Smith bargain buys land double

Sue and Harvey Smith certainly have an eye for a bargain and they completed a double at Kelso today with Royal Emperor and Cill Churnain, who between them cost less than 6,000gns.

Royal Emperor, snapped up for 4,200gns a couple of seasons ago, was among the top flight of staying hurdlers last season and he made a very promising start to his career over fences in the Ceilidh Boy Beginners’ Chase.

Dominic Elsworth sent him to the front at halfway in the extended two-mile-six-furlong test and, always in command from then on, he came home a distance clear of Young Chevalier.

The grey has improved a great deal through the past 12 months and ended the 2002-3 campaign by running Inching Closer to a short head in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival before beating all but Iris’s Gift at Aintree.

This was his fifth success for Mrs Smith, who said: “He jumped really well. He has got a lot of brain and he has talent as well. We will see how he is before we make any plans, but the ground is coming right for him now.

“We do not school them over regulation fences at home, but he has schooled well and I would have been disappointed if he had been beaten.”

Cill Churnain, who cost only 1,600gns, was taking his score for the Bingley stable to nine as he stayed on gamely up the hill to hold the late flourish of Robbo by half a length in the £20,000 Tote Placepot Champion Chase (Showcase Handicap).

Mrs Smith went on: “Cill Churnain has some funny ways. You can’t clip him, for instance. But he is a lovely horse to have. He is only a pony and we won’t take him back over big fences at a big course.”

Jockey Elsworth was completing a double, but he was suspended for two days (Dec 10 and 11) for using his whip with excessive frequency.

Collier Hill, who showed plenty of ability in his bumper and over middle distances on the Flat, was another to set out on a new career and he made a successful jumping debut under J P McNamara in the first division of the two mile ggbet.Com Betting Exchange Maiden Hurdle.

It was an encouraging performance and there is little doubt he will go on to better things, particularly when he steps up in trip.

McNamara, having his only ride of the day, said: “He jumped well, but he already wants two and a half or three miles and he will be better the further they go, and in a better race.”

Delighted trainer Alan Swinbank said: “We have not thrown him in at the deep end to start with and we will keep him low for a while. We will probably run him in a two-and-a-half-mile race at Wetherby on Boxing Day now.”

Moscow Leader, who had a horrible fall over fences at Kelso last month, had a much happier time of it when defying top weight in fine style under conditional Larry McGrath in the Nicholson Bros ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

He is trained by Richard Guest, who said: “The fall here was unfortunate in that it was as a result of things happening around him. He was pretty sore for a week and he has done well to come back and win today.

“He appreciated this trip and the ground and he will go back chasing at some stage.”

Langholm permit-holder Neil Ewart sent out his second winner in three days when Kimbambo landed the second division of the ggbet.Com Betting Exchange Maiden Hurdle under Barry Keniry.

Bryony Norris, fiancee of Ewart’s son James, said with a smile: “James has been in France, where he has been assistant to Guillaume Macaire, and we have come back to show the old man how to do it! James plans to take out a (trainer’s) licence next year.”

Wilson Renwick was suspended for three days (Dec 10, 11 and 12) for using his whip with excessive frequency on fourth-placed Impinda.

Richard McGrath rode his first winner in the Ray Green colours when Workaway, trained by Andrew Parker, came out best in the Eric Scarth Memorial Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Green said: “That is a welcome winner. We have had a bug in the yard and we have not had one since the middle of the summer.”

Sam Waley-Cohen, 21, who has ridden 20 point-to-point winners, gained his first success under Rules when bringing Peter Monteith’s Moscow Dancer home in front in the Kevin Oliver Property & Business Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle.

Monteith said: “I am very pleased for Sam. He is studying at Edinburgh University and he comes to ride out for me.”

Waley-Cohen, whose father is a long-standing patron of the Nicky Henderson stable, said: “It is fantastic to ride a winner for Mr Monteith.”