Notarfbad victory proof positive that owners' patience was a virtue

Course commentator Mark Johnson got it spot on when stating that the Jeremy Scott-trained Notarfbad could be renamed Notarfgood following his very gutsy success in the 2m1/2f handicap chase.

The ten-year-old had spent 18 months on the sidelines with a leg problem until making a comeback at Stratford in June, where ring-rustiness caught up with him, but he put matters right when bolting up at Uttoxeter last month.

And it was a case of repeating the dose here as he forged 21 lengths clear of Easily Pleased, much to the delight of part-owner Geoffrey Brown, who said: “We never give up on our horses and we have given this one plenty of time to recover from his setback.