Too Forward is back

The Mark Pitman-trained gelding, a useful hurdler two seasons ago, missed the whole of the 2003/04 campaign with a serious leg injury.

Brought back to action last November after his 18-month absence, he progressed in two runs before finding the winning touch again in the Become An Annual Member Beginners' Chase.

Having taken up the running in the early stages under Mick Fitzgerald, the 6-4 favourite turned in an almost flawless round of jumping as his rivals blundered away their chances behind.

I Hear Thunder did his best to throw down a challenge throughout the final mile and drew upsides around the home turn.

But Too Forward had more in the tank and pulled away again to win impressively by seven lengths.

''What was pleasing there was the way he jumped - he was fantastic, and Fitzy said he was seeing a stride from seven or eight away,'' beamed Pitman, ending a 20-day spell without a winner.

''He was quite decent over hurdles, when he won the River Don and was placed in the Challow before he was sixth at the Festival, when he got a terrible passage.

''Then he got a leg - and you know how it is when that happens. You just need patience, patience and more patience.

''But it is great that he has come back so well and his jumping has got better with every run. He'll be better in a better race where they'd go a decent pace, but we've no really fancy plans for him.''

Fitzgerald completed a double when Roofing Spirit overturned favourite Mister Mustard in a duel for the folkestone-racecourse.co.uk Maiden Chase.

Mister Mustard did little wrong in front under David Dennis but his fast gallop helped set up the race for Roofing Spirit, who made steady headway from the rear to track the leader approaching the third-last fence.

Switched to go past between the last two, the Paul Keane-trained 15-8 chance eased clear to win by seven lengths, with the pair miles clear of Golden Crusader.

''He has taken time to find his form since his bumper days and he didn't seem to get home last time, so this drop back in trip must have helped,'' said Keane.

''The key today was that he jumped superbly. Sometimes over hurdles he swishes his tail and gives the impression that he isn't happy every time.

''But I think he enjoys the challenge of steeplechasing and now he has got his confidence I hope he can go on from here.''

Fitzgerald's double was matched by his understudy at Seven Barrows, Marcus Foley, who scored aboard Viva Forever and Whist Drive.

Cansalrun, all the rage in the betting before the start of the Celebrate The New Year At Folkestone Mares Only Novices Handicap Hurdle, was backed in from 7-1 to 3-1 favourite.

But the Robert Alner-trained mare was never able to reach a challenging position under Andrew Thornton and finished a well-beaten sixth behind Viva Forever (4-1), who led some way from the finish under Foley but was all out in the end to scramble home by a head from Fiddles Music.

Successful owner Peter Deal was not on hand to witness the victory, spending the day instead at the cricket Test match in Cape Town.

Trainer Alex Hales said: ''We put blinkers on her for the first time today but she's not ungenuine. She has just been a bit green and it helps her to concentrate.

''Marcus did the right thing in letting her go on as she was just going so well, but it was getting a bit tight at the finish!''

Whist Drive put his stamina to good use as he took the Arena Leisure Novices Hurdle to complete Foley's brace.

Not fluent at the final flight in the back straight, the 5-2 joint-favourite was given a slap to wake him up and it quickly had the desired affect as he pricked his ears and flew round the outside of the field to lead on the home turn.

In fact, Foley probably played his hand slightly too soon as once he got to the front, Whist Drive didn't exactly leave his rivals for dead.

But the Dina Smith-trained gelding had done enough to break his duck and he held off Alagon by a length and a half.

''I can't wait to run him over fences next season as he's going to make a smashing chaser,'' said Smith, relieved at ending a long losing run. ''I've only got five horses and I'd love a couple more, but so would everybody, wouldn't they?''

Another trainer to get on the scoresheet after a drought was Simon Earle, who sent out Saucy Night to spring a 14-1 surprise in the Ted Long Challenge Cup Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase under Lucy Gardner.

First-season permit-holder Ellie Hill enjoyed her second winner under rules when 9-1 chance Wave Back took advantage of the last-flight fall of Miss Rideamight to take the Paddock Selling Handicap Hurdle.

The mare's owner, former point-to-point jockey Rob Langley, said: ''Ellie used to work for Eddie Hales in Ireland and when she came back over here this mare came with her.''