Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy took the honours at muddy Newton Abbot yesterday with a near 19-1 four-timer courtesy of Champleve, Brighstone, Don Samourai and Deano's Beeno. Champion trainer Pipe has sent out a remarkable 102 winners at the Devon circuit in the past five years and champion jockey McCoy is on the 60-winner mark - even though he has only been riding in this country for three and a half years.
Champleve, winner of a handicap hurdle at Auteuil a month ago, lifted the Devon Novices' Hurdle by the length of the run-in from Desert Power, becoming yet another ex-French horse to collect in the blue and green silks of owner David Johnson.
"We fancied that one!" joked Pipe of the 1-4 favourite. "He sloshed through the conditions and jumped nicely. It was a nice hack round and he could not have done any more on his first run for us."
McCoy's tactical sense was seen on Brighstone in the Wishful Thinking Selling Hurdle as he held the colt up and steered a wide course before pouncing at the last flight to beat Coeur Battant by a couple of lengths.
"Tony rode a great race as we were more than worried about the horse being tubed on this sort of ground but he's done it really well in the end," remarked Pipe.
Don Samourai needed all of the extended three and a quarter miles of the Claude Whitley Memorial Challenge Cup Handicap Chase as he stayed on dourly to beat Penncaler by two lengths.
"That's his first win in this country since coming over from France and the first time Tony has ridden him," Pipe said.
"He's game and he stays but it's a pity owner Brian Kilpatrick cannot be here to see him as he is leaving the country at the moment on business."
Setting off in front from flag-fall for the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, Deano's Beeno was never headed and stayed on strongly to account for Royale Angela by a comfortable four lengths.
The winner carries the colours of Axom, a new syndicate set up by Elite Racing. Pipe revealed his long-term target would be a hurdle race at next year's Cheltenham Festival.
Pipe and McCoy were favourites to make it five winners in the concluding bumper but their representative Knock Leader had to give best to David Nicholson's Muskhill in the home straight and went under by seven lengths.
Conditional jockey Nathan Rossiter was taken to Torbay Hospital for precautionary X-rays on head and neck injuries after his mount Zaggy Lane came down at the first in the Devon Novices Hurdle.
Rossiter faces a week on the sidelines even if he is declared fit as he was concussed in the incident.
