Bertie May provides owner with a poignant success EXETER.

Byline: Andrew King

Star performance Philip Hobbs, for having Pavillon Bleu fit and well to win after a 635-day absence Two skinners San Marino (25-1) and Callerlilly (33-1) had most bookies smiling runner-up should go one better granted a stiffer test? Results and analysis, age 102 BERTIE MAY proved a very poignant winner of the 2m3f novice handicap chase for owner Jackie Wingfield Digby as the seven-year-old was the last horse purcs hased by her late husband Michael.

The Kevin Bishop-trained gelding had 27 lengths to spare over Irish Legend after he was left with the prize at his mercy following a last-fence blunder from Richard's Sundance, who parted company with his rider.

Bishop said: "I bought this horse at the Doncaster sales and Michael, who sadly passed away last year, took a liking to him straight away as he loved grey horses, having owned Kendal Cavalier who won the Welsh National a few years back.

"This is Jackie's first winner since Michael's death and I could not be more glad for her.

"The horse really wants three miles, but we got away with it here on the testing ground at this galloping course."

Forest Pennant made a triumphant return from a year on the sidelines with a tendon problem when staying on strongly to pass the post with five lengths in hand over Flight Leader.

Winning owner Peter Hart said: "He had a small hole in a tendon that had to be fired so it is brilliant that he has won so well, as Paul [Nicholls, trainer] told me he would come on for whatever he did today."

San Marino was also returning from a long layoff when delivering a 25-1 shock in the 2m1f novice hurdle.

Winning owner/trainer John Coombe said: "We quietly fancied him and have had a few quid on him, but he had been off for 20 months as he kicked the walking machine at home and injured a foot, and it has taken an age to get him right again."

Nigel Hawke has endured a luckless time recently but he ended the hoodoo when 33-1 chance Callerlilly won the 2m5f novice handicap hurdle.

Hawke had gone 323 days without a winner and said: "I have had 27 seconds in that time, but it is great to get off the Racing Post cold trainers' list and I never want to have a bad run like that again."

Pavillon Bleu also made a winning return to duty, in his case in the 2m1f handicap chase, while Strategic Plan carried the colours of owner Kelvin Evett to victory in the concluding conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle.