Dave's Dream off to perfect chasing start; HUNTINGDON.

Byline: Bruce Jackson 

NICKY HENDERSON completed an odds-on double inside 20 minutes when Dave's Dream (8-15) made a winning start over fences after Carole's Legacy (1-6) had done the same at Wincanton to confirm the Lambourn trainer is in fine form.

Henderson said he ran his Imperial Cup winner in this pounds 10,000 novice race as he was assured the services of Tony McCoy, who is standing in for absent stable jockey Barry Geraghty whenever possible.

"Barry flew over last night to school this morning and AP came down and we schooled 48 horses, starting with Binocular and Punjabi," he said.

Dave's Dream was left a simple task on paper with the withdrawal of Micheal Flips, but he had to overcome a slip coming out of the back straight, which saw him run wide off the home bend as McCoy bustled him up, before putting My Moment in his place from the last.

"That will do him the world of good and AP was very complimentary," said Henderson.

"He's a big horse and they were trapping down the far side but his jumping was good and a stiffer track will suit him."

Victor Chandler went 33-1 Star performance Dave's Dream's winning start over fences Quote of the day "I got a knock on the back door and it made me think it's no good sitting upstairs with good horses down below" - trainer Barney Curley, referring to his brush with death from a virus from which he is still recovering Which two Henry Daly horses shaped as though they can get off the mark next time out. Analysis, page 86 about his Arkle chances while Paddy Power kept him at 25-1. Sereth was another class act on the card, winning as he liked on his hurdling debut over an extended 2m, a month after his excellent third in the Cesarewitch.

Backed into odds-on favouritism, the Patsy Byrne-owned and Barney Curley-trained gelding was kept prominent by Paul Moloney, who had done the schooling on him.

Neil King was another Newmarket trainer on the mark as Cheshire Prince won the second division of the novice hurdle in game fashion from Wizard Of Odds, justifying the trainer going to 30,000gns for his most expensive purchase.

King, who has 30 horses and is building six more boxes, is up to seven winners already this season, chasing his best of 15.

Trainer Pam Sly and amateur rider Gina Andrews are to be reckoned with as the partnership made it ten winners together when Viable held off Crosby Jemma in the handicap hurdle.

Jim Best sent out his sixth winner in ten days when odds-on Canni Thinkaar stumbled his way (matched at 99-1 for pounds 40) to a narrow win over Mistress To No One in the 2m51/2f handicap hurdle. Due to go up 22lb for last week's win, he's in at Exeter today and Best will assess how he has come out of this, before deciding on the hat-trick bid.

Sea Cadet looked a changed character when breezing home under Rhys Flint for new connections in the 3m handicap chase, landing a gamble for the Laura Mongan team.

Alan King sent out his tenth bumper winner at the track in the last five years - from 23 runners - when 4-1 favourite The Laodicean showed far too much pace for his rivals in the junior 1m6f version.

CAPTION(S):

Dave's Dream (Tony McCoy) justifies favouritism to make a winning chasing debut at Huntingdon yesterday