Israel Champ can expect to be set some lofty targets in the spring after giving trainer David Pipe back-to-back victories in the Isobel Championship Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at Ascot.
Having struck 12 months ago with Eden Du Houx, the Pond House Stables handler saw the Listed prize head his way again, as the four-year-old successfully defied a penalty for his victory at the same level at Cheltenham last time out.
Prominently ridden throughout, the 8-1 chance showed an abundance of heart when required, to defeat the previously-unbeaten Soaring Glory by a length and three-quarters.
Pipe said: "He had a 4lb penalty, but he put up a good performance. We have always liked our fellow. He tends to do a little bit too much early on, but the hood helps him and hopefully he has got a bright future.
"The trainer got him beat at Worcester and like my school report said, 'could do better', but we learnt from that and sometimes you learn more from defeat than in victory and hopefully he is a nice one for the future.
"You have Newbury in February, Cheltenham in March and Punchestown. The owners wouldn't mind going for the Cheltenham bumper, but at the same time they are not obsessed, so we will see.
"Hopefully he will be around in three or four years' time."
