Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle
Grade 2, Haydock 14:05 £30,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 144y, Class 1
Saturday 23rd January 2016

1 Its'afreebee 7/2
2 Le Prezien 15/8F
3 Vieux Lille 4/1
6 ran Distances: ¾l, 3¼l, 12l
TIME 4m 4.50s (slow by 24.50s)

Its'afreebee battles hard after setting the pace to hold off Le Prezien in the closing stages

Its'afreebee

Harry Skelton felt he got the tactics just right after guiding Its'afreebee to victory at Haydock.

The six-year-old appeared under intense pressure from favourite Le Prezien as the duo jumped the last at Haydock together, but it was the son of Danroad that found more in the run-in to claim the spoils by three-quarters of a length from Paul Nicholls' star.

Its'afreebee enjoyed the freedom of the course for most of the race before being joined by Le Prezien, and Skelton admitted that plans had been hatched the previous day.

"I talked with Dan (Skelton, trainer) on the way home last night and Bridget (Andrews) was also with us who won on him last time and we came up with a plan," he said. "I knew what I wanted to do but you need the right horse to do it and he was very brave.

"Dan said we knew our lad stays so why don't we try and get those who'd been winning on the bridle at it from some way out.

"It's hard to come from too far back in this type of ground and I knew it would take a good one to come by me."

Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle
(Registered As The Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2)
£30,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 144y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Heavy

Pos	Dist	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st		Its'afreebee (IRE) 7/2	Harry Skelton 11-8	D Skelton	6
2nd	¾	Le Prezien (FR) 15/8f	Sam Twiston-Davies 11-8	P F Nicholls	5
3rd	3¼	Vieux Lille (IRE) 4/1	T J O'Brien 11-8	P J Hobbs	6
4th	12	Bigmartre (FR) 9/2	G Sheehan 11-8	H Whittington	5
5th	4	Baby Bach (IRE) 8/1	B Hughes 11-4	S R B Crawford	6
6th	13	Ballypoint (IRE) 33/1	Ryan Hatch 11-4	N A Twiston-Davies	5