FEW Saturdays go by without Colin Tizzard supplying a staying chase winner and Mister Malarky obliged in the Grade 2 Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase, taking his time under Robbie Power before making his move two out and keeping on well, despite idling, to account for the rallying Now McGinty by a length and a half.

The disappointment of the race was northern challenger Top Ville Ben, who started favourite but was taken out of his comfort zone by Now McGinty early on and never looked happy going right-handed.

Mister Malarky (7/2) would need it very soft in the RSA and Tizzard is definitely edging towards the four-mile National Hunt Chase.

“He’s only six and a lovely prospect,” the trainer said. “I wanted him because he’s out of a sister to Dubacilla and we’ve done well with the family. Robbie said he was pricking his ears in front and if anything had come to him he’d have gone on again.”

CALIPTO SCORES

Venetia Williams is another trainer in good order at present and she was full of praise for jockey Charlie Deutsche after Calipto, only ambling around at the back for much of the journey, picked off his rivals in the straight to land the Listed Keltbray Swinley Chase by over two lengths from Black Corton.

Calipto has paid the price for slipshod jumping in the past and was hardly foot-perfect here, but Deutsche has looked good this term and allowed him to find his way over the obstacles in his own way before sending him between rivals when it mattered.

The Bradstocks have called it a day with the immensely popular Coneygree, who won the Gold Cup as a novice in 2015 but has been very hard to keep entirely sound since then.

He led to the 14th in his usual exuberant style but found little when headed and Nico de Boinville wisely pulled him up.

A thoroughly genuine horse and a credit to his patient connections, Coneygree is set for a long and happy retirement.

Russian Hawk, having made his ground to challenge Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher in the opening Thames Materials Novices’ Hurdle, could not quite worry him out of it and went down by a short-head.

Somerset trainer Scott is having one of his best campaigns and can look forward to Cheltenham or Aintree with the 7/1 winner, who is happier going left-handed. Russian Hawk needs three miles as opposed to two and a half and the Albert Bartlett more or less picks itself.