Knight gets in winning groove

HENRIETTA KNIGHT has her team in top form ahead of a busy period for the Wantage trainer and to prove the point she was on the mark with Zaffamore and Flinders Bay at Ludlow yesterday.

Zaffamore got the better of Maxie McDonald by three-quarters of a length in the £20,000 Tanners Wines Handicap Chase.

However, the 16-1 chance had to survive a stewards’ inquiry before being confirmed the winner.

“Zaffamore has been a great servant to us and we have had him since he was an unbroken three-year-old,” a relieved Miss Knight said afterwards.

It was an exciting race with three horses jumping the last together with the eventual winner drifting to his left across Maxie McDonald on the run-in.

As a result Zaffamore’s jockey Jim Culloty was found guilty of careless riding, having allowed his horse to drift off a straight line, and was suspended for one day on January 2.

Ludlow is always a happy hunting ground for Miss Knight and she completed a 39-1 double when Flinders Bay (11-8 favourite) was the easy winner of the closing Tanners Burgundy Standard National Hunt Flat Race to send punters home happy.

However, they had had little to cheer about earlier in the afternoon when the hot favourite was turned over in the opening race by 66-1 shot A Double Ewe Bee.

Love Triangle was sent off at 1-2 for the Tanners Claret Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle and seemed to be cruising under Timmy Murphy turning for home, but was outbattled in the run to the line by Bill Turner’s outsider.

Lady Zephyr found Golden Bay a neck too good in the Alfa Aggregate Products/EBF Mares Only “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle (Qualifier).

It looked as though Lady Zephyr (4-6) had taken a commanding lead but the big weight advantage that Golden Bay received came into play on the run to the line and she prevailed in a thrilling finish.

Backers got some money back when Nagano, the well-supported 10-11 favourite, defied a 7lb penalty to win the Tanners Champagne Handicap Chase.

Trainer Ian Williams thought the six-year-old was “thrown in at the weights” and jockey David Dennis oozed confidence, only having to shake up the winner from the final fence.

Roschal made an impressive debut over fences in the Moore Scott Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Richard Johnson pushed the six-year-old up to take the lead four fences from home and, staying on strongly, Roschal was seven lengths clear of the runner-up, She’s Our Native, at the line.

Andrew Thornton picked up a winning spare ride on Pure Mischief in the Tanners Cava Handicap Hurdle as the 5-1 shot held the late burst of Sunnyarjun by three-quarters of a length to land the spoils.