Horseracing: Knighted revels in testing conditions

Wetherby's meeting survived an early-morning inspection after first frost and then snow had put the fixture in doubt.

With the ground riding heavy the emphasis was put firmly on stamina.

And Knighted showed his liking for the testing conditions with a highly-impressive display in the 'Get Your Yorkshire Racing Season Ticket!' Handicap Hurdle.

One of three horses Tim Easterby trains for the Elite Racing Club, Knighted was always travelling well for Russ Garritty as Nicholas Plant made the running in the extended-two-and-a-half-mile contest.

Garritty sent his mount into the lead leaving the back straight and quickly established a clear advantage.

And with his rivals toiling in the atrocious ground Knighted came home unchallenged by 20 lengths from Altapeter.

"He's a grand little horse," said Easterby. "He's just improved. He didn't jump very well when he first came to us but he jumped very well.

"He just loves this ground - it can't get soft enough for him."

Doubts that Bustling Rio would not last out the two miles and seven furlongs of the Wetherby Millennium Stand Banqueting 'Hands And Heels' Amateur Riders' Novices' Hurdle on the heavy going were dispelled as the 5-2 chance stayed on gamely to hold off Lucy Glitters by a length and a half.

The versatile five-year-old - successful on the fibresand at Wolverhampton last time - pulled his way to the front leaving the back straight and always looked like getting the better of the runner-up. Bustling Rio was partnered by Ben Hitchcott, who was visiting Wetherby for the first time.

"It's not his preferred ground and it's not ideal for the horse to be in front so soon but Ben wanted to keep the horse balanced in the ground. He rode him very sensibly," said Haslam.

"We may go for another hurdle but we are not going to overdo him because he's a good horse on the Flat and one day he'll jump a fence."

Bustling Rio has now won 12 races for his connections.

Bold Action made the most of the 23lb he was getting from Market Scan to beat that rival by three lengths in the Rocom Financial Services Handicap Chase.

Winning trainer Jim Turner said: "He's a nice sort and he jumped well but he was getting a lot of weight."

Turner intends running Inn At The Top in the Pertemps Great Yorkshire Chase on Saturday and he added: "All being well he'll run at Doncaster. We are praying for fine weather.

"I'll enter them both for the National and if it's wet it's one and if it's dry it's the other."

Hombre was another to put in a fine display of fencing when coming home 20 lengths clear of Island Mist in the Wetherby Racecourse Cloud 9 Fitness Studio Novices' Handicap Chase.

Andy Crook, representing winning trainer Micky Hammond, said: "He's jumped well. He got outpaced at Catterick last time so we decided to take the race to them and he's done it well."

Redemption followed up a recent Plumpton success with an easy 14-length victory over Tonoco in the Wetherby Millennium Stand Conferences Novices' Chase for the trainer-jockey team of Paul Webber and Andrew Thornton.