Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle |
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| Grade 3,
Haydock Park 14:25 £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 6f 177y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 25th November 2017 | |
1 Sam Spinner 6/1
2 The Dutchman 12/1
3 Theo's Charm 16/1
4 No Hassle Hoff 8/1
16 ran Distances: 17l, 5l, 2¾l
Time: 5m 47.50s (slow by 25.50s)
Sam Spinner storms clear of the field to win
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He had hinted he belonged at this level when a gallant second in last month's Silver Trophy at Chepstow, however, and dominated his rivals under an enterprising ride by Joe Colliver.
Winning trainer Jedd O'Keeffe said: "I was a bit worried turning for home as I wondered whether they'd come and catch him, but he kept going and I thought he was given a beautiful ride."
Colliver took the bull by the horns from flag-fall aboard Sam Spinner, quickly settling into a rhythm out in front.
The Dutchman briefly threatened to make a race of it in the home straight, but 6-1 shot Sam Spinner eventually propelled himself 17 lengths clear in the Merseyside mud.
"He's improved from Chepstow and we thought he would, not so much physically but more just in terms of his education," O'Keeffe added.
"He's been a slow learner and a big baby, but he's obviously getting there now."
Asked about future plans, the Leyburn-based trainer said: "We're going to have to discuss it.
"We were thinking about the Coral Cup (at Cheltenham) or maybe trying to qualify him for the Pertemps Final.
"Maybe we'll have to aim a bit higher now. I don't have many jumpers - he's the best I've had - and it will be exciting thumbing through the programme book.
"We could look at the Long Walk at Ascot, but is that aiming a bit high?
"I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, to be honest. We have five or six jumpers and this is new territory for me."
Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 6f 177y, Class 1
16 ran
Going: Heavy
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sam Spinner 6/1 | Joe Colliver 10-9 |
Jedd O'Keeffe | 5 | |
| 2nd | 17 | The Dutchman (IRE) 12/1 | R M Power 10-5 |
C L Tizzard | 7 |
| 3rd | 5 | Theo's Charm (IRE) 16/1 | D A Jacob 10-7 |
N J Gifford | 7 |
| 4th | 2¾ | No Hassle Hoff (IRE) 8/1 | Harry Skelton 10-11 |
D Skelton | 5 |
| 5th | 3½ | Champers On Ice (IRE) 13/2 | T Scudamore 10-13 |
D Pipe | 7 |
| 6th | hd | Fingerontheswitch (IRE) 40/1 | James Bowen (5) 10-0 |
N P Mulholland | 7 |
| 7th | 3 | Le Rocher (FR) 8/1 | Lizzie Kelly (3) 10-11 |
Nick Williams | 7 |
| 8th | 2 | The Worlds End (IRE) 5/1f | A P Heskin 11-5 |
T R George | 6 |
| 9th | 16 | Three Musketeers (IRE) 16/1 | Bridget Andrews (3) 10-10 |
D Skelton | 7 |
| 10th | 1¼ | Ibsen (IRE) 25/1 | J W Kennedy 10-0 |
G Elliott | 8 |
| 11th | 8 | Gayebury 25/1 | Mitchell Bastyan (5) 11-4 |
Evan Williams | 7 |
| 12th | nk | Robbin'hannon (IRE) 16/1 | R Johnson 10-12 |
P J Hobbs | 6 |
| 13th | 3½ | Silsol (GER) 25/1 | Henry Morshead (7) 11-12 |
P F Nicholls | 8 |
| PU | Zarkandar (IRE) 20/1 | Harry Cobden 11-6 |
P F Nicholls | 10 | |
| PU | Minella Awards (IRE) 6/1 | N D Fehily 11-1 |
H Fry | 6 | |
| PU | Templeross (IRE) 14/1 | Jamie Bargary (3) 10-1 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 6 |
