Two Swallows swoops for Towcester triumph

Two Swallows might seek to double up at Ascot on Saturday after landing a game victory at Towcester.The Ben Pauling-trained seven-year-old was winning for the second time in three starts after returning from a 21-month absence when taking the honours in the Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors Mares' Handicap Hurdle.Leading at the third-last flight, Two Swallows saw off fellow 7-4 joint-favourite Act Now by two and a quarter lengths under Nico de Boinville.Pauling said: "She's not the biggest, but she's as tough as old boots."She loves her job and that was a competitive little race, so I'm very pleased with how she ran. She jumped brilliantly and handled the ground which was great and she's progressing nicely."She was beaten at Wetherby by a horse that was very well-in (Happy Diva). She's back on an upward curve and is a very nice little horse and one we can look forward to at the end of the season."If she is none the worse for her exertions, Two Swallows could make a quick return in the Racing UK Club Day Today Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday."She might run on Saturday, but she's only small and would have to carry a 7lb penalty which would not be ideal," said the Gloucestershire handler."We'll see how she comes out of this race and make a decision in the next couple of days."Buttercup (8-1) registered her first win in 17 starts when landing the Sky Bet Making Betting Better Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.Liam Treadwell kicked for home three out on the Venetia Williams-trained six-year-old and kept on stoutly to hold Yanmare by six lengths."I'm thrilled. She did nothing wrong at Bangor and she fell, but we couldn't quite understand why. She took her last race to get her confidence back," Williams told At The Races."It was at Wincanton and they went quite quick there. We thought we'd come here today because we thought they'd go steadier in the ground."I hope she can go forward from here. She's due to go to stud at the end of this season. The plan was hopefully we could win a race or two between now and then and we've ticked the first box."Treadwell completed an unlikely double on Snowball (7-1) in the Haygain Hay Steamers Clean Healthy Forage Handicap Chase.A mistake at a crucial stage set David Arbuthnot's grey back, but he stayed on dourly in the straight to lead on the run-in and beat Leith Hill Legasi by a length and a quarter.The Neil Mulholland-trained Solighoster made it two wins over the smaller obstacles when outclassing the opposition in the Haygain Hay Steamers Clean Healthy Forage Novices' Hurdle.The 1-10 hot-pot gave Noel Fehily an armchair ride on his only mount on the card as he made light work of the testing conditions to come home 14 lengths clear of Land League.Bandon Roc (8-13 favourite) completed a 10-day hat-trick in the Towcester Saturday Morning Greyhounds On attheraces Handicap Hurdle.Successful at Taunton and Huntingdon earlier in the month, Kim Bailey's six-year-old coasted home by 26 lengths in the hands of 7lb claiming amateur Henry Morshead.Sam Twiston-Davies made virtually all on Destined To Shine (25-1) to take the Haygain Hay Steamers Clean Healthy Forage Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race for the Kerry Lee stable.