CHIPPING Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon’s decision to switch Kalane to fences was instantly rewarded with an impressive victory at Huntingdon.

Although wanting to take in the mares’ hurdle programme with the six-year-old, those plans were changed following her fall at Wincanton last month.

The move paid off with the evens favourite jumping slickly under Noel Fehily to coast home by 31 lengths in a mares’ novice chase over two and a half miles.

Longsdon said: “Noel does not come back with many superlatives, but he was full of praise for her. He has always loved this mare.

“I thought she would be going for all those mares’ hurdle races and we went to Wincanton as favourite, but she got cocky with her jumping.

“She has the scope to be a very good chaser. She is well able to take on the boys.”

Kalane was Longsdon’s second winning mare of the week after Leith Hill Legasi put up a game front-running display under Sam Twiston-Davies to follow up her Chepstow triumph with victory at Plumpton.

Jumping superbly in a handicap chase over three miles and a furlong, the six-year-old was ten lengths clear of Burgess Dream. Longsdon said: “She is not the biggest, but my does she jump and has the heart of a lion.”