There were classy performances by Maitree Express and Highway Jewel in the weekend's two Ineos Grenadier Mixed Open races.
Maitree Express confirmed the promise of a recent conditions race win at Larkhill in Wiltshire when returning to that course on Saturday to land the £1,000 contest backed by the four-wheel drive car manufacturer. Robert Waley-Cohen bred, owns and trains Maitree Express (pictured above) in Warwickshire, but his son Sam, who usually rides the horse, was taking a break in the Caribbean, so Alice Stevens came in for the ride on the 7/4 favourite.
Alice Stevens gets to meet an Ineos Grenadier in the flesh at Larkhill
After Maitree Express had beaten Envoye Special and Trio For Rio by ten lengths and one and a half lengths Waley-Cohen did not dismiss a possible challenge for the £10,000 Ineos Grenadier Hunters' Chase Final at Cheltenham on April 29. He said: "It's a long time until then, but you would have to think he will be good enough for a hunters' chase at some point."
Maitree Express in his Ineos Grenadier rug after winning at Larkhill
Maitree Express beat six rivals, but the progressive mare Highway Jewel frightened away most of the opposition in the Ineos Grenadier Mixed Open race at Chipley Park in Somerset on Sunday. Just two horses took her on, but Singapore Saga and Al Shahir are talented in their own right and had both won their previous races in good style.
Highway Jewel (Brad Gibbs) leads narrowly from Singapore Saga (Darren Andrews)
Ridden and trained by Bradley Gibbs for Adrian Simpson's Highway Partnership, Highway Jewel – who was making her season's debut – made the running before winning by five lengths and three-quarters of a length from Singapore Saga and Al Shahir, recording by far the quickest time on the card. John Heard, who trains the runner-up, was delighted with his mare's effort, not least because she was conceding 3lb to the winner.
Sid Cadell (left) and Adrian Simpson collect the trophy from Ineos Grenadier representative Rachael Holdsworth at Chipley Park
Gibbs confirmed that the Cheltenham Festival Hunters' Chase is Highway Jewel's priority for now, although he said the Ineos Grenadier final could well come into the mare's plans.
In addition to the £1,000 prize money the sponsors also provided the winning horse at each meeting with an Ineos Grenadier cooling-off sheet and the winning riders were given branded gilets.
In a change to the schedule, the next leg in the Ineos Grenadier Mixed Open Series will now take place at Howick in Gwent, South Wales on February 13, not Barbury Racecourse as originally planned. The Curre & Llangibby committee have stepped in to host the replacement qualifier on the same day that the cancelled Vine & Craven meeting was scheduled for, the full list can be viewed here now.