National service on agenda for Waley-Cohen
The amateur jockey hopes to partner Liberthine at Aintree, with the mare having narrowly missed the cut last season when the 24-year-old was not qualified to ride despite having won over the National fences.
Victory in the Plumpton Racecourse Mares’ Only Novices’ Hurdle on Shatabdi (4-11 favourite) was considerably easier than a ride in the National as the ex-French mare cantered home by 29 lengths from Persona.
Like Liberthine, she is trained by Nicky Henderson and carries the colours of the rider’s father Robert, who was also the breeder.
“It’s great to reach the magic 10 winners,” beamed Waley-Cohen junior.
“In theory I can now qualify for the National, although I still have to apply to the stewards.
“Liberthine does have a chance and the National it is a boyhood dream. It’s not often you get to achieve that.”
The East Sussex track’s generous initiative of a £50,000 bonus to any novice chase winner following up in a chase at the Cheltenham Festival could be taken up by a couple of the other scorers on the card.
One of them was part of an irresistible Tony McCoy treble as David Pipe’s once-smart hurdler Desert Air bravely held off his only market rival Spidam by five lengths in the Tyser Insurance Ltd Beginners’ Chase.
McCoy also produced a typically strong ride on Malakiya (5-2) in the Racing Post Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.
The perennial champion jockey hardly had to break sweat as Pipe’s Choumakeur (6-4 favourite) made a thoroughly impressive debut in the Southern FM Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race.
