remains a maiden under all codes.

2:40 Letheby & Christopher Beginners' Chase (Class 4) (5yo+) 18 fences (2m7f110y) 2m7½f

[off 2:41] £3,578.30, £1,050.50, £525.25, £262.35

1 Square Mile (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 7 11-2 Noel Fehily 7/1 113 — —

2 ½ Alagon (IRE) Ian Williams 7 11-2 b Wayne Hutchinson 7/1 — —

3 26 Jim Bobs Girl (IRE) W Jenks 6 10-9 Mark Bradburne 11/2 75 — —

4 18 Liberman (IRE) R Curtis 9 10-11 C M Studd(5) 11/1 — —

5 nk Society Buck (IRE) John Allen 10 10-11 Adrian Scholes(5) 20/1 — —

6 nk Rucolino (IRE) M G Rimell 7 10-13 Daryl Jacob(3) 50/1 89 — —

RR Tihui Two (IRE) G R I Smyly 7 10-6 Chris Honour(3) 14/1 — —

PU Alpha Zula (IRE) Gordon Elliott 9 11-2 Jason Maguire 12/1 — —

UR Major Catch (IRE) C T Pogson 8 10-11 Adam Pogson(5) 2/1F 93 — —

F Gemini Storm O Brennan 7 11-2 Leighton Aspell 6/1 — —

PU Thunder Child C L Popham 7 10-13 Liam Heard(3) 80/1 — —

11 ran TIME 5m 52.80s (slow by 7.80s) TOTAL SP 118%

NON RUNNERS: Dickinsbury Lass ,Keenan´s Future (IRE) ,Lansdowne Princess

1st OWNER: John P McManus BRED: Mrs K Purfield TRAINER: Jonjo O'Neill

2nd OWNER: Blue Crocodile

3rd OWNER: Michael Stoddart

TOTE WIN £7.80 PL £2.00, £2.20, £1.80; Ex £66.10; CSF £55.41

Although SQUARE MILE had been pulled up on his previous two efforts over fences he got things right in this modest beginners chase. The winner looked to be about to take the measure of long-time leader Major Catch when that rival's jockey parted company with his mount. In all probability the winner would have prevailed in any case and he is now one of his trainer's summer jumping contingent.

Alagon has fast ground winning form over hurdles to his name and there is likely to be a moderate heat over fences in him now even though he was also helped by the same incident.

Jim Bobs Girl was struggling from some way out.

2:00 J. H. Newton Memorial Novices' Hurdle (Class 4) (5yo+) 11 hdles 2m5f

[off 2:00] £3,903.60, £1,146.00, £573.00, £286.20

1 Secured (IRE) Ian Williams 6 10-12 J A McCarthy 100/1 68 105

2 shd Adventurist P Bowen 6 10-12 Christian Williams 12/1 110 68 105

3 7 Square Mile (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 6 11-5 A P McCoy 4/6F 116 68 105

4 ½ Waterloo Son (IRE) H D Daly 6 11-5 Richard Johnson 9/2 114 68 105

5 4 Golden Crew Miss Suzy Smith 6 10-9 Colin Bolger(3) 40/1 57 95+

6 3 Darn Good A King 5 10-12 t Robert Thornton 25/1 54 91+

7 hd It´s The Limit (USA) W K Goldsworthy 7 10-12 t Tony Dobbin 15/2 104 54 90

8 nk Cresswell Willow (IRE) W K Goldsworthy 6 10-0 b1 Lee Stephens(5) 100/1 64 47 84+

9 ½ Champion´s Day (GER) Jonjo O´Neill 5 10-12 Noel Fehily 33/1 53 92+

10 ½ Grand Slam Hero (IRE) P Bowen 5 10-5 T J O´Brien(7) 66/1 53 91+

11 dist Walton Way P W Hiatt 6 10-12 Henry Oliver 100/1 — —

12 2 Dryliner A E Price 6 10-9 Owyn Nelmes(3) 100/1 — —

13 30 Luscious (IRE) K C Bailey 6 10-5 Leighton Aspell 100/1 — —

PU Highland Games (IRE) P R Webber 6 10-12 t Tom Doyle 18/1 — —

PU In No Hurry (IRE) M G Quinlan 5 10-12 James Davies 100/1 — —

15 ran TIME 5m 11.40s (slow by 16.40s) TOTAL SP 119%

NON RUNNER: Jug Of Punch (IRE)

1st OWNER: Favourites Racing VIII BRED: Miss Mary And Miss Sarah Keane TRAINER: Ian Williams

2nd OWNER: The Leonard Curtis Partnership

3rd OWNER: John P McManus

TOTE WIN £146.10 PL £27.00, £4.10, £1.10; Ex £2217.10; CSF £1005.19

Many of these in this novice hurdle will need a line of fences in front of them before they are seen at their best.

SECURED had shown next to nothing in a bumper and a hurdle prior to this but seemed to step up a notch for victory, but with favourite Square Mile not running as well as when winning four months ago the form must be treated with a degree of suspicion for the future.

Adventurist and the winner came away from the rest but his previous efforts were a bit in and out. He seemedto run his race here and could be worth a look in a novice handicap.

Square Mile, unbeaten in two bumpers and one hurdle, never really appeared happy and found little when push came to shove. A step up to three miles seems on the agenda for him on this evidence even allowing for the fact he had not run for a long time.

Waterloo Sun landed a modest heat that has not worked out last time and he wants fences ultimately.