VENETIA Williams capped off a brilliant last two weeks of the year with 10 winners, including prestigious successes at Ascot, Wetherby, and Newbury, plus two victories at Haydock for conditional jockey Ned Fox at the weekend.

While there was no third Coral Welsh Grand National for the Wye Valley trainer at Chepstow last week, with Chambard and Didero Vallis both pulled up before the finish of the mud-sapping 3 3/4-mile marathon, the King’s Caple yard’s horses have been on fire elsewhere, ending the year with a bang.

Fox rode evens favourite Hill of Tara to an unchallenged 3m 1/2F handicap hurdle victory at Haydock at the year-ending meeting on Saturday (December 30).

And he then doubled up by taking the feature Betfred Last Fling Chase on 10-3 shot Robyndzone – the third time in the last seven runnings Venetia has won the race – coming home 8L clear to take the £13,280 top prize.

Fox told the Racing Post after saddling Robyndzone to victory: “When Venetia steps one up in trip, she normally doesn’t get it wrong.

“I rode him with plenty of confidence, he jumped and travelled and did everything spot on. There’s plenty more for him at that sort of distance.”

That took Venetia’s run of success to 10 in the last two weeks of 2023. And the jockey added: “The yard is buzzing and it’s great to be part of it.”

The run began at the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting when Cepage rolled back the years to win the £50,000 veterans chase following three years out with injury.

The 11-2 shot powered past Le Ligerien in the closing stages to win by 7L under Charlie Deutsch.

The grey Heva Rose then battled back to win the Hereford Mares Chase Series Final under Harry Bannister, giving the yard a fifth consecutive success in the county course’s premier race.

And Oxygen also had plenty of air in his lungs with a second chasing success at Plumpton in the £27,000 Novice Chase under Deutsch.

Amateur jockey Lucy Turner, who made history as the first female rider to win the Becher Chase at Aintree earlier in the month on Chambard, also saddled 5-2 shot George’s Saint to victory in Fakenham’s £20,000 Lady Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

“He jumped superbly throughout and travelled really well,” said Turner, who continued Williams’ fabulous hot streak in beating William Cody.

And Pink Legend painted the town red winning the £30,000 Listed Mares Chase at Newbury, Deutsch guiding her home 1 3/4L clear of odds-on favourite Galia Des Liteaux.

While Royale Pagaille was unable to run in the prestigious King George VI Chase on Boxing Day due to a sore foot, Victtorino returned to the Ascot winners’ enclosure after success in the 3-mile Howden Silver Cup under top weight and as the only five-year-old in the race.

That came seven weeks on from his previous victorious visit, as Deutsch and the 4-1 shot took the lead coming to the last before holding off Yeah Man by 3/4L.

Home-bred Ottoline also won over the hurdles by 5 1/2L in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Uttoxeter under Lucy Turner

And 10-3 shot Fontaine Collonges ridden by Shane Quinlan also kicked her heels to win the £45,000 Rowland Meyrick Chase over 3 miles at Wetherby’s Boxing Day meeting, cantering home 14L to the good.