Graham Clark with a round-up of Thursday's action at Huntingdon as Dorking Lad was amongst the winners.
Former trainer James Eustace insisted it was great to see At A Pinch provide his son Harry Eustace with his first ever Jump winner at Huntingdon after leading the family celebrations in his absence at the Cambridgeshire track today.
Newmarket handler Eustace, who was attending a National Trainers Federation meeting, celebrated the breakthrough success after the four year old mare claimed the Every Race Live On Racing TV Novices’ Hurdle.
Purchased for 24,000 guineas out of the yard of John and Thady Gosden from the Tattersalls December mares sale the daughter of Lope De Vega put in a professional performance on her hurdles debut in the 2m contest.
One of three still in contention at the last the 3/1 chance, who is part-owned by Eustace senior’s sister Katrina and his brother-in-law Andrew McGladdery, quickened up well to defeat fellow hurdles debutant Uranus Des Bordes by two and a half lengths under Jack Quinlan.
James Eustace said: “Harry has gone to a National Trainers Federation meeting today but I know where I would have rather been.
“It’s absolutely brilliant as this is Harry’s first Jump winner and it is great that it is at Huntingdon. She can be keen,so that’s why we dropped her in.
“I’ve spoken to Harry and he is chuffed to bits
“We call her the family horse as we lease half her to Andrew McGladdery, who is a vet at Rossdales, and is married to my sister Katrina.
“Although Andrew is a Flat guru he is starting to breed National Hunt horses and he has a mare that won three times for me over hurdles called Apache Song .
“We’ve got a WhatsApp group with the boys in as well so everyone is really involved and Gay (wife) and I are off to Australia to see David (son) on Tuesday.”
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There was further success for Flat racing’s headquarters after the Tom Buckley-ridden Poker Master floored 1/4 favourite Manucci by seven lengths in the Bet At racingtv.com Handicap Hurdle (2m) to give trainer Charlie McBride and fellow owner Ian Pattle their first winner together in 13 years.
Newmarket-based handler McBride said of the 25/1 winner: “He ran well last season two or three times but he has been a little bit in and out on his runs this season.
“He had been working well at home and he had been flying on the grass but because of his last couple of runs we didn’t have the confidence to back him.
“He has been a bit disappointing this season but we were sure there was a handicap hurdle somewhere for him and it has all come together nicely today.”
Owners Bob and Ruth Arnold received a much needed lift following a second victory over fences for Golden Boy Grey, who defeated his old nemesis Galop De Chasse by five lengths in the Visit racingtv.com Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (2m ½f) in the hands of Jamie Moore.
Bob Arnold, said of the Gary Moore-trained 6/5 winner said: “Last time he ran against Venetia’s horse (Galop De Chasse) he beat us but we were better off at the weights today and we were hoping that would make the difference.
“He won on heavy ground first time out but we haven’t really run him much on good ground yet. We are very happy with that.
“He has a lovely attitude and we have him home every summer back at our place in Southfleet down in Kent.
“We had a bit of an issue with another horse we own today so we needed this lift.”
Dorking Lad completed a 4.8/1 double for the Moores when following up his last time out Wincanton success by 20 lengths in the concluding Racing TV Handicap Chase (2m 4f).
Jamie Moore said of the 13/8 winner: “He always races a bit cold but he eventually warms to it. I thought the ground would be soft enough but it was the right race for him today. The race fell apart a bit.
“He has won his last two and I think the cheekpieces have worked. We tried blinkers on him before but the cheekpieces seem to have done the job.”
