Sean Bowen's morning dash from Dublin paid off as the champion jockey made it to Sandown by the skin of his teeth to complete a four-timer aboard Bollin Thou in the handicap hurdle for novices on Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Saturday.

Bowen had travelled to Ireland on Friday night to ride on the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival, but rerouted to Sandown at considerable cost after Leopardstown was postponed on Saturday morning.

Bollin Thou's trainer Nick Scholfield managed to help Bowen make it to Sandown on time, racing to Heathrow to pick up his former weighing room colleague.

Bollin Thou’s winning run started on New Year’s Eve at Uttoxeter. Since then, the eight-year-old completed victories at Hereford and Linfield before scoring by two-and-a-quarter lengths on Saturday.

Harry Cobden lost out on two rides at the Esher track, but made amends by completing a double on Norn Iron and Henri The Second.

The Harry Derham-trained Norn Iron scored by five-and-a-half lengths in the novices’ handicap chase.

Henri The Second has been knocking on the door in his previous two runs. On Saturday, he made all under Cobden to win impressively by nine lengths.

Less than a month after the retirement of stable star Crambo, trainer Fergal O'Brien was back in the Grade One spotlight when Sixmilebridge completed a hat-trick in the main race of the day, the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase.

The seven-year-old looked in full control from the moment odds-on favourite Kitzbuhel unseated rider Paul Townend at the sixth fence.

Given a confident ride from the front by Kielan Woods, the winner was still full of running turning for home and sealed a five-length success over Kala Conti.

Lucy Wadham was left "devastated" after Jax Junior suffered a heavy defeat in a Grade Two chase at Ascot last time but he got back on track after taking the Class Two handicap chase under Tom Cannon.

By Peter Moore