Fisher strikes in Lightning bolt.

Mister Fisher made it two wins from 3 starts over fences with a determined effort to take the Napoleons Casino & Restaurant Owlerton Lightning Novices Chase for trainer Nicky Henderson and Jockey James Bowen.

Sent off the 6/5F, the six year old stayed on tenaciously to repel the efforts of Al Dancer and Lisp, and scoring by a length for delighted owners James & Jean Potter.

Lisp took the field along at flagfall to the first, with Sam Twiston-Davies putting Al Dancer on the outside to get a better look at his fences. Mister Fisher was tucked away on the inside, with Le Patriote happy to be settled at the rear on his introduction to chasing.

A decent pace was set, the Chestnut Lisp pricking his ears and clearly enjoying himself as the field went over the first 3 fences. At the ditch Le Patriote left his trailing legs in the fence and made an error, the first of the contest. Another sloppy leap at the fifth saw him niggled along by Charlie Hammond as the field entered the halfway stage and began the long sweeping bend to home.

Lisp has to reach for the final ditch after standing a mile off it, winging the fence, but not losing any momentum. Swinging in Le Patriote had moved ahead of Mister Fisher as the field went to 4 out. At 3 out it was 3 in a line, and that became 4 at 2 out as James Bowen pulled Mister Fisher out to the outside.

He took up the lead going over the last, the trio pulling away from Le Patriote in between the last two. Al Dancer stuck to the task and grimly made it a battle to the line, but Mister Fisher was always pulling out more and scored by a length, with Al Dancer second, and Lisp third a further 3 and a half lengths behind.