Elle Est Belle trimmed for the festival after landing dramatic Sidney Banks

Thursday: Huntingdon

Elle Est Belle and Harry Skelton showed class and guts to get up close home to land the feature Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle.

Whether that would have been the outcome but for favourite Wonderwall falling at the last – an incident that also put Harbour Lake out of the race – is impossible to say.

But the daughter of Fame And Glory did well to run down the front-running Gentleman At Arms on the short run to the line and was cut to 7-1 (from 8) by Betfair for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Paddy Power also trimmed her a point into 6-1 (from 7) for that festival race.

Dan Skelton did not immediately rule out a trip to the festival, though he cautioned she may be kept for Aintree.

"I think it was a deep race with all the 135-rated horses together at the last and she came home well off a strong pace," said the trainer.

"We were very happy with her attitude although she made the odd mistake. She'll be a better jumper with experience.

"She's in at Cheltenham but she definitely won't be going for the Mares' Hurdle on the Tuesday as it wouldn't be fair asking her to go 40mph around that track.

"She could run in the Mares' Novice on the Thursday but the likelihood is she'll wait for the two-and-a-half mile Grade 1 at Aintree."

Urban Logistics Reit Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle result and replay

Elle Est Belle bolstered the form of Jonbon, who beat her by five and three-quarter lengths on her most recent start in the Grade 2 Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle at Ascot before Christmas.

Credit must also go to Stuart Edmunds and Ciaran Gethings, with the latter almost pulling off a perfect front-running ride on Gentleman At Arms when quickening up off the final bend having set a modest pace throughout.

Gethings said: "That was a great effort to be just outgunned by a talented mare in Elle Est Belle. I think the plan is to go to Aintree for the Sefton Novices' Hurdle."

Both fallen horses galloped away from the final flight, while James Bowen and Tom Cannon were on their feet soon afterwards.

The Skeltons later doubled up when newcomer Kateira also put herself in the mix for Aintree when landing the mares' bumper.

Walk on

Owner Mark Kelly harbours a dream to win the Grand National one day, but he was first happy to settle for the opening 2m novice handicap hurdle won by his syndicate horse Kensington Art.

The Liverpudlian was making his first visit to the track and went home happy when the Donald McCain-trained six-year-old battled home under Peter Kavanagh, who was also having his debut outing at the Cambridgeshire course.

Kensington Art: a first winner for conditional Peter Kavanagh at HuntingdonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Kelly said: "We have another horse in our syndicate called YoulNeverWalkAlone who is a bumper horse with Fergal O'Brien and many of the members in that are involved in this fellow. Being from Liverpool, obviously the dream with our other horse would be to win the Grand National."

In from the cold

Jockey Shane Quinlan ended a 252-day spell without a winner in convincing fashion when Eleanor Bob justified 15-8 favouritism in the 2m7½f mares' novice handicap chase.

The 5lb claimer rides out for Eleanor Bob's trainer Venetia Williams and was happy to record his first winner since June.

The winner is owned by Francis Mahon, whose colours were also carried to success by stablemate Pink Legend at the track last month.

He said: "I started well this season but the winners have dried up. Thanks to Venetia and the owners for putting me up and it's nice to get that monkey off my back."

Results, replays and analysis

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