Aucunrisque foiled an ante-post gamble on Filey Bay in the Betfair Hurdle to give Chris Gordon a red-letter day at Newbury.
Gordon has had his string in red-hot form in recent weeks and had already celebrated a winner earlier on the card when Annual Invictus scored under his son, Freddie.
Gordon fielded two in Europe's richest handicap hurdle, with Highway One O Two also running. But it was Aucunrisque who was always to the head of affairs under Nick Scholfield.
The winning jockey had spent most of the last year on the sidelines but looked far from rusty on the 9-1 shot.
He did appear a sitting duck, however, as Donagh Meyler loomed up on Filey Bay - but a mistake two out gave the initiative back to Aucunrisque.
The pair pulled 11 lengths clear of Teddy Blue and Yorksea, the Gary Moore pair in third and fourth, but it was Aucunrisque who was a length in front at the line.
Aucunrisque is always to the fore in the feature @Betfair Hurdle and gamely fends off the late charge of favourite Filey Bay to score in the hands of Nick Scholfield for the red-hot @Chrisgordonrac1 team 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nfa60ZBMOz
— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) February 11, 2023
Gordon said of the winner, who spent the first half of the season novice chasing: "We’ll go for the Grand Annual with him now.
"He is a wonderful, tough, consistent horse. He gives me no issues. Like the other horse (in the race). They are wonderful, easy horses to train. This one is so consistent. It just makes life so much easier when they are straightforward, which he is.
"Let’s have a little crack at the Grand Annual and see how we go."
Course specialist Zanza (16-1) provided Philip Hobbs with his 3,000th winner in the Betfair Denman Chase.
Hobbs went the whole of January without a winner as he edged closer to the landmark figure and it was apt that a stable stalwart like Zanza would provide him with it.
The nine-year-old has only won seven races under rules, with the last five of them now all being at Newbury.
Zanza was ridden by Tom O'Brien, who since the retirement of Richard Johnson has been stable jockey for Hobbs and his delight was evident as he raised his arm aloft on crossing the line seven lengths ahead of favourite Hitman.
For Hobbs, trainer of the likes of Rooster Booster, Monkerhostin, Flagship Uberalles, Menorah, Captain Chris and Defi De Seuil, it was undoubtedly special to have such a winner in a Grade Two event.
Zanza loves it here and records his fifth victory at the track with a decisive success in the Grade 2 @Betfair Denman Chase under the guidance of Tom O'Brien for trainer @PJHobbs1 🥇 pic.twitter.com/Qs0cWmNhP4
— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) February 11, 2023
He said: "It is extraordinary how this horse is so much better here than anywhere else. I’ve never had a horse to that extent. He’d only ever been beaten once here, which was in the Betfair Hurdle and he was only beaten about three lengths in that.
"I didn’t anticipate that – not on his previous form.
"The obvious race to come for is the handicap in three weeks’ time, but I don’t know what the handicapper will do after that.
"Cheltenham is possible, so supplementing I suppose has to be an option."
Funambule Sivola (7-1) returned to form to record back-to-back success in the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase, in which hot favourite Greaneteen finished only third of the four runners.
The Venetia Williams-trained eight-year-old was on the crest of a wave when winning this race 12 months ago and went on to finish a very creditable second to Energumene in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. However, in three previous runs this season he had looked a shadow of his former self.
Prominent throughout, Charlie Deutsch always looked happy whereas Greaneteen did not make life easy for Harry Cobden, racing keen early and making niggly errors.
With Elixir De Nutz running in snatches and Malystic's jumping leaving him with plenty to do, Funambule Sivola ended up running out a three and a half length winner from Elixir De Nutz.
Funambule Sivola records back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 @Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase, with the eight-year-old making virtually all and powering clear under the guidance of @charliedeutsch2 for trainer @VenetiaWRacing 👏 pic.twitter.com/g6xjB89x1N
— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) February 11, 2023
Williams said: "I have to give Charlie a lot of credit, not just for a superb ride, but also the chat we had before the race and he said this horse loves this ground and this has got to be his race.
"The worry about this horse is that he had a tendon injury before we ever ran him, so you are trying to be a little more careful with those type of horses.
"But he is a small horse, he is a quick horse and you have a tricky dilemma – you are trying to mind him, but at the same time, it is what he enjoys.
"The Champion Chase will be his next run."
