Fabulous four-timer for Gary Moore at Fontwell

‘It is not something I have done very often, so long may it last’.

Gary Moore enjoyed a near 154-1 fabulous four-timer on a super Sunday at Fontwell, topped by Botox Has taking the West Sussex venue’s feature race of the year.

The Horsham handler, who is enjoying his best-ever campaign made it 72 for the season after striking with Nassalam (8-15), Botox Has (20-1), Jerrash (1-5) and Legal Rights (3-1) to keep his legion of fans at one of his local tracks in clover.

“I have had four on a day before, at Lingfield earlier in the year, but it is not something I have done very often, so long may it last,” said Moore.

Nassalam gained his third win of an excellent campaign in the Land & Power Ltd Novices’ Chase, justifying 8-15 favouritism in the hands of son Jamie Moore.

The four-year-old scored on his debut at Ascot in October and followed up in a Grade Two at Newbury the next time.

Despite a couple of subsequent runner-up efforts at Plumpton, giving weight away, he bounced back in first-time blinkers, although his trainer conceded “he made hard work of it”, jumping persistently left, before coming clear before the final fence to win by two and a half lengths.

Moore said: “I think he has had his last run this season. He had a very hard race at Ascot to win first time. He’s only a four-year-old and he has done his job – he has won three races and been second twice.

“So, if the owners agree, we will probably let him down now.

“Not many horses win three in a season. It was job done when he won at Newbury.

“He is quite a nice horse and only a baby. Hopefully we will put him away and have a good summer off and bring him next year. We might just have a nice horse on our hands.

“He is just jumping left-handed all the time, down his fences. Although he has been checked out, we just need to make sure we are not missing something.”

After Josh Moore had produced a superb ride to take the National Spirit Hurdle with 20-1 outsider Botox Has, brother Jamie completed his double as Jerrash scored in the Manor Elite Horsebox Novices’ Hurdle.

The five-year-old made all the running to beat stablemate Make My Day and his sibling by a length and a quarter.

Moore added: “It was not the way to ride the horse, but I thought we would get the job done and ride him that way.

“He is more experienced than the other horse and just got the job done. I wish I had him qualified him for a race at Sandown next week, but he will be a nice horse for next year.”

Moore completed the four-timer when Legal Rights made the best of his way home from a long way out to stay on well in the Royalequestrian Bedding And Manor Elite Horsebox Handicap Hurdle under Josh Moore, completing his brace.

Moore had concerns over the winter that half of his horses were running well and some were under a cloud and he admitted it had “frustrated me a bit”.

Legal Rights, who scored by three and a quarter lengths, was one of those who bounced back swiftly.

“He was a little bit wrong the last time he ran, like they all were,” he said.

“They have all got over it and he was one of the ones that recovered quickly and he has done it well today.

“I’m very pleased with him. I was a bit worried when he hit the front turning in, as it is a long way home, but he had plenty left.”

Tony Lawes is also enjoying his best-ever season and notched his second winner in as many days in the Andrew Wates colours as Alkopop obliged as the 2-1 joint-favourite in the Royal Equestrian Bedding Handicap Chase.

Beare Green trainer Lawes, who introduced a smart bumper winner in Onewayortother at Kempton on Saturday, notched his 12th winner of the season and jockey Tom Cannon made it 51 for the campaign, one short of his personal best, with the two-length success.

Lawes said: “We have always loved him. He’s a cracking horse, but this season has not panned out for him as I was hoping.

“We schooled him in cheekpieces to sharpen it up at home, not as much as I’d hoped early in the race, but Tom knows him well and he is a thorough stayer.

“He is actually a very genuine horse. He is not very quick, but he does stay. He has definitely got an engine in there.”

“Tom is riding with a lot of confidence and is a Grade One-winning jockey who is only going up and up.”

Owner and amateur rider David Maxwell is experiencing a real purple patch, and Shantou Flyer (2-1) upset odds-on favourite Jett in the hunter chase.

Maxwell jumped upsides at the last and rallied gamely to score by five and a half lengths.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “It was just the job. He was fit and well and ready for today. He is entered in the Foxhunters’ at Cheltenham, but he won’t run if Bob And Co runs – he will be first reserve for David. He is 12 now and we will try to pick up a couple more of those races. He loves the game.

“We will run Stratagem at Wincanton on Wednesday possibly, but Bob And Co is the big one.”

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