Yes Tom in topping form on first run for Crawford

Yes Tom, the 14/1 outsider of five runners, continued Stuart Crawford’s rich vein of form when landing the Daily Mirror Chase in Down Royal yesterday.

The nine-year-old, owned by Tom Topping (a neighbour of the winning trainer) and having his first run for Crawford, having previously been trained by Roy Wilson, came from off the pace to beat Make a Track readily by seven lengths in the hands of Robbie Power, as favourite Bog Warrior dropped away tamely, having made the running, to finish a well-beaten fourth with Seabass last.

Crawford, who has made a series of successful raids on Britain in recent weeks, admitted: “He has been a more interested at home in the last few weeks and needed a confidence boost. We considered going to Kelso with him, but this was on our doorstep. I wasn’t expecting him to win, but to run well. We might try to find another similar race, with a small, field.”