Doncaster: bittersweet for Brennan as rider gets six-day ban following Listed win

Paddy Brennan was hit with a six-day ban for improper riding after winning the Listed fillies' juvenile hurdle on Greyval.

The stewards deemed Brennan's manoeuvre approaching the second-last to have caused interference to Komedy Kicks, who fell after being bumped and then brought down Inspiratrice.

The jockey improved his mount up the inner after the third-last and appeared to be on the chase track before switching back to the hurdle course, a manoeuvre the stewards felt "ought to have been obvious that interference would occur".

Brennan's suspension runs from February 10-15, meaning he is set to miss the Betfair Hurdle card at Newbury.

Greyval, a filly bought by owner Nick Brown after he saw her on television running in France, has now put herself in contention for a crack at the Cheltenham Festival.

"I actually first saw her run at Nantes in April and fell in love with her," said Brown. "I quietly stalked her all year and she ended up in the sale. She was superb value at €36,000 as she had proper form in France and I loved the stamp of her."

Racing in Brown's colours for the Oakley Partnership, the Fergal O'Brien-trained 11-4 winner has the option of the Triumph Hurdle or Mares' Novice Hurdle in March. 

Brown added: "I finished third in this race [two years ago] and decided this was where we wanted to be a long time ago, and we've got the result.

"She wasn't going to be in the Triumph but we popped her in this week, although I doubt she'll go for that. I don't do social runners but we can dream. She's in the Mares' Novice and I half prefer that, but there's a lot of water and bridges." 

More Malystic magic

Top weight in a hotly contested £50,000 2m½f handicap chase proved no barrier to success for Malystic, who followed up his win at Wetherby last month to earn multiple big-race options.

Not only was it a valuable prize to win for trainer Peter Niven but it was also an emotional one. 

"My late mother bred him and the other breeder also died so it's very poignant," he said. "He's a proper horse, but things haven't gone his way. He basically missed last season after picking up a terrible infection so he has low mileage. 

"The only conditions race I was considering was the Game Spirit, but it might come a bit quick and then there's the Red Rum at Aintree. I'd love to have a go at the Celebration Chase at the end of the season, but we'll see."

Malystic and Danny McMenamin (blue) on their way to victory at DoncasterCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Parramount keeps it in family

Parramount has a long way to go to match the achievements of his half-sister Snow Leopardess, but he continued his promising start with a clearcut victory in the opening novice hurdle.

Sent off the 1-2 favourite, the Charlie Longsdon-trained seven-year-old charged home to score by 21 lengths under the stable's conditional Bradley Roberts. 

"He was good," said the in-form trainer. "He's qualified for the EBF Final and that is the main target. I'll try to run him in a handicap before the EBF because he needs to be rated 120-plus. We know he's got ability and he's got more speed than his sister."   

Parramount's owner-breeder Marietta Fox-Pit was delighted with the success, which came a day before Snow Leopardess is scheduled to have her first cross-country start at Cheltenham. 

"He'll be all right – he's a good boy, just like his sister," she said.

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