Racing: Famfoni fires Bailey's cross-country fervour

An unorthodox training programme worked well for Famfoni, winner of the cross-country chase on the first day of Cheltenham's Open meeting yesterday. "He is basically an old monkey who doesn't want training, so we don't train him," Kim Bailey, the winning handler, said.

"He was bought from France to win this race some years ago but he has not been easy. He used to run in three-horse races in France and try to pull himself up. He hasn't been out of a canter for more than three months and he was as fresh as he could be today."

With Cheltenham aiming to add a fourth day to the Festival, a cross-country race could be added to the programme and Bailey is a supporter. "Everything that is different in racing is good," he said. "The jockeys like riding in it, the horses like the different fences and the crowd really enjoy the spectacle, you only have to look at how many go across to the centre of the course. I think it would be great at the Festival."

Odds-on punters were dealt blows with the defeats of Keen Leader and Lady Cricket. The latter had nothing left to give when Just Jasmine, a 14-1 shot receiving 26lb, swept past on the run-in under Rodi Greene. Keen Leader was an early faller on his chasing bow.

The Irish raider Super Fellow took advantage there and his countryman Mutakarrim had already been on the mark in the novices' hurdle. The bookmakers Cashmans gave Mutakarrim a 12-1 quote for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at next year's Festival, behind the 8-1 favourite Rhinestone Cowboy.

Out of luck with Lady Cricket, Martin Pipe had better fortune when reaching a century for the 15th time as Iris Bleu landed the opening amateur riders' chase and Jurancon II took the concluding hurdle.