Lady Hope made the perfect racecourse introduction to run out a shock 33-1 winner in the valuable Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper at Newbury.
Trained locally by Hughie Morrison, it was easy to see why she was sent off at such long odds in a competitive heat featuring plenty of impressive previous winners.
In a race where many would still have been fancying their chances inside the final two furlongs, the mount of Johnny Burke met her fair share of traffic problems in running.
However, once in daylight she came home full of running to down Nicky Henderson’s Madam Speaker by three-quarters of a length.
Morrison said: “Before Christmas I said to Martin [Hughes, part-owner] that she is a lovely looking filly who deserves to go for a decent race. They are all decent these bumpers so we thought why not have a day out at Newbury.
“We had a blip a couple of weeks ago with a bruised foot and I thought she wasn’t going to make it here but she’s obviously a quality mare.
“We’ve always liked her as a physical specimen and the way she moves, but most of my bumper horses are basically a mile and a half horses who on the winter ground just don’t get home. The others work all over her and we were hoping just to have a nice day out to be honest.
“She was green, she didn’t know what she was doing and she won with her ears pricked. She’s obviously got a superb engine and was expertly bought by Paul Webber at the sales.”
He continued: “She gets a bonus for this as well so she’s just won around £85,000. What’s the point in running her again and it takes so much out of them these races.
“She’s only just four so I think she deserves a few more lessons jumping before being turned out into the paddock and allowed to grow up.”
Cat gets the cream for King and Bellamy
Charisma Cat grabbed the victory her form deserved with an impressive performance in the BetVictor British EBF “National Hunt” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
Alan King’s six-year-old was a Listed bumper winner last term and was yet to finish outside the first two in four hurdling outings, winning at Chepstow in January before chasing home the well-regarded Khrisma at Market Rasen last time out.
While Khrisma may have let that form down at Kelso earlier in the afternoon, there was no stopping Charisma Cat, who was always towards the front and had plenty in reserve to beat off all her challengers in the straight.
The step up in trip clearly worked the oracle for the 6-1 scorer who came home three and a quarter lengths clear of 16-1 chance Pismo Beach.
Charisma Cat ridden by Thomas Bellamy jump the hurdle on their way to winning at Newbury
King told Sky Sports Racing: “She was a very good bumper mare and it was her jumping that was costing her earlier in the season. She schooled very well at home and she ran well her on her debut but at Wincanton when we were 1-6 she never jumped a hurdle.
“The cheekpieces have just sharpened her up and it was a good performance today.
“We bumped into a good mare of Nicky Henderson’s at Market Rasen last time but I had to run her to qualify her for today. She went up 4lbs for that which I wasn’t overly pleased about but she has got away with it.
“I’ve brought some good mares here before off top weight who have got beaten off ones with 10-and-a-half stone. It didn’t happen today thank goodness.”
Prairie Wolf books Topham ticket with Newbury strike
Prairie Wolf booked his ticket to the Topham at Aintree when landing a notable blow for the north in the BetVictor Home Of The Saturday Superboost Handicap Chase at Newbury.
A winner at Newcastle last month, he was sent off at 4-1 and although Paul Nicholls’ course winner Twinjets made a bold bid from the front, Prairie Wolf was always in the prime position to strike under Jack Tudor, taking up the running after the last to win by a length and three-quarters.
It represents another Saturday success for the Bingley team of Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith, with the nine-year-old just the partnership’s second runner at Newbury.
Parkinson said: “He’s run a big race and I was a little worried about the ground as I thought it might be on the quick side for him, and I think it was actually, but it was the same for them all.
“We’re happy to get his head in front again and it’s nice to come down south and do it. It’s his third win of the season and his second good pot as well.”
Prairie Wolf ridden by Jack Tudor on their way to winning the BetVictor Home Of The Saturday Superboost Handicap Chase
Confirming plans to now seek further riches at Aintree over the Grand National fences, he added: “He’s got an entry in the Topham and providing he’s all okay in the morning we will stick to that plan.
“I think he’s the right profile for it and he could improve for those fences so we’ll get him ready for that in a few weeks.”
In the opening Castle Windows Newbury Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle, Chris Gordon’s Dovecote runner-up Kocktail Bleu gained the victory his form deserved to oblige as the even-money favourite.
He will head to Sandown on the final day of the jumps season for the £100,000 bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
