Joyeuse (Advised @ 8/1) wins the William Hill Handicap Hurdle

Thank you to those clients who emailed following the victory of Joyeuse (advised @ 8/1) in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. Nicky Henderson's mare had caught the eye in a two and a half miles mares' handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last time and looked well treated off a mark of 123. Given a confident ride by Nico De Boinville, the ex-French mare jumped and travelled beautifully before making her move approaching the third last. Sent to the front before the final flight, she only had to be pushed clear to win hard held by eight lengths. It was an excellent result for the February Update - plus the other selection Navajo Indy (advised @ 14/1) ran into third position to reward each-way backers. Joyeuse was providing Nicky Henderson with his seventh win in the race and became the first mare to land the prize since 2003.

Elsewhere, L'Eau Du Sud maintained his unbeaten record over fences making it four wins from as many starts in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick. Absent since winning the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in early December, the grey went head to head from the outset with Rubaud and following some spectacular leaps down the backstraight had seen off Paul Nicholls' runner before the home turn. However, last season's County Hurdle runner-up got tired after the penultimate fence and was all out to hang on by a length. There is no doubt he is a high-class novice but one wonders whether he may have left his race behind here with Cheltenham in mind. Dan Skelton's winner hit a top speed of 35.42mph during the tenth furlong and he covered the eighth, ninth and tenth furlongs in 12.83, 12.82 and 13.02 seconds. They are impressive figures in soft ground but will we see L'Eau Du Sud at his best in March? Plus, he has the small of cross swords with Majborough and Sir Gino.

Sober Glory (15/8), highlighted in Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers section in OJA, also maintained an unbeaten record when winning the Listed bumper at Newbury. Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the Mount Nelson gelding was bought for 110,000gns and following victories at Chepstow and Exeter, he produced an even better performance to beat Realco by a length and three quarters. A strong stayer who handles soft ground, the youngster looks an exciting novice hurdle prospect for next term - he looks Albert Bartlett NH material in the making.

Talking of Cheltenham in March, please head to the Publications section of the site to order a copy of the One Jump Ahead Cheltenham Festival Update, if you haven't already done so. The OJA Updates have already produced big race winners Banbridge (King George), Burdett Road (Greatwood Hurdle) and Joyeuse (William Hill Handicap Hurdle).