TRAINER Rebecca Curtis is hopeful Lisnager Oscar can repeat his Cheltenham Festival heroics of last year again and her stable proved they were on song with the Tinkers Hill Tommy winning the three mile one furlong Veterans Handicap Chase at Hereford races on Sunday.

Tinkers Hill Tommy, with a win in the Dunraven Bowl hunter chase at Chepstow Racecourse to his name, was content to bide his time on the first circuit but as the runners began the final circuit jockey Richard Patrick sent his mount forward and despite an attempt by First Figaro to make a challenge the Welsh challenger drew clear easily to score by a facile 17 lengths, writes Graham Saveker

Generous Bay was a willing winner of the two mile three furlong for jockey Paddy Brennan as the partnership gave their supporters confidence throughout the trip against their nine rivals.

Brennan moved his mount clear of the market rival Grand Turina at the third last fence and once in command they stretched clear to win impressively for Abberley trainer Henry Oliver by six lengths.

Although one of trainer Nicky Henderson’s lesser lights Bothwell Bridge holds an entry in the Cheltenham Festival Alber Bartlett Novice hurdle and he confirmed his staying capabilities with a win in the extended three-mile novice hurdle.

Always travelling well for jockey Nico de Boinville the 8/15 favourite Bothwell Bridge seemed to have a fight on his hands as main market rival Exploiteur challenged and briefly headed him at the second last, but Bothwell Bridge stayed on strongly when de Boinville asked him for his effort and had his rival beaten when he came down at the final hurdle.

Banana Jo was expected to be a winner for ex-Champion jockey Richard Johnson in the two mile five furlong novices handicap hurdle, but he was never travelling well and despite all Johnson’s urgings aboard the Henry Daly trained runner he could only stay on one paced into fourth place behind the 9/1 winner Just Go for It.

The concluding bumper race on the card saw a win for the five-year-old Kayf Tara gelding World of Dreams who defied a seven pound penalty for his win last time out at Fontwell and scored well to confirm 1/11 favourite status.