THE jumps season got off to a flyer at the three-day DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow Racecourse, with Champion jump jockey Sean Bowen riding to glory in the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle.

Friday's first feature – the £50,000 DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle – saw the Jonjo and AJ O'Neill-trained 3/1 favourite Pioneer Pete under Jonjo O'Neill Junior race home 4L clear of 14/1 shot Morning Mayhem. with 16/1 fancied Tennessee Tango third another 3 1/4L back.

A closed Severn Bridge saw the winner's owners arrive so late they only got trackside as he crossed the line, Paula Shortland revealing: "It took us three hours and 20 minutes to get here from Cheltenham... We just got here in time, though we didn't see the race.

"Jonjo's ride was far less stressful than our car journey; we had to run to be here."

Half an hour later, a mistake at the last by Henry de Bromhead-trained raider La Cote Fleurie saw 16-1 shot West Hill Verde under Callum Pritchard storm through to win the £80,000 Grade 2 DragonBet Persian War Novices' Hurdle by 3 1/4L.

"Kate [Kenyon, owner] said she'd buy me a horse to win a Grade 1, so that's the next step!" said excited trainer Seamus Mullins after his fourth Grade 2 success.

"I can't wait to get a fence in front of him, he's been schooled over fences and jumped them well; he's a novice chaser in the making.

“Kate's husband David is a Welshman and they love this meeting, the race was perfect for him and he'll stay three miles all day.

"If he stays hurdling we'll have to go for a Grade 1, but I'd love to get him chasing.

"Well done to Chepstow for providing proper winter ground; that's what we all needed.

"He's a big, raw horse and we loved the model of him. He was always going to take time, but now he's six and he's won a Grade 2."

La Cote Fleurie at 5/1 held on for second under Darren O'Keefe, while 9/1 shot Lock Stock took third under Charlie Hammond.

Abergavenny-raised trainer and Gold Cup-winning jockey Sam Thomas had hoped for a second win after Celtic Dino lifted the crown last year, but it wasn't to be as 17/2 shot Doctor Blue under Dylan Johnston was pulled up before the last after weakening in the closing stages.

But having been crowned National Hunt Welsh Jump Jockey of the Year for a sixth time at Thursday's awards night at the course, British Champion jockey Sean Bowen rode Daylatedollarshort to victory in Saturday's third feature race, the £75,000 Wasdell Group Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle for trainer Olly Murphy and owners Andrew Wall and Gary Hicks.

Second approaching the last hurdle, leader Moon Chime crashed out and Bowen was never going to surrender from that position, riding the 4/1 shot to a 2 1/4L win from 11/1 chance Perseus Way.

"My lad winged the last whereas the leader was tiring," said Bowen. "It's a good training performance to do that first time out this season.

"I felt he could have won at Punchestown at the end of last season, but he was too keen and didn't jump because of it. Today he relaxed, jumped well and picked up when I asked him."