Pilgrims delivers when it matters on big day for unsung jockey

James Best was thinking of the ticking off he would get for disobeying his riding instructions on hold-up horse Pilgrims Bay as he executed his biggest triumph on Saturday like someone who had been doing it all his career.

The 26-year-old followed his orders to the letter, so much so that even though his mount seemed to be freewheeling beneath him, and the challenging Double Shuffle still in contention alongside, he did not release the brakes until the final 100 yards.

From there Best received the response he had hoped for as the quirky 25-1 chance edged far enough away from his rival to claim the £100,000 BetBright Handicap Chase by half a length and then dump his jockey on the ground at the end of the pull up.