Drop Out Joe surprised even Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon with a brilliant 20-1 victory in the John Smith’s Summer Cup at Uttoxeter.

The eight-year-old had been out of form since landing the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton in November, finishing down the field in April’s bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

But he bounced back in the Listed handicap chase over three miles and two furlongs, landing the £45,016 prize after a great jump at the last fence under Graham Watters helped him get the better of Ballynagour by two lengths.

Drop Out Joe was running off a handicap mark just 1lb higher than for his Wincanton win, but Longsdon was still slightly taken aback that his charge had been able to deliver the goods.

The trainer said: “I never thought he would win off 144, but he did it well. There were some seriously good horses here.”

Conditional jockey Watters, who was having his first ride since breaking a hand around a month ago, added: “It was brilliant of Charlie and the owners for throwing me up on the horse.”

A memorable day for Longsdon was capped when Sharp Rise made it a 104-1 double with a game half-length verdict over Roman Flight in the bet365 Handicap Chase over two miles under Aidan Coleman.

A vote for Brexit may have been a winner, but the horse named after the campaign to leave the European Union was put in the shade at Newbury by Funky Footsteps from Eve Johnson Houghton’s Blewbury yard.

Making her debut, the 25-1 shot stormed home under Charlie Bishop to beat Perfect Angel by half a length in a six-furlong novice auction fillies’ stakes.

Brexit, who had been specially prepared to run on the day of the EU referendum by Epsom handler Pat Phelan, was back in sixth.

It was Johnson Houghton’s second success of the week after Frank Bridge’s victory in a mile handicap at Brighton.

Elsewhere, dual Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton, who lives at Moreton, near Thame, won a charity race over a mile at Newmarket by 12 lengths on Royal Etiquette, trained by Lawney Hill at Aston Rowant.