OTTERBURN trainer Susan Corbett had double cause for celebration at Hexham Races last week as the victory of Les's Legacy in the hands of Nathan Moscrop was her yard's first winner since Sunset Hill scored at Kelso on December 8, and it came on her birthday.
Always going well in the first division of the 2m4f Racing To School Handicap Hurdle Race, the eight-year-old made smooth headway into third place four out before hitting the front at the next. Moscrop's mount then quickened three lengths clear on the long downhill run to the penultimate flight and never looked like being pegged back after the last by Romeo Brown (Peter Kavanagh) who was still two-and-a-half lengths down at the line. Coincidentally, Les's Legacy's last win came two years ago to the day at Kelso.
His success rounded off a lucrative few days for Corbett's yard following outstanding efforts from O'Faolains Glory and Sunset Hill who finished second in Class 2 Hurdle Races at Musselburgh and Kelso respectively and picked up £30,800 prize-money in the process.
Brampton trainer Maurice Barnes was also celebrating after Halfway House Lad (Charlie Price) followed up a recent Newcastle win in the 3m Mick Walsh Open Ditch Novices' Handicap Chase.
Given a positive ride and jumping well all the way, the six-year-old made every yard of the running and stayed on gamely in the closing stages to keep Lewa House (Bruce Lynn) at bay by half-a-length.
Price, 27, who is based with Wiltshire trainer Robbie Llewellyn, has struck up a good bond with Barnes and had two rides for him the following day at Market Rasen which both finished in the first four.
Forest Blaze (Jamie Hamilton) justified favouritism when landing a second course win in the second division of the 2m4f Racing To School Handicap Hurdle Race.
Always prominent, the six-year-old raced in second until being sent on up the hill after two out. He was four lengths clear at the last and held on well inside the final furlong to beat last month's surprise Catterick winner Bollin Neil (William Easterby) by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
Hamilton said: ''He wasn't suited by the sharp track at Catterick the last time where they went a gear quicker, but was a different horse here and probably hit the front plenty soon enough.''
Record-breaking Irish amateur jockey Patrick Mullins ticked off another course on his British tour as the Willie Mullins-trained Road To Home justified odds-on favouritism in the 2m Happy Birthday Margaret Watling Maiden Hurdle Race, opening up options with the promising youngster at the major Spring festivals in Ireland.
Mullins, who has been riding in Britain more frequently this season, kept things simple on the six-year-old who raced prominently and travelled strongly before getting the better of He's Bresilian (Conor O'Farrell) by one-and-a-half lengths without coming off the bridle.
He said: ''His jumping at speed needs some work, but I don't mind that too much. I wanted to win as easy as I could because we might go to Fairyhouse and Punchestown with him.''
''I think he's a nice horse and we could come back here next season for a chase with him,'' added Mullins, who has ridden 876 winners under Rules since 2005 including 797 over jumps in Ireland.
Lawrenny (Sean Quinlan) brushed aside top weight to land the 2m Noreen Wilson Memorial Handicap Hurdle Race.
Always in touch with the leaders, the six-year-old went on approaching the last and despite idling a bit on the run-in was always doing enough to hold off a late challenge from That One (Conor O'Farrell) by three-quarters-of-a-length. This was a 44th jumps winner of the season for Staffordshire trainer Jennie Candlish, making it her best ever campaign by some margin.
The pace-setting Jet Legs (Henry Brooke) looked beaten when finally overhauled at the last by Halpha Soleil (Brian Hughes) in the 2m4f Greenhead Hotel Handicap Chase before rallying bravely on the run-in. The Martin Todhunter-trained eight-year-old regained the initiative inside the last fifty yards and went on to score by a length in the end, with runner-up Halpha Soleil's chances not helped by the fact that former champion jockey Brian Hughes dropped his whip after the last.
Favourite backers went home happy following Imperfectlyperfect's comfortable victory under Jack Power in the concluding 2m Horslyx-For Horse's Health & Welfare Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race.
Travelling strongly from the off, the Lucinda Russell-trained five-year-old moved into second a mile from home before hitting the front two furlongs out. He kept on well in the closing stages to win, going away, by six lengths from promising debutant Tea Boy (Danny McMenamin).
The winner was bought for £70,000 at Goffs UK Coral Gold Cup Sale on November 30 last year, less than a fortnight after being beaten half-a-length by Gaelic Pride when runner-up in a 3m Maiden Race at the Tinahely Point-to-Point.
The next two meetings at Hexham are on Monday, April 14, and Saturday, May 3.
Share