England bounces back with a winner
The accomplished 19-year-old amateur, who has ridden for Nigel Twiston-Davies since leaving school, broke two vertebrae in his back when suffering a heavy fall in a Fegentri race in Germany last summer.
But after returning to action at Huntingdon last week, he got back to winning ways when partnering Randolph O’Brien to a distance victory in the Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry Handicap Chase.
Wit his two main rivals both failing to complete, the 5-4 favourite did not have to work particularly hard but jumped particularly well on his way to victory.
“Things were just starting to go well for me when I broke my back and it was very disappointing,” said England.
“But it’s great to be back and the horse gave me a great ride. I thought that in the ground he might struggle but I kept squeezing and he kept picking up for me.”
Charlie Egerton’s partnership with champion jockey Tony McCoy once again paid dividends as the never-say-die rider snatched victory from the jaws of defeat aboard The Local.
The 1-2 winner looked in trouble when market rival Give Me Love took up the running approaching the second-last fence of the gg.com Beginners’ Chase.
But having raced fairly keenly throughout under Liam Heard, Give Me Love failed to pull away and a mistake at the last allowed the winner to regain the initiative under McCoy’s persistent drive and get up for a head verdict.
“He got a lot of assistance from the saddle there,” said David Plunkett, assistant to winning trainer Charlie Egerton.
Jonjo O’Neill, successful earlier with Parkinson, and McCoy both completed doubles when Millenaire returned to the scene of a course and distance success earlier this season to defy 12st in the Rutland Water Novices’ Chase.
The 4-1 chance looked a hard ride as he came down the outside to get the better of favourite Reflected Glory but stayed on well enough to score by 10 lengths.
