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Sutton celebrates unique double

Owner Nick Sutton celebrated a unique across the world double after Santos Blue opened his account for the campaign in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle.

Having been awoken at 6am with a winner down in Australia trained by his son Dom, the triumphant owner enjoyed further success closer to home when watching home-bred Santos Blue carrying his colours to glory under his other son Ben in the three mile test.

Making only his third start over the trip, the 14/1 chance was not for wanting in the stamina department after finding plenty in reserves to keep Magical King at bay by two lengths.

The winning owner said: “This horse is a home bred so he is a part of the family. I’ve bred the jockey and the horse so it is a great day. Ben’s brother Dom trained me a winner in Australia this morning so it is a really family double day. The horse in Australia was called Garachico. He is a stayer that we got in France.

"Dom is a first season trainer in Australia and to see that news at 6am this morning was great and then here we are with this one.”

And for the winning rider he was not shy in hiding his emotions after celebrating in style on crossing the line in front.

Ben said: “I’ve had a few injuries and the horses haven’t been running well so it has been frustrating as hell. I’ve been going down to Noel Fehily’s every week and he has been helping me schooling and riding, as have Dan and Harry Skelton so it is a team effort. It is nice to do this for dad on a horse he bred. This means the world to us.”

King thinking big with Rubber Ball

Neil King will look to Grade One targets at Aintree in the spring with Rubber Ball, who doubled his tally of victories under rules in the William Hill Proper Prices Novices’ Hurdle.

After opening his account in clear cut fashion at Uttoxeter 14 days ago the gelded son of Yorgunnabelucky added to that success in the extended two mile contest to give in-form King his fourth winner from his last five runners.

Jumping the second last almost as a line of three alongside long time leader Tutti Quanti and Kientzheim the 7/2 chance moved on into a slender lead that he would not surrender after jumping the final flight. Although Tutti Quanti tried to stage a later rally it was not enough with Rubber Ball pulling out enough late on to score by a length.

King said: “We have had a seriously hard time over the last 18 months and we have now had four winners from our last five runners. I was a little bit disappointed with him first time out. He went to the bumper at Cheltenham in October and I thought he would win on all the homework we had seen, but he was just a bit weak in the finish.

“I was probably asking quite a lot of him today as it was only two weeks since Uttoxeter and he ran on January 2nd as well. I just wanted to come here on a big galloping track as I thought Newbury was made for this horse and he has done it nicely.

“Jack (Quinlan) was thrilled with him there. He said he idled a bit when he got to the front , but he is a horse with a big future. He is a smashing individual and I was lucky Mr Beadles was able to buy him after he won his point-to-point. He is a chaser in the making."

An outing in either the Top Novices’ Hurdle over the same trip or the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles will now be on the agenda for Rubber Ball according to King.

He added: “I would like to sit tight with him now and look at Aintree with him. It will depend on the ground by April as I would see no harm in stepping him up in trip if it was quick. That was the softest ground he has won on today and perhaps it was stamina and class that has won it for him.”

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