PAUL Webber, who trains at Mollington, near Banbury, is eyeing a crack at the Racing Post Chase at Kempton in February with Laskari following the gelding’s game win at Doncaster, writes Russell Smith The nine-year-old was a winner at the Sunbury course over two and a half miles last month, and was successful over a slightly-shorter distance in a handicap chase on stamina-sapping ground at Town Moor.

Under a confident ride from Dominic Elsworth, Laskari joined long-time leader Tell Henry at the second last before going on to win by three and a quarter lengths.

"It was great perseverance by horse and jockey on ground that isn't his best,” said Webber. “We got away with it because this is Doncaster rather than a sticky soft.

"He'll have a break for four or five weeks and freshen up after that. He's a tough customer.

"The Racing Post Chase at Kempton is the race that might come to mind.

“It's right-handed and the ground there is better than most places and I think he will get three miles on decent ground."

The previous day at Doncaster, Calgary Bay’s eagerly-awaited chasing debut ended in defeat – but the exciting youngster from Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, emerged with plenty of credit.

The five-year-old’s first experience of tackling the larger obstacles saw him come up against I’msingingtheblues in an extended two-mile novices’ chase at Doncaster.

By coincidence, they were meeting exactly a year to the day after they had locked horns in a novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham when Calgary Bay had come out on top with Paul Nicholls’s charge five lengths back in third.

But this time I’msingingthe-blues had the benefit of two runs over fences, and that experience helped him gain the day by a length in a cracking finish.

Shatabdi, owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, from Edge Hill, near Banbury, and ridden by his son Sam, added to wins over hurdles and on the Flat, with victory over fences at Huntingdon.

The all-weather Flat circuit continues apace, and Sean Curran, who trains at Hatford, near Stanford in the Vale, sent out Sagunt to score at Lingfield.

Paul Cole’s Whatcombe stables, near Wantage, struck on the same card when Tarkamara opened her account at the 13th attempt.

A well-bred filly – being by Medicean out of a Shahrastani mare – she is to be retired to the paddocks next year.

Taikoo, from Hughie Morrison’s East Ilsley stables, romped home by ten lengths at Southwell.