Expensive purchase

ROYAL ROSA, the most expensive of multi-millionaire owner Graham Wylie’s recent purchases at 340,000gns, will face 14 rivals when jumping his first hurdle in public today.

The four-year-old won three of his four starts for Nicky Henderson last year, including a Grade One bumper at Punchestown, and will have his first outing for trainer Howard Johnson in the Ribchesters Chartered Accountants Novices’ Hurdle at Hexham.

“Graham (Lee) has sat on him and he jumps well,” Johnson said yesterday.