NOBLE BILY supplied Neil King with his second valuable handicap chase pot this winter when coming home unchallenged under Marc Goldstein in the £20,000 ladbrokes.

com Kent National at Folkestone.

The 11-1 chance was competing from 7lb out of the handicap but you would not have guessed it watching him pull relentlessly clear of top-weight Knighton Combe in the home straight.

Goldstein was able to ease his mount in the final yards but still had six lengths in hand.

The performance confirmed Noble Bily’s improvement since joining King’s Newmarket stables earlier in the season.

It also opens up new avenues for the nine-year-old, whose races under King’s guidance have ranged from two and a half miles to this marathon distance of almost four miles.

The trainer admitted to having been a tad worried that this gruelling race came just a week after the winner had finished third over three miles at Ludlow.

He said: ‘‘The trip was never a worry, but I was a bit nervous that Ludlow had been just seven days earlier.

‘‘I just felt that if we wanted to try him over a much longer trip then we had to do it today because he had his ground, and conditions can start to dry up at this time of the season.’’ King, whose Russian Flag landed an identically-valued race at Sandown last month, added: ‘‘Noble Bily came to us two months ago and the plan was always to come here.

‘‘Marc Goldstein stepped in because his usual rider Alex Merriam couldn’t do the weight. The door is wide open for this horse now.’’ Canni Thinkaar had earlier made the ladbrokespoker.

com Handicap Hurdle a fourth success from five outings for trainer Jim Best when grittily seeing off Painter Man to initiate a double for Goldstein.

The blinkered gelding raced prominently and gained control to justify Best’s decision to bring him back slightly in trip.

Best said: ‘‘He was a good little buy but has gone up an awful lot in the weights after starting on a really low mark.

‘‘We may try another little handicap but I suspect we’ll have to go down the selling route before too long.

‘‘He could go over fences but my gut instinct is that he doesn’t strike me as the type to make a chaser.’’ Former Irish-based pointer Penny Doc gave a fine staying performance for trainer-rider Philip York to take the eastwellmanor.co.uk Maiden Hunters’ Chase.

Backed as if defeat was out of the question, the 8-13 winner came home four lengths clear of He’s On His Way after High Toby crashed out at the last when already held.

Bens Moor confirmed the revival of Tim Vaughan’s horses when proving a clearcut winner of the bumper under Richard Johnson, while Wayne Hutchinson continued his fine form when forcing the Warren Greatrex-trained You’re So Vain home from favourite Tequilla Bob in the opening lipscomb.co.uk Maiden Hurdle.

Those who went on a retrieval mission with secondrace favourite She’s On The Case had few anxious moments before the 4-6 chance came home unchallenged under Tom O’Brien in the Nigel Collison Fuels Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

With market rival Jenny’s Gold failing to complete, it proved a cakewalk for the Grant Cann-trained winner, who beat Appointment by 19 lengths.

Cann’s wife, Olivia, said: ‘‘Tom’s ridden her before and knows her. He has given her a smashing ride again.’’ Wishes Or Watches posted a 14-1 surprise in the ladbrokesbingo.

com Handicap Chase as he held the persistent Wiesenfurst under conditional rider Anthony Freeman.