Top team at the treble

Northern jump racing’s top trio of Howard Johnson, Graham Wylie and Graham Lee kicked off the New Year in great style with a three-timer at Catterick thanks to wins with Zeitgeist, Turnstile and Motive.

The trainer, owner and jockey had a memorable 2005, most notably combining to win three races at the Cheltenham Festival, and all the signs are there that the coming months could prove equally successful.

The horses clearly continue in good heart, although the much-touted Zeitgeist made heavy weather of justifying short-priced favouritism in the first division of the Peter Pan Novices’ Hurdle.

The five-year-old won the Old Newton Cup on the Flat for Luca Cumani and was bought by Wylie for 140,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale.

He was backed down to 1-3 to recoup a modicum of that outlay on his jumping debut but Lee had to work hard on the market leader to get the better of Panzer by a neck.

“That wasn’t very impressive. We thought he was better than that,” said a slightly disappointed Wylie.

“Graham said he was hanging quite badly to his left so we’ll have to get him checked out when we get him back. He didn’t like the soft ground either, but that wasn’t the reason why he had to work so hard.

“I’ve just spoken to Howard and he said he used to hang left on the Flat and he might need headgear on. So we’ll see what happens next time.”

Turnstile was sent off at 2-5 for the second division of the Peter Pan Novices’ Hurdle and, unlike his stable companion, he won like an odds-on shot should.

The grey cruised into the lead approaching the second last flight and drew readily clear to score eased down by five lengths from That’s Rhythm.

“That was better,” said Wylie. “This horse is improving and Graham said he’d love to ride him on a more galloping track because he has a lovely big stride.

“He jumped very efficiently, very fluently and hopefully might make a nice chaser one day.

“We’ll have to step him up in class next and see how he gets on.”

The treble was completed when Motive led on the run-in to beat Andre Chenier by a length and a quarter in the Aladdin Handicap Hurdle.

Wylie said: “That’s a good start to the New Year.

“Graham said this horse will be better on better ground and he would like to ride him in a strongly-run race on good ground.

“We always knew he had one burst of speed and he had to be brought very late into the race, so he got the tactics right brilliantly.”

They were widely expected to complete a four-timer but their runner, Unexplored, in the Jack & The Beanstalk Novices’ Hurdle came to grief at the final flight, leaving Nine De Sivola to land the spoils.

Rambling Minster was finding life tough over hurdles so trainer Keith Reveley turned the gelding’s attentions to fences.

The move paid off when he stayed on strongly to account for Tufty Hopper by a length and a half under Richie McGrath in the Dick Whittington Beginners’ Chase.

“He jumped very well. I’ve always thought he was a decent horse and I’m hoping this will be his game,” said Reveley.

“I’ll probably just take him back and give him a bit of time because he’s probably going to be a spring horse as he wants decent ground, it was a bit tacky today.

“But it showed he could jump a fence as well as he can at home and hopefully he’ll be a real nice horse for the future.

“He ran some real good races over hurdles, fourth, fifth, running well every time. His mark was 132 and he would have been alright if I’d kept going but he had to go chasing some time.”

Good Outlook was backed from 15-2 to 6-1 in the Go Racing At Wetherby This Thursday Handicap Chase and Richard Guest’s charge landed the money by half a length from Welcome To Unos.

Dominic Elsworth sent Good Outlook on after four fences and the gelding responded gamely to hold off the persistent runner-up.

“Dominic has ridden three winners for me now,” said Guest.

“I was first jockey at Sue Smith’s when Dominic arrived and he was always class at an obstacle.

“So if my boys are not around I would always want to use him.”

Paddy Aspell suffered a suspected fractured collar bone when he came off Scarrabus at the 11th fence.

Uncle John appreciated the drop in grade to regain the winning thread in the Cinderella Selling Handicap.

Michael Sowersby’s charge had won a novices’ handicap at Market Rasen in September but had been well-beaten on his four starts since.

However, the well-backed 11-2 chance made no mistake here under a patient ride from Philip Kinsella when he led on the run-in to win by three and a half lengths from Armentieres.

There was no bid for the winner at the subsequent auction.