Melody hits right note

Mikado Melody waltzed to victory in the opening ROR Second Career For Racehorses Novices’ Hurdle at Lingfield.

The 9-1 shot, ridden by Wayne Hutchinson, was always in the main group and led at the final flight to score by a length-and-three-quarters from Idris with Dr Cerullo five lengths further back in third.

Noel Williams, assistant to winning trainer Alan King, said: “We only really had the shell of a horse originally, but he got over sore shin trouble and came back in looking like a million dollars, plus working extremely well on the gallops.

“We knew we had something to go to market with.”