KATATE Dori (11/2) ran out a hugely impressive winner of the featured Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase, a highly competitive 13-runner contest at Kempton on Saturday.

The French-bred came home the 15-length winner from 11/4 favourite Hyland and made it a 1-3 for winning trainer Sam Thomas, with 2023 winner Our Power, ridden by Dylan Johnston, taking third, a further 11 lengths adrift.

Winning trainer Sam Thomas said: “It was a brilliant ride from Charlie and I do feel for Dylan (Johnston) as he has been fantastic for us all season as first jockey. He had the choice and it wasn’t an easy decision so I do feel for him as he does all the work and schooling on him at home. A lot of credit goes to him for prepping the horse back at base.

“Charlie is a genius and we see it time and time again on these staying chasers. No instructions were needed.

“Our Power will head to Scotland for the Scottish Grand National and we’ve got a few entries at Cheltenham for Katate Dori, so we’ll see what the handicapper does and go from there.”

Dai Walters, owner of the winner, said: “I am just happy to be here and have a winner. Sam is working so hard and I glad he is having the results. He is there at 5.30am every morning and deserves some luck. I support him 100%.

“This is a tough horse and hopefully we have a couple of youngsters half as good as him. We’ll keep on going.”

Katate Dori holds entries at the Cheltenham Festival in the Ultima Handicap Chase, National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase but plans remained fluid at this stage.

Walters added: “It will be entirely up to Sam. I don’t push him to do anything he doesn’t want to do. It’s not all about Cheltenham for me. I am very happy to have a big winner today I will be at Cheltenham all week and will be quite happy watching everybody else win.”

Charlie Deutsch added: “He was really brave I thought I just might get a bit outpaced early on and I did. I ended up in last jumping the third. I then pulled him out just to see and give him and a bit of light and he has winged the fences down the back on the first circuit.

“I got to the front quite nicely and I thought I know we are going a good gallop and the ground is testing but I think he’ll stay after watching his races. He certainly did.

“He enjoys jumping and is very good at jumping. He has got an engine and he jumps, which is a huge advantage.

The today opened with three Grade 2 contests which went to three exciting prospects.

Rubaud (5/4 favourite) dug deep on his first attempt at two and a half miles to secure victory in the Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase.

It was a record-extending 14th success in the contest for trainer Paul Nicholls, with his previous winners including subsequent Grade 1 scorers Frodon (2017), Cyrname (2018) and Pic d’Orhy (2022).

Partnered by Harry Cobden, the seven-year-old was prominent throughout. He looked to be struggling entering the home straight but rallied gamely to score by a length from Boombawn.

Paul Nicholls said: “I thought down the back he was in a bit of trouble. As Harry said, he hates ground that like. It’s the first time he has won on soft ground and he’s a much better horse on better ground.

“He had a hard enough race at Warwick the other day and two weeks is quick enough but he toughed it out and stayed on really strongly, which was a doubt over this trip.

“I’d say we’ll freshen him up now and go to Aintree for the two and a half mile novices’ chase (Manifesto Novices’ Chase). The key to him is good ground and we can get him better than today.

“The horses definitely weren’t right in January but we’re getting there now which is good and we look forward to a nice spring hopefully.”

Harry Cobden added: “It was a very tough performance. I don’t think he was anywhere near his best today to win that.

“He was on and off the bridle all the way round and had a very hard race two weeks ago when he was beaten by a very good horse (L’Eau du Sud). It’s just toughness and grit that has got him over the line today.

“It wasn’t until I got over the second last that I actually thought I’d win but he has just got such an honest way of going – he holds his head low, flicks his toe and most importantly, tries hard. We are lucky to have him.”

Tripoli Flyer

There was a lot to like about the performance of Tripoli Flyer (5/2) who made it three wins from four starts over hurdles with victory in the two-mile Grade 2 Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.

The six-year-old came home the impressive seven and a half-length winner from 9/5 favourite Miami Magic.

Successful owner Ismail El Magdoub said: “I was really nervous today. I felt we had reached a bit of a crossroads – he had won impressively at Musselburgh and Market Rasen but today we were up against some serious contenders. I said to friends, family and fans of the horse that we will see what he is made of today and I think he is a serious horse now. I am really delighted.

“He is such a lovely horse at home with such a nice nature and everyone at the yard loves him to bits.

“It’s been a difficult week for racing and everyone has come together and rallied.

“I have to thank Fergal (O’Brien) and the team at Ravenswell – they are great people.

As to whether Tripoli Flyer will line up in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 11th, El Magdoub added: “I feel like Aintree owes us one after we got beat there last year although I have to be careful what I say as we were beaten by the stable’s other runner!”

Mambonumberfive (10/1) left the form of his UK debut when pulled up at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham well behind him when coming home the winner of the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle over two miles.

The mount of Ben Jones, Mambonumberfive scored by a length and a quarter from St Pancras.

Ben Pauling said: “He was obviously a nice horse in France and he always looked like a great big individual that was going to take time.

“We went to Cheltenham and it wasn’t anyone’s fault – he just ran with the choke out, did everything wrong and fell in a hole. He is such a big sort of horse and he just wasn’t fit either. I hold my hands up – I was impressed by what he had been doing at home and didn’t give him enough graft.

“He took the first four out of the ground today and I think there is still a lot of improvement to come.

Ben Jones said: “Ben said to me yesterday we are going to have a good day tomorrow. He has been working a lot better at home and has come on loads for Cheltenham.

“I am delighted with how he has run. He didn’t jump very well over the first three or four. Going down the back straight, the penny dropped with him.

“He is a young horse and Ben wanted to give him plenty of time. He is a brute of a horse and maybe wasn’t tuned up for Cheltenham but that run has put him perfect for today.

Jones went to pay tribute to Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Michael O’Sullivan, who died aged 24 on Sunday following injuries sustained in a fall at Tramore on February 6th.

Jones added: “I just want to give my condolences to Mikey O’Sullivan’s family. It has been a tragic time for the racing world and I can’t imagine what they are going through. This was something to brighten up my day anyway.”