Duaiseoir delivers on debut for Williams

Venetia Williams is not known for her first-time-out winners, which perhaps speaks volumes about Duaiseoir’s successful debut in the Windmill Catering Maiden Hurdle at Plumpton yesterday.

Bought out of Jim Bolger’s yard, he had been off the track for 612 days, but was certainly not lacking in the fitness department.

He hurdled fluently throughout for Aidan Coleman and arrived on the scene going ominously well at the third-last.

The 16-1 winner was eventually pushed out to beat the eyecatching Winning Spark by four and a half lengths.

Coleman said: “He was very professional.

“It was just his first run since coming from Jim Bolger over a year and a half ago so it’s a good training performance from Venetia and the team.

“To have him ready and to jump as well as that – in what rode quite a nice race as we went a good gallop – bodes well.

“For a horse first time out, he rode like a handicapper so I was very happy - I was quite impressed.

“Hopefully he’ll go on and do a few more things.”

Velator survived a bad blunder at the second-last to deny Tony McCoy on Rocky Ryan in the Happy Birthday Charlie Griffiths & Nick Russell Handicap Hurdle.

It all appeared plain-sailing for Anthony Honeyball’s recent Taunton winner when jockey Rachael Green cruised into the lead with everybody else hard at work.

But McCoy, as is his wont, refused to give in and when the 6-4 favourite met the penultimate flight all wrong, Rocky Ryan, off the track for 1026 days, drew level.

Green refused to panic, though, and found a bit more for pressure to win by a neck and defy a 7lb penalty.

McCoy did leave with a winner, however, when he was reunited with Jonjo O’Neill’s Schism (9-2) in the Cheltenham Preview On 9th March Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

James Pollard foiled an almighty gamble on On Khee in the SIS Live Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton.

Racing for just the fourth time over hurdles, the David Pipe-trained On Khee was backed from 9-2 in the morning and sent off the 11-10 favourite.

Everything looked to be going according to the obvious plan as Tom Scudamore attempted to make all of the running on the mare, who was still three lengths clear jumping the last.

James Pollard was staying on stoutly for amateur rider Robert Williams, though, and as On Khee’s stamina ebbed away, the 16-1 chance pulled four lengths clear.

Charlie Mann’s How’s Business notched a five-timer in the EBF/TBA Mares’ Novices’ Chase – although the first of her wins in the sequence came nearly three years ago.

Sent off 1-9 favourite, Noel Fehily took a lead for the first circuit before pushing on and beating Cecily Parsley by 10 lengths.