Racing: Pipe stages Encore over fences

More big bets were landed when Encore Un Peu, the horse at the centre of a Jockey Club probe, put in a fine display of jumping at Newton Abbot yesterday to win on his British steeplechase debut at Newton Abbot.

The Martin Pipe-trained, ex-French gelding was backed down to even money before beating Kalanski by 11 lengths. The Jockey Club has announced it is inquiring into the horse's previous outing at Warwick, when he appeared to be tenderly handled before finishing second behind Fourth In Line after starting a 15-8 favourite.

The Jockey Club had also investigated the horse's success prior to that, when he landed a gamble at Exeter, backed from 6-1 to 9-4, but found there was nothing untoward about the victory.

Pipe, and the horse's Warwick jockey Jonathan Lower, are due to explain his running at the Midlands course, but no date has yet been fixed for the inquiry.