Elite Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Wincanton 15:15 £60,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1 |
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| Saturday 8th November 2014 | |
1 Purple Bay 16/1
2 Bertimont 14/1
3 Rock On Ruby 4/1
9 ran Distances: 4l, ¾l, nk
TIME 3m 34.10s (slow by 3.10s)
Purple Bay wins the Elite Hurdle after Irving falls at the final flight
Irving is fine, just winded says Paul Nicholls
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Purple Bay created a minor surprise as he ran out a 16-1 winner of the StanJames.com Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.
Trained by John Ferguson and ridden by Mikey Ennis, he came with a wet sail down the stands side to run out a clear winner after the favourite Irving took a crashing fall at the last when looking poised for victory.
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Former champion hurdler Rock On Ruby set a steady early pace with Bertimont in the front rank throughout, racing rather keenly before being allowed to really kick on from home at the second-last flight, but Purple Bay swept past for a four-length win.
Bertimont kept on for second, with Rock On Ruby third, a further three-quarters of a length back.
Ennis said: "I've still got a 100 per cent strike-rate for Bloomfields (the owners) and it was great to get aboard him again. He ran creditably at Galway and this was always the plan."
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Harry Fry said of Rock On Ruby: "I wanted to get him out and Noel (Fehily) said that was a good performance from him in that ground", while Paul Nicholls said Irving was "just winded".
Stanjames.com Elite Hurdle (Limited Handicap)
£60,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
| Pos | Dist | Horse SP Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Purple Bay (IRE) 16/1 Mikey Ennis (7) |
11-4 | J P Ferguson | 5 | |
| 2nd | 4 | Bertimont (FR) 14/1 Harry Skelton |
10-12 | D Skelton | 4 |
| 3rd | ¾ | Rock On Ruby (IRE) 4/1 N D Fehily |
11-10 | H Fry | 9 |
| 4th | nk | Forgotten Voice (IRE) 7/1 Nico de Boinville (3) |
10-5 | N J Henderson | 9 |
| 5th | 2½ | Hint Of Mint 9/1 R Johnson |
10-6 | Nick Williams | 5 |
| 6th | 2¾ | Starluck (IRE) 28/1 P J Brennan |
10-4 | D W P Arbuthnot | 9 |
| 7th | 1¼ | Fergall (IRE) 10/1 W Hutchinson |
10-6 | J W Mullins | 7 |
| 8th | 17 | Fox Norton (FR) 12/1 D A Jacob |
10-7 | Nick Williams | 4 |
| F | Irving 6/4f S Twiston-Davies |
10-12 | P F Nicholls | 6 |
