Matt Griffiths' Exeter brace soured by four-day suspension

Matt Griffiths had mixed fortunes at Exeter as a 17-1 double on Shoofly Milly and Brave Deed was tempered by a riding ban.Both winners were for Somerset trainer Jeremy Scott and the two horses responded to positive tactics.The first to strike was Shoofly Milly (3-1 favourite), who put up an ultra game performance when making all in the 188Bet-sponsored handicap hurdle.The only mare in the eight-strong field, the eight-year-old kept finding and held Waterloo Warrior by a length and a half.There was a sting in the tail for Griffiths, though, as he was suspended for four days (March 21-24) for using his whip above the permitted level."She's very tricky and she's not the biggest. She has chucked a couple of races away but if you can keep her going she is hard to pass," Griffiths told Racing UK."She is very tough and jumps very well."Brave Deed (7-2) made most of the running and had enough in hand to see off Baccalaureate by a length in the extended two-mile handicap hurdle."I'd never ridden him before, but at home he always goes OK and he was dropped back in trip," said Griffiths."He was running on fumes at the end but thankfully we held on."He was empty and I couldn't fire him at the last so it was a matter of getting over it."I was hoping when the other horse came to me he would pick up, which he did."There was a stewards' inquiry as he drifted across the track a bit, but he won quite well at the line."Ciaran Gethings brought Triple Chief (5-1) with a well-timed run to land the honours in the handicap chase.The 5lb claimer rode a patient race on the Chris Down-trained six-year-old as Only Gorgeous and Gustav took turns at setting the pace.Gustav was the first to crack and while Only Gorgeous tried to assert, Triple Chief held all the aces and was produced to lead at the final fence.Triple Chief had to be kept up to his work to defeat Only Gorgeous by a length and three-quarters.Lower Hope Dandy (4-1) had little trouble defying top weight in the limited handicap chase for novices.Sent on a long way from home by 3lb claimer Charlie Deutsch, Venetia Williams' 10-year-old swept to victory by 12 lengths from Ugolin De Beaumont.Carnspindle (4-9 favourite), trained by Warren Greatrex, ran her rivals ragged as she stylishly landed the odds in the novice hurdle under Gavin Sheehan.The always-prominent Fort Carson (7-2), trained by Neil King and ridden by Richard Condon, got home by a length and a quarter in the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle.