Doncaster report: Dartmoor Pirate plunders Great Yorkshire
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 24 Jan 2026
Dartmoor Pirate showed stamina is his forte when staying on best of all to win the £100,000 Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster.
While a smaller field than usual gathered for the historic contest, Rex Dingle’s mount had to be game in testing conditions having looked beaten turning for home.
The seven-year-old was very much unexposed on just his fourth run over fences for Anthony Honeyball, although he was 7lb higher than for winning a weaker race last time out.
Joyeux Machin had them all on the stretch with half a mile to run but fell at the cross fence and at that time Charlie Longsdon’s New Order and Faye Bramley’s Walking On Air looked to be going best.
Dartmoor Pirate (7-1) seemed set to drop away but by the third-last had got himself back into contention and despite idling on hitting the front, Dingle kept him up to his work to beat New Order by the best part of four lengths.
“I was flat out the whole way, we went a good strong clip for the first mile and a half,” said Dingle.
“I couldn’t have gone with them even if I’d wanted to, but when they slowed up and he passed a few he started to warm to it.
“He’s relatively unexposed, especially over fences. He missed the odd one here and there but he jumped well when I needed him to.
“I ended up in front with the luxury of having a bit of time on my hands and he didn’t do a tap in front.
“Anthony’s done a brilliant job with him, he bought him as a store and I don’t think he’s been easy to train but he’s been patient and to win a big one is great.”
He added: “It’s the big ones that matter, you can ride as many winners as you want but the big ones matter.”
Thedeviluno steps up
Thedeviluno emerged as a genuine contender for Cheltenham Festival honours with a commanding display in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places River Don Novices’ Hurdle.
Second to Willie Mullins’ Doctor Steinberg in a Grade Two at Navan last time out, the Paul Nolan-trained gelding went on his way as a 15-2 chance on Town Moor, for what looked a very competitive Grade Two.
He was given an ultra-patient ride by Sean O’Keeffe, who was at pains to keep his mount on the bridle as long as possible.
Ruth Jefferson’s Country Code was the only one to make a race of it and at one point they were separated by the width of the track. But when they came together it was the Irish challenger who displayed stamina in abundance to win by five lengths.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 14-1 from 33s for the Albert Bartlett.
“Sean was super-cool on him. When they jumped off and went a good gallop in that ground I thought they had to ease off at some stage,” said Nolan.
“To be fair I could see Sean was coming up to challenge going well, but there was the horse on the other side challenging too and I didn’t know if he’d go past, but I could see Sean hadn’t fully gone for him.
“He just had loads of horse at all stages. I was disappointed when he got beat at Navan last time, without sounding cocky, but the horse he beat the first day (Skylight Hussle) has won a Grade One, so hopefully all roads lead to the Albert Bartlett now.
“We had Latest Exhibition just beaten in it by Monkfish a few years ago (2020) and he was just unfortunate to bump into a machine a few times, but he did win his Grade One so I’m hoping to god if this fella is half as good we’ll be happy.”
Manganese strikes for Comley
The burgeoning career of Max Comley took another step forward at Doncaster when Manganese took her unbeaten record to four in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle.
Based at Sutton Veny in Wiltshire, Comley is one of the youngest trainers in Britain at aged just 27. But he is already operating at a healthy strike-rate and was winning at Listed level for the first time.
Manganese (11-10 favourite) had won a bumper in France before being bought by current connections, and wins at Leicester and Catterick had marked her down as above average.
Her task was made easier when Gordon Elliott’s Highland Crystal unshipped her jockey on the way to the start and was withdrawn, although she still had to be tough to see off Nicky Henderson’s Manlaga by three-quarters of a length.
“The sky is the limit with her, I said that after she won her first race,” said Comley.
“You just wouldn’t know with her as she shows you nothing at home, but there she was going along in front on her own with her ears pricked and when the other one came to her she galloped to the line.
“She’s a hard horse to read but we know she’s good, I can tell you that bit for free!
“She’s obviously a lot better than a juvenile and one day she’ll be a cracking broodmare.”
He added: “She’s in the Triumph and she’ll also be in the mares’ novice, but we’ll enjoy today before making any decisions.”
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