Millie Wonnacott reaping the rewards of patience after Doncaster ride

Telephone technology meant I was able to witness a gripping finish to Saturday’s £100,000 Sky Bet Handicap Chase at Doncaster from a bar at Cheltenham.

Amid the clamour of drinkers and on a screen no bigger than a box of Swan Vestas, it was the green and gold colours carried by winner OK Corral that caught the eye as we witnessed another great ride from Derek O’Connor, although we had no idea he had lost his whip or which horse had finished second.

After discovering the runner-up was Fingerontheswitch, ridden by Millie Wonnacott, I was eager to watch a re-run of the race. Seven months ago Wonnacott appeared at Britain’s final point-to-point meeting of the season at Umberleigh in Devon hoping to ride two winners and share the Fuller’s novice women riders’ title with Yorkshire’s Jess Bedi. She rode a winner and a second.